Department of Transportation June 11, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Surface Transportation Board will hold a public hearing beginning at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 18, 2007, in the Ground Floor Conference Room of the Richard Bolling Federal Building, 601 East 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64106. The purpose of the public hearing will be to examine issues related to the efficiency and reliability of rail transportation of resources critical to the nation's energy supply, including coal, ethanol, and biofuels.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

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 novel or unusual design features are associated with carbon fiber reinforced plastic used in the construction of the fuselage. For these design features, the applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for impact response characteristics to ensure survivable crashworthiness. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards. Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of the Boeing 787-8 airplanes.

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 wing fuel tanks constructed of carbon fiber composite materials. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards. Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of the Boeing Model 787-8 airplanes.

FMCSA amends its regulations concerning parts and accessories necessary for safe operation in response to a petition for reconsideration filed by the Truck Manufacturers Association. As requested by a petitioner, this amendment resolves an inconsistency between FMCSA's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain Boeing Model 747 airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive inspections to detect cracks and/or corrosion of the girt bar support fitting at certain main entry doors (MED), and repair or replacement of the support fitting. The existing AD also provides for various terminating actions for the repetitive inspections. This new AD requires the following additional actions: An inspection, for certain airplanes, for correct installation of square and conical washers in the girt bar support fitting; an inspection, for certain other airplanes, to determine if the washers are installed; and related investigative and corrective action if necessary. This AD results from a report that the square and conical washers may be installed incorrectly in the girt bar support fitting on airplanes on which the support fitting was repaired or replaced in accordance with the requirements of the existing AD. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct corrosion of the girt bar support fitting, which could result in separation of the escape slide from the lower door sill during deployment, and subsequently prevent proper operation of the escape slides at the main entry doors during an emergency. We are also issuing this AD to detect and correct incorrect installation of the square and conical washers in the girt bar support fitting, which could result in failure of the escape slide when deployed.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) that supersedes AD 2006-23-02, which applies to certain Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) (Type Certificate (TC) No. 3A20 and TC No. A24CE formerly held by Raytheon Aircraft Corporation and Beech) Models C90A, B200, B200C, B300, and B300C airplanes. AD 2006-23-02 currently requires you to inspect the flight controls for improper assembly or damage, and if any improperly assembled or damaged flight controls are found, take corrective action. Since we issued AD 2006-23-02, we have determined the need to add airplane serial numbers that were not previously included in the applicability. Consequently, this AD retains the actions of AD 2006-23-02 and adds airplane serial numbers to the applicability. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct improperly assembled or damaged flight controls, which could result in an unsafe condition by reducing capabilities of the flight controls and lead to loss of control.

This notice announces actions taken by the FHWA that are final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to various proposed highway projects in the State of Alaska. Those actions grant approvals for the projects.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of the RTCA Program Management Committee.