Department of Transportation June 4, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NHTSA is issuing this notice to publish the schedule of upcoming meetings of WP.29 and its working parties of experts for the remainder of calendar year and to inform the public that a vote to establish a Global Technical Regulation (GTR) on Electronic Stability Control is planned for the June 2008 session of the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29). In anticipation of this, NHTSA is requesting comment to inform its decision for the vote.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for extension of currently approved collections. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on March 19, 2008 (73 FR 14871).

This document proposes adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-76A, S-76B, and S-76C helicopters. The AD would require an initial and recurring inspections of the tail rotor vertical stabilizer aft spar assembly (aft spar assembly) for a crack, loose or working fasteners, and corrosion, and, if any are found, further inspections of the vertical stabilizer forward spar assembly (forward spar assembly). Repairing or replacing any unairworthy part before further flight would also be required. The action would also require a recurring track-and-balance of the tail rotor. Finally, the proposed AD would require installing a vertical stabilizer modification kit, which would be terminating action for the requirements of the AD. This proposal is prompted by 26 reports of fatigue cracks in the aft spar assembly web and outer caps. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to detect and correct an unbalanced or out-of-track tail rotor, which could lead to increased vibrations, a fatigue crack, loss of a portion of the vertical stabilizer and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published a document in the Federal Register on April 28, 2008 announcing receipt of a joint request for waiver of compliance from the City of Seattle, Washington and the BNSF Railway Company. This notice corrects that document by acknowledging that the request for waiver of compliance from a certain provision of 49 CFR Part 222 was solely filed by the City of Seattle, Washington.

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