Department of Transportation January 9, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 20 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals from the vision requirement if the exemptions granted will not compromise safety. The Agency has concluded that granting these exemptions will provide a level of safety that will be equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 15 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals from the vision requirement if the exemptions granted will not compromise safety. The Agency has concluded that granting these exemptions will provide a level of safety that will be equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for renewal of an existing information collection, which is summarized below under Supplementary Information. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This amendment supersedes an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (BHTC) model helicopters. The existing AD currently requires certain inspections and checks of the tail rotor blade (blade) for a deformation, a crack, and a bent or deformed tail rotor weight (weight). Also, that AD requires, before further flight, replacing each blade with an airworthy blade if a deformation, a crack, or a bent or deformed weight is found. This action contains the same actions as the existing AD and also adds to the applicability certain serial-numbered blades inadvertently omitted from the current AD. This action also requires replacing each affected blade, which is a terminating action. This amendment is prompted by three reports of skin cracks originating near the blade trailing edge balance weight. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent blade failure and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

This rulemaking establishes a new subpart in 601 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, to establish emergency relief procedures for granting relief from Federal transit policy statements, circulars, guidance documents, and regulations in times of national or regional emergencies.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all BAE Systems (Operations) Limited Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ airplanes. This AD requires determining the part number of the lift spoiler actuators/jacks (referred to after this as ``lift spoiler jacks''). For affected lift spoiler jacks, this AD requires determining the date of manufacture of the lift spoiler jacks, repetitively inspecting the eye-end assembly of the lift spoiler jacks to detect discrepancies of the assembly or associated parts, and performing corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from a report that a lift spoiler deployed in flight due to corrosion at the thread where the eye-end assembly was screwed into the piston of the lift spoiler jack. We are issuing this AD to prevent detachment of the eye-end assembly of a lift spoiler jack, which could result in uncommanded deployment of a lift spoiler in flight, and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

This action establishes a Class E airspace area at Santa Cruz, CA. The establishment of a Special COPTER Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) 040 Point In Space Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) and a Special COPTER RNAV (GPS) 227 Departure Procedure serving Dominican Hospital Heliport has made this action necessary. Additional controlled airspace extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface of the earth is needed to contain helicopters executing the Special COPTER RNAV (GPS) 040 Point In Space SIAP and Special COPTER RNAV (GPS) 227 Departure Procedure to Dominican Hospital Heliport. The intended effect of this proposal is to provide adequate controlled airspace for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at Dominican Hospital Heliport, Santa Cruz, CA.

This document proposes adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for robinson Helicopter Company (Robinson) Model R44 and R44 II helicopters that have a certain seat belt buckle (buckle) assembly installed. The AD would require removing the buckle assembly and the buckle assembly spacer, and replacing them with airworthy parts. This proposal is prompted by an accident in which a seat belt failed, and also by reports of cracking in the buckle assembly stainless support strap (support strap). The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent cracking in the support strap and failure of a seat belt.