Department of Transportation April 2, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for General Electric Company (GE) CF34-1A, -3A, -3A1, -3A2, -3B, and -3B1 turbofan engines with high-pressure (HP) rotor 4-step air balance piston stationary seals (4-step seals), part numbers (P/Ns) 4923T54G01, 6019T90G03, 6037T99G01, 6037T99G02, and 6037T99G03, installed. This AD requires removing the 4-step seals and incorporating an 8-step seal at the next piece-part exposure. This AD results from the investigation of an airplane accident. Both engines experienced high-altitude flameout. Rotation of the HP rotors was not maintained during descent and the engines could not be restarted. We are issuing this AD to prevent the inability to restart both engines after flameout due to excessive friction of the 4-step seal, which could result in subsequent forced landing of the airplane.

Several parties have asked the Federal Transit Administration to waive its Buy America requirements of 49 CFR 661.11 for the purchase of minivans that are manufactured or assembled outside the United States. According to these parties, minivans and minivan chassis are not available from a domestic source. FTA seeks public comment before deciding whether to grant these requests. If granted, a waiver would apply to all minivans and minivan chassis, not only those manufactured by Chrysler.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal to change a portion of airport land from aeronautical use to non-aeronautical use and to authorize the lease of airport property. The proposal consists of a leasing 3.528 acres of Lot 51 of the original M.D. Shipman's Farm parcel. Lot 51 became part of Tract No. 1 (16.83 acres) that was deeded to the City of DeKalb by the United States of America as government surplus property under the Surplus Property Act of 1944. Tract 1 also is currently subject to the National Emergency Use Provision (for times of National emergency), a condition that the City of DeKalb would also like to remove from the 3.528 parcel requesting the change in use. This subject land currently has a metal storage building on it miscellaneous bituminous and concrete drives and parking areas located on it. It is the intent of the City of DeKalb, as owner and operator of the DeKalbTaylor Municipal Airport (DKB) to retain ownership of the 3.528 acre parcel and allow for commercial development on said parcel. This notice announces that the FAA is considering the proposal to authorize the change from aeronautical use to non-aeronautical use of the subject airport property at the DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport (DKB), DeKalb, IL. Approval does not constitute a commitment by the FAA to financially assist in the lease or development of the subject airport property nor a determination that all measures covered by the program are eligible for grant-in-aid funding from the FAA.