Department of Transportation April 2, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently approved information collection activities. Before submitting these information collection requirements for clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of EUROCAE WG-72: RTCA Special Committee 216: Aeronautical Systems Security (Joint Meeting).

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: Surface defects were visually detected on the rudder of one A319 and one A321 in-service aeroplane. Investigation has determined that the defects reported on both rudders corresponded to areas that had been reworked in production. The investigation confirmed that the defects were a result of de-bonding between the skin and honeycomb core. An extended de-bonding, if not detected and corrected, may degrade the structural integrity of the rudder. The loss of the rudder leads to degradation of the handling qualities and reduces the controllability of the aeroplane.

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: Surface defects were visually detected on the rudder of one Airbus A319 and one A321 in-service aeroplane. Investigation has determined that the defects reported on both rudders corresponded to areas that had been reworked in production. The investigation confirmed that the defects were the result of de-bonding between the skin and honeycomb core. Such reworks were also performed on some rudders fitted on A310 and A300-600 aeroplanes. An extended de-bonding, if not detected and corrected, may degrade the structural integrity of the rudder. The loss of the rudder leads to degradation of the handling qualities and reduces the controllability of the aeroplane.

On March 24, 2010, the Secretary of Transportation authorized

The Board is instituting a proceeding to determine the railroad industry's cost of capital for 2009. The decision solicits comments on the following narrow issues: (1) The railroads' 2009 current cost of debt capital; (2) the railroads' 2009 current cost of preferred equity capital (if any); (3) the railroads' 2009 cost of common equity capital; (4) how the change in BNSF Railway Company's (BNSF's) share prices from November 2009 through December 2009, following the announcement of BNSF's acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway Inc., should be considered in calculating the 2009 cost of common equity capital; and (5) the 2009 capital structure mix of the railroad industry on a market value basis. Comments should focus on the various cost of capital components listed above using the same methodology followed in Railroad Cost of Capital2008, Ex Parte No. 558 (Sub-No. 12) (STB served Sept. 25, 2009).

The FAA assigned the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) a new task to identify and develop recommendations on additional requirements for low speed alerting in new transport category airplanes. This task is the first phase of an overall effort to examine new standards, as well as possible retrofit standards. This notice is to inform the public of this ARAC activity.

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 review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period was published on June 22, 2009. This is a request for a new collection.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Rolls-Royce plc RB211-Trent 700 series turbofan engines. That AD currently requires initial and repetitive borescope inspections of the high-pressure-and-intermediate pressure (HP-IP) turbine internal and external oil vent tubes for coking and carbon buildup, and cleaning or replacing the vent tubes if necessary. This AD requires the same actions, but adds additional inspections of the vent flow restrictor. This AD results from further analysis that the cleaning of the vent tubes required by AD 2007-02-05 could lead to loosened carbon fragments, causing a blockage downstream in the vent flow restrictor. We are issuing this AD to prevent internal oil fires due to coking and carbon buildup that could cause uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane.

The FAA is requesting public comment on the Town of Houlton's request to change a portion (4.68 acres) of Airport property from

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) 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 Model 747-200C and -200F series airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive inspections to find fatigue cracking in the floor panel attachment fastener holes of the upper chord of certain upper deck floor beams in Section 41 (i.e., body station 520 and forward), and repair if necessary. The existing AD also provides optional modifications, which extend the threshold for initiating certain repetitive inspections. This new AD requires additional repetitive inspections to find fatigue cracking in the floor panel attachment fastener holes of the upper chord of certain other upper deck floor beams in Section 41 and Section 42 (i.e., aft of body station 520); repetitive inspections to find fatigue cracking in the permanent fastener holes of the upper chord of certain upper deck floor beams in Section 41; and related investigative and corrective actions. This new AD also provides a new optional modification, which terminates certain repetitive inspections. This AD results from new reports of cracking in the upper chord of the upper deck floor beams in Sections 41 and 42, and new analysis that shows the permanent fastener holes of the upper chord of certain upper deck floor beams in Section 41 are also susceptible to fatigue cracking. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracking in the upper chord of the upper deck floor beams. Such cracking could extend and sever the floor beams, which could result in rapid decompression and loss of controllability of the airplane.