Department of Transportation August 21, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Cessna Model 560 airplanes. The existing AD currently requires installing new minimum airspeed placards to notify the flightcrew of the proper airspeeds for operating in both normal and icing conditions. The existing AD also requires revising the airplane flight manual to provide limitations and procedures for operating in icing conditions, for operating with anti-ice systems selected ``on'' independent of icing conditions, and for recognizing and recovering from inadvertent stall. The existing AD also provides an optional terminating action for the placard installation. This proposed AD would require the previously optional terminating action. This proposed AD results from an evaluation of in-service airplanes following an accident. The evaluation indicated that some airplanes might have an improperly adjusted stall warning system. We are proposing this AD to prevent an inadvertent stall due to the inadequate stall warning margin provided by an improperly adjusted stall warning system, which could result in loss of controllability of the airplane.

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:

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to all Honeywell FMSs served by Honeywell NZ-2000 navigation computers and IC-800 integrated avionics computers. The existing AD currently requires identifying affected computers by part number and software modification level and revising the Limitations section of applicable airplane flight manuals to provide procedures for retaining optimum position determination and intended navigation. This proposed AD would require uploading new software, which would terminate the existing requirements. This proposed AD results from reports of in-flight unannunciated shifts of computed position in airplanes with the subject FMS computers. We are proposing this AD to prevent a shift in the FMS computed position, which could result in uncommanded deviations from the intended flight path of the airplane and, if those deviations are undetected by the flight crew, compromised terrain/traffic avoidance.

This rulemaking clarifies Maritime Administration regulations which require that Agents (including Ship Managers) for the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) appointed by the Maritime Administration be United States citizens.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. This notice is abbreviated to expedite docketing and public notice. Because the sections affected, modes of transportation, and the nature of application have been shown in earlier Federal Register publications, they are not repeated here. Request of modifications of special permits (e.g., to provide for additional hazardous materials, packaging design changes, additional mode of transportation, etc.) are described in footnotes to the application number. Application numbers with the suffix ``M'' denote a modification request. Their applications have been separated from the new application for special permits to facilitate processing.

In an effort to financially assist Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and other certified small and disadvantaged business (SDBs) in their execution of transportation related contracts at the local, state and federal levels, the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) has developed the Short-Term Lending Program (STLP), under which DOT guarantees short-term lines of credit for said businesses. The program is administered through cooperative agreements between DOT's OSDBU and Participating Lenders and under the STLP's governing policies and procedures. This NPRM proposes new rules to govern the STLP.