Department of Transportation May 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA withdraws a second supplemental NPRM for an airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to all Airbus Model A330-200, A330-300, A340-200, and A340-300 series airplanes; and Model A340-541 and A340-642 airplanes. That second supplemental NPRM proposed to revise the Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS), for all affected airplanes, by adding new Airworthiness Limitations Items (ALIs) to incorporate service life limits for certain items and inspections to detect fatigue cracking, accidental damage or corrosion in certain structures, in accordance with the revised ALS of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness. Since the second supplemental NPRM was issued, we have published new NPRMs to propose to mandate the most recent airworthiness limitations for Model A330-200 and -300 series airplanes; and new ADs to mandate the most recent airworthiness limitations for Model A340-200 and -300 series airplanes; and Model A340-541 and -642 airplanes. Accordingly, the proposed AD is withdrawn.

The Surface Transportation Board (Board) is accepting for consideration the application filed by Adrian & Blissfield Rail Road Company (ADBF) seeking Board authority under 49 U.S.C. 11321-26 for continuance in control of Charlotte Southern Railroad Company (CHS), Detroit Connecting Railroad Company (DCON), and Lapeer Industrial Railroad Company (LIRR). ADBF seeks authorization for its previously consummated control, through stock ownership and management, of those 3 entities when they became Class III short line railroads. The Board finds that this transaction is a ``minor transaction'' under 49 CFR 1180.2(c) and adopts a procedural schedule for consideration of the application, providing for the Board's final decision to be issued on August 19, 2011, and to become effective on September 18, 2011.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Hannibal, MO. Decommissioning of the Hannibal non-directional beacon (NDB) at Hannibal Regional Airport, Hannibal, MO, has made this action necessary for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at Hannibal Regional Airport. This action also would change the airport name to Hannibal Regional Airport, and update the geographic coordinates.

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

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Grand Marais, MN. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures at Grand Marais/Cook County Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

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 emergency AD was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of these airplanes. This AD requires repetitive external eddy current inspections of the lap joints at stringers S-4R and S-4L, along the entire length from body station (BS) 360 to BS 908. If a crack indication is found, the AD requires either confirming the crack by doing internal eddy current inspections, or repairing the crack. As an alternative to the external eddy current inspections, the AD provides for internal eddy current and detailed inspections for cracks in the lower skin at the lower row of fasteners at stringers S-4L and S-4R. This AD was prompted by a report indicating that a Model 737-300 series airplane experienced a rapid decompression when the lap joint at stringer S-4L between BS 664 and BS 727 cracked and opened up due to cracking in the lower skin at the lower row of fasteners. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct such cracking, which could result in an uncontrolled decompression of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Eurocopter France (ECF) helicopters. This AD results from a mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) AD issued by the aviation authority of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community. The superseding MCAI AD states that several engine flameouts have involved failure of the 41-tooth pinion in the engine accessory gearbox. Each affected helicopter had a starter-generator manufactured by one company. Investigation revealed the torque damping system of the starter-generator was inoperative due to incorrect adjustment that caused bending stresses on the 41-tooth pinion. Failure of the pinion causes the engine fuel pump to stop operating, resulting in an engine flameout. The EASA AD requires a new adjustment procedure to optimize the performance of the specified starter-generator damping assembly. This AD is intended to prevent failure of a pinion and a fuel pump, engine flameout, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

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:

This action proposes to amend five Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes and establish four new ATS routes. The existing routes that would be amended are Q-42, J-60, V-16, V-229 and V-449. The proposed new routes are Q-62, Q-406, Q-448 and Q-480. The FAA is proposing this action to increase National Airspace System (NAS) efficiency, enhance safety and reduce delays within the New York Metropolitan area airspace.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval to renew an information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on March 10, 2011, vol. 76, no. 47, page 13264. The FAA issues Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins (SAIBs) to alert, educate, and make recommendations to the aviation community and individual aircraft owners/operators on ways to improve products. They may include requests for reporting of results from requested actions/ inspections.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 2005 Mercedes-Benz 350 CLS passenger cars that were not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) are eligible for importation into the United States because they have safety features that comply with, or are capable of being altered to comply with, all such standards.

This document advises owners and operators of gas transmission and gathering systems and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities that they have until August 15, 2011, to submit their Calendar Year 2010 Annual Reports. This document also provides guidance for Calendar Year 2010 National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) submissions.

This action amends existing Class E airspace at Livermore, CA, to accommodate aircraft using new Instrument Landing System (ILS) Localizer (LOC) standard instrument approach procedures at Livermore Municipal Airport, and also corrects the airspace designation. This action also corrects a typographical error in the airspace description for Class D airspace. This improves the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on August 19, 2010. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

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 collections and their expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on September 3, 2010, at 75 FR 54217.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model AB412 helicopters. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by the aviation authority of Italy to identify and correct an unsafe condition related to the rescue hoist hook installed on this model helicopter. The aviation authority of Italy, with which we have a bilateral agreement, states in the MCAI that a missing lock pin may cause the loss of the hoist hook and any load. The absence of the lock pin constitutes an unsafe condition, and this AD is intended to detect the presence of an identification plate marked ``BT 412-124,'' which indicates that the hook assembly has the lock pin installed to prevent the loss of a rescue hoist hook and its load.

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Eurocopter France (ECF) model helicopters. This proposed AD results from a mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) AD issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community. The MCAI AD states that the manufacturer has received some reports of deterioration and two reports of failure of Starflex star arm ends. These deteriorations generated high-amplitude vibrations in flight requiring precautionary landings. They state these deteriorations are due to the strong effect of temperature on the strength of the bush-to- Starflex star arm end attachment. Consequently, the MCAI AD requires modification of the frequency adapters and the frequency adapter bushes to improve the ventilation in the area on the star arm end. This proposed AD is intended to require modifying the main rotor frequency adapters to reduce the temperature in the area, to prevent failure of the star arm end, severe vibration, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

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 is being 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 September 13, 2010 (75 FR 55627-55628).

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Bell model helicopters. This proposed AD would require revising the Operating Limitations, Section 1, of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) to add an operating limitation when a litter kit is installed. This proposed AD is prompted by the need for corresponding operating limitations prohibiting flight, including hover, with the litter doorpost removed when certain litter kits are installed. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to add an operating limitation when a litter kit is installed to prohibit flight with the doorpost removed to prevent loss of structural integrity of the fuselage.

The FAA publishes a monthly notice, as appropriate, of PFC approvals and disapprovals under the provisions of the Aviation Safety and Capacity Expansion Act of 1990 (Title IX of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990) (Pub. L. 101-508) and Part 158 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Part 158). This notice is published pursuant to paragraph d of Sec. 158.29.

This final rule amends the Federal motor vehicle safety standard that specifies performance requirements for motorcycle helmets to reduce traumatic brain injury and other types of head injury. Some of the amendments will help to increase the benefits of that standard by making it easier for State and local law enforcement officials to enforce State laws requiring the use of helmets meeting that standard. Some motorcyclists use noncompliant helmets known as novelty helmets. These helmets are not certified to the agency's helmet standard and have been shown in testing to fail all or almost all of the safety performance requirements in that standard. Some novelty helmet users attempt to make their helmets appear to law enforcement agencies and the courts to be compliant by misleadingly attaching labels that have the appearance of legitimate ``DOT'' certification labels. This final rule revises the existing requirements for the ``DOT'' certification label and other labels and adds new requirements to make it more difficult to label novelty helmets misleadingly. The other amendments will aid NHTSA in enforcing the standard by setting reasonable tolerances for certain test conditions, devices and procedures. Specifically, this final rule sets a quasi-static load application rate for the helmet retention system; revises the impact attenuation test by specifying test velocity and tolerance limits and removing the drop height test specification; provides tolerances for the helmet conditioning specifications and drop assembly weights; and revises requirements related to size labeling and location of the DOT symbol.

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: