Department of Transportation March 13, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document proposes superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. (Bell) helicopters. That AD currently requires inspecting each affected tail rotor blade (blade) forward tip weight retention block (tip block) and the aft tip closure (tip closure) for adhesive bond voids, and removing any blade with an excessive void from service. That AD also requires modifying certain blades by installing shear pins and tip closure rivets. This action would contain the same requirements but would expand the applicability to include other part and serial-numbered blades. This AD would also clarify the requirement to re-identify the modified blade by adding ``FM'' after the part number and would require dynamically balancing the tail rotor. The existing AD was prompted by five occurrences of missing tip blocks or tip closures resulting in minor to substantial damage. This proposal was prompted by the determination that the AD should apply to other affected part and serial-numbered blades. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to prevent loss of a tip block or tip closure, loss of a blade, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 19 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 previously announced its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for these 45 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals from the vision requirement if the exemptions granted will not compromise safety. The Agency has reviewed the comments submitted in response to the previous announcements and 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.

This action proposes to amend the following four Offshore Airspace Areas in Alaska: Norton Sound Low, Woody Island Low, Control 1234L and Control 1487L. This action proposes to describe the airspace west of 160[deg] W. longitude as it is currently depicted on aeronautical charts. Some of the existing controlled airspace is described as domestic Class E5 airspace around Kodiak, AK. This airspace instead would be listed within the Woody Island Low Offshore Airspace Area. The FAA is proposing this action to provide additional controlled airspace for aircraft instrument flight rules (IFR) operations, and to correctly describe the existing offshore airspace areas in FAA Order 7400.9P, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated September 1, 2006, and effective September 15, 2006.

This document proposes adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Eurocopter France (ECF) model helicopters. This proposal would require, within the next 30 days, modifying the collective hold-down strap (strap) and thereafter inspecting it at specified intervals to ensure the rubber grommet is resting against the console or replacing the strap with an ECF designed strap that has a torsional spring at the lower end of the strap. This proposal is prompted by reports of two accidents occurring while the pilots were performing an autorotation. The pilots were unable to arrest the descent of the helicopter using collective blade pitch due to the collective stick locking in the down position when the collective was lowered during the maneuver. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to prevent inadvertent locking of a collective stick in flight and the flight crew not being aware of the locked condition leading to a subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 205/EUROCAE Working Group 71: Software Considerations in Aeronautical Systems.