Department of Transportation March 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued 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:

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued 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 action established Class E airspace at Hinton, OK. New Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Hinton Muni Airport has made this action necessary. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft operations at Hinton Muni Airport, OK.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Turbomeca Arriel 1B, 1D, 1D1, and 1S1 turboshaft engines. That AD currently requires initial and repetitive position checks of the gas generator 2nd stage turbine blades on all Turbomeca Arriel 1B, 1D, 1D1, and 1S1 turboshaft engines. That AD also currently requires initial and repetitive replacements of 2nd stage turbines on 1B, 1D, and 1D1 engines only. This AD requires adding a 3,000 hour life limit to Arriel 1B 2nd stage turbine blades. This AD results from reports of failures of second stage turbine blades. We are issuing this AD to prevent failures of the 2nd stage turbine blades, which could result in uncommanded in-flight engine shutdown, and subsequent forced autorotation landing or accident.

This document reopens the comment period on a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213, ``Child Restraint Systems.'' Among other things, the SNPRM proposed to specify procedures the agency would use to position a Hybrid III 10-year-old child dummy and a Hybrid III 6-year-old child dummy in booster seats when conducting FMVSS No. 213 compliance tests. Comments on the SNPRM were due March 24, 2008. The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) petitioned NHTSA to extend the comment period by a minimum of 60 days to appropriately respond with comments to the notice. We have granted the request to extend the comment period and are reopening the comment period for 45 days.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Bombardier Model DHC-8-400 series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires inspecting all barrel nuts to determine if the barrel nuts have a certain marking, inspecting affected bolts to determine if the bolts are pre-loaded correctly, and replacing all hardware if the pre-load is incorrect. For airplanes on which the pre-load is correct, the existing AD requires doing repetitive visual inspections for cracking of the barrel nuts and cradles and replacing all hardware for all cracked barrel nuts. The existing AD also requires replacement of all hardware for certain affected barrel nuts that do not have cracking, which would end the repetitive inspections for those airplanes. The existing AD also provides an optional replacement for all affected barrel nuts. This proposed AD would require replacement of all affected barrel nuts. This proposed AD results from reports of cracking in the barrel nuts at the four primary front spar wing-to-fuselage attachment joints. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct cracking of the barrel nuts at the wing front spar wing-to-fuselage joints, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the wing-to-fuselage attachments and consequent detachment of the wing.

Section 1119 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) (Pub. L. 109-59, 119 Stat. 1144) makes significant changes to the Indian Reservation Road Bridge Program (IRRBP). In addition, it authorizes $14 million of IRRBP funds per year for the replacement or rehabilitation of structurally deficient or functionally obsolete Indian Reservation Road (IRR) bridges. This final rule amends the existing IRRBP by establishing new policies and provisions. Also, in this final rule, preliminary engineering (PE) is now an eligible activity.

This action proposes to establish four Federal airways in the National Airspace System (NAS) to replace four non-part 95 routes in Alaska. The conversion of these non-part 95 routes would change uncharted nonregulatory airways requiring special aircrew authorization to Federal Airways, thus adding to the instrument flight rules (IFR) airway and route infrastructure in Alaska. This proposal would establish three Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways, and one Low/Medium Frequency (L/MF) Colored Federal airway.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from 28 individuals for exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. If granted, the exemptions would enable these individuals to qualify as drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce without meeting the Federal vision standard.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Boeing Model 737-300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the downstop assemblies on the main tracks of the No. 2, 3, 4, and 5 slats and the inboard track of the No. 1 and 6 slats to verify if any parts are missing, damaged, or in the wrong order. This AD also requires other specified actions, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from reports of fuel leaking from a puncture in the slat track housing (referred to as the ``slat can''). We are issuing this AD to detect and correct loose or missing parts from the main slat track downstop assemblies, which could puncture the slat can and result in a fuel leak and consequent fire.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Goodrich evacuation systems approved under Technical Standard Orders (TSOs) TSO-C69, TSO-C69a, TSO-C69b, and TSO-C69c, installed on certain Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Airbus transport category airplanes. For certain systems, this AD requires replacing the evacuation system's shear-pin restraints with new ones. For certain other systems, this AD requires an inspection for manufacturing lot numbers; and a general visual inspection of the shear-pin restraint for discrepancies, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from several reports of corroded shear-pin restraints that prevented Goodrich evacuation systems from deploying properly. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of an evacuation system, which could impede an emergency evacuation and increase the chance of injury to passengers and flightcrew during the evacuation.

On February 21, 2008, Holland America Line Inc. (HAL), a noncarrier that controls four regulated motor passenger carriers, Westours Motor Coaches, Inc. (Westours), Evergreen Trails, Inc., d/b/a Gray Line of Seattle (Evergreen), Westmark Hotels of Canada, Ltd. (Westmark), and Horizon Coach Lines, Ltd. (Horizon),\1\ (collectively, applicants) filed an application under 49 U.S.C. 14303 for acquisition of control by HAL of a new motor passenger carrier, Discover Alaska Tours, Inc. (DAT),\2\ and for continuance in control of Westours, Evergreen, Westmark, and Horizon. Persons wishing to oppose the application must follow the rules at 49 CFR 1182.5 and 1182.8. The Board has tentatively approved the transaction, and, if no opposing comments are timely filed, this notice will be the final Board action.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Maritime Administration's (MARAD's) intentions to request extension of approval for three years of a currently approved information collection.

This action establishes Class E Airspace at Lady Lake, FL to support a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Special Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) that has been developed for medical flight operations into the Village of Homewood Lady Lake Hospital. This action enhances the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations by providing that required controlled airspace for this approach around Lady Lake, FL.

This action establishes Class E Airspace at Milford, PA to support a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Special Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) that has been developed for medical flight operations into the Myer Airport. This action enhances the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations by providing that required controlled airspace to protect for this approach around Milford, PA.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The FMCSA requests approval to revise an existing information collection (IC) entitled ``Designation of Agents, Motor Carriers, Brokers and Freight Forwarders,'' which is used to provide registered motor carriers, property brokers, and freight forwarders a means of meeting process agent requirements. On December 26, 2007, FMCSA published a Federal Register notice allowing for a 60-day comment period on the ICR. No comments were received on the ICR.

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a new information collection. This project involves the random and representative sampling of Flight Attendants currently employed by U.S. air carriers. The goal of this effort is to identify the type of fatigue that flight attendants experience, the frequency with which they experience fatigue, and the consequences fatigue may have on the safety of U.S. air carriers.

The Board, under 49 U.S.C. 10502, revokes the class exemption as it pertains to the modified trackage rights described in STB Finance Docket No. 34554 (Sub-No. 8) \1\ to permit the trackage rights to expire on or about December 31, 2008, in accordance with the agreement of the parties,\2\ subject to the employee protective conditions set forth in Oregon Short Line R. Co.AbandonmentGoshen, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979).

A direct final rule, published in the Federal Register February 4, 2008, (73 FR 6424), Docket No. FAA-2008-026, establishing Class E airspace at Hendricks County-Gordon Graham Field Airport, Indianapolis, IN, is being withdrawn. The FAA has found that Class E airspace already exists for the Indianapolis, IN, area, and therefore, substantial corrections would need to be made. In the interest of clarity, this rule is being withdrawn, and a new rulemaking amending the existing airspace will be forthcoming.

A direct final rule, published in the Federal Register February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7667) FAA Docket No. 2008-0003, is being withdrawn. This copy of the rule was inadvertently sent to the Federal Register. The direct final rule establishing Class E airspace at Muldrow Army Heliport, Lexington, OK, published February 15, 2008, (73 FR 8795) is the correct rule.

The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration announces an extension to the public comment period for the Kahului Harbor Master Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Draft EIS addresses the community's needs for commercial harbor facilities through 2030.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) invites the general public, industry and other governmental parties to comment on the continuing need for and usefulness of BTS collecting financial data from large certificated air carriers. Large certificated air carriers are carriers that operate aircraft with over 60 seats, aircraft with over 18,000 pounds of payload capacity, or operate international air services.