Department of Transportation March 12, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Surface Transportation Board will hold a public hearing beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at its new offices in Washington, DC. The purpose of the public hearing will be to examine issues related to rail traffic forecasts and infrastructure requirements. Persons wishing to speak at the hearing should notify the Board in writing.

The Office of the Secretary published a document in the Federal Register on February 14, 2007, concerning a request for a renewal of a currently approved information collection. We are correcting the document as set forth below.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Fokker Model F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes. This proposed AD would require a detailed inspection for wear of the attachment holes of the control levers of the braking system and applicable corrective actions. This proposed AD results from a report that, after landing, the flightcrew of a Model F.28 Mark 0100 airplane noted that an extreme difference in pedal angle was required to achieve equal braking action. We are proposing this AD to prevent failure of one or more brake control levers, which could result in uncommanded braking and loss of control of the airplane during takeoff, landing, or taxiing.

This notice proposes special conditions for the Boeing Model 787-8 airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. These design features include electronic flight control systems and high bypass engines. These special conditions also pertain to the effects of such novel or unusual design features, such as effects on the structural performance of the airplane. Finally, these special conditions pertain to effects of certain conditions on these novel or unusual design features, such as the effects of high intensity radiated fields (HIRF). Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of the Boeing Model 787-8 airplanes.

This document responds to a petition for rulemaking regarding Federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) No. 119, Pneumatic Tires for Vehicles Other Than Passenger Cars. Pacific Coast Retreaders (PCR), a distributor of new truck tires that are manufactured in China, petitioned the agency on February 1, 2006, to amend FMVSS No. 119, paragraph S5.1, Tire and rim matching information (b). Specifically, PCR petitioned the agency to accept tire load rating data for two bias ply truck tire sizes, 10-20 and 11-22.5, from the Chinese tire standardization organization Guo Biao 9744-1997 (GB 9744). NHTSA has determined that this petition is moot with regard to the 10-20 size tires because the maximum load rating labeled on these tires, in the single and dual wheel configurations, meets the requirements of FMVSS No. 119. With regard to the 11-22.5 size tires, the agency denies the request by the petitioner that FMVSS No. 119, paragraph S5.1(b) be amended to include the GB 9744 maximum load rating for this single tire size. The agency does not consider amending the standard to include the specifications of a tire standardization organization for one tire size.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) GTSIO-520 series reciprocating engines. That AD currently requires initial and repetitive visual inspections of the starter adapter assembly and crankshaft gear and unscheduled visual inspections of the starter adapter assembly and crankshaft gear due to a rough-running engine. That AD also requires replacement of the starter adapter shaft gear needle bearing with a certain bushing and installation of a certain TCM service kit at the next engine overhaul, or at the next starter adapter replacement, whichever occurs first. This AD requires performing the inspection ordered in paragraph (h) of this AD every 100 hours time-in- service (TIS), or annually. This proposed AD results from an error discovered in AD 2005-20-04. We are issuing this AD to failure of the starter adapter assembly and or crankshaft gear, resulting in failure of the engine and possible forced landing.

In accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5117(c), PHMSA is publishing the following list of special permit applications that have been in process for 180 days or more. The reason(s) for delay and the expected completion date for action on each application is provided in association with each identified application.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its findings on the noise compatibility program submitted by the City of Danbury, CT under the provisions of Title I of the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act of 1979 (Pub. L. 96-193) and 14 CFR part 150. These findings are made in recognition of the description of federal and non- Federal responsibilities in Senate Report No. 96-52 (1980). On September 9, 2006, the FAA determined that the noise exposure maps submitted by the City of Danbury under part 150 were in compliance with applicable requirements. On February 15, 2007, the Airports Division Manager approved the Danbury Municipal Airport noise compatibility program. All 3 of the proposed program elements were approved.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) that supersedes AD 62-24-01, which applies to all Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) Beech Models 45 (YT-34), A45 (T-34A, B45), and D45 (T-34B) airplanes. AD 62-24-01 currently requires you to repetitively inspect, using the dye penetrant method, the front and rear horizontal stabilizer spars for cracks and replace any cracked stabilizer. Since we issued AD 62-24-01, we determined that using the dye penetrant inspection method may not detect cracks before the crack grows to a critical length and causes failure of the horizontal stabilizer spars. Therefore, we are requiring the surface eddy current inspection method to detect cracks in the horizontal stabilizer spars. Consequently, this AD retains the actions required in AD 62-24-01 and changes the required inspection method from dye penetrant to surface eddy current. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the front and/or rear horizontal stabilizer spars caused by fatigue cracks. This failure could result in stabilizer separation and loss of control of the airplane.