Department of Transportation December 13, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Projects funded under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) must meet the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 50101, Buy American Preferences. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering issuing waivers to foreign manufacturers of certain airport lighting and navigation aid equipment that is lit with Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting. This notice requests information from manufacturers of systems meeting the technical requirements to determine whether a waiver to the Buy American Preferences should be issued.

This action reopens the comment period for guidance material that was published for comment in the Federal Register on November 8, 2011. In that document, the FAA clarifies guidance to employees on the responsibilities, qualifications, and oversight of designated aircraft dispatcher examiners. The comment period closed on December 8, 2011. This reopening is a result of a request for extension of the comment period.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval the renewal of a previously approved information collection that is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on October 11, 2010. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

FMCSA proposes to amend its Rules of Practice for Motor Carrier, Intermodal Equipment Provider, Broker, Freight Forwarder, and Hazardous Materials Proceedings in three respects. First, the Agency proposes to clarify that paying the full proposed civil penalty in an enforcement proceeding, either in response to a Notice of Claim (NOC) or later in the proceeding, would not allow respondents to unilaterally avoid an admission of liability for the violations charged. Second, FMCSA proposes to establish procedures for issuing out-of-service orders to motor carriers, intermodal equipment providers, brokers, and freight forwarders it determines are reincarnations of other entities with a history of failing to comply with statutory or regulatory requirements. These procedures would provide for administrative review before the out-of-service order takes effect. Finally, the Agency proposes procedures for consolidating Agency records of reincarnated companies with their predecessor entities.

This action establishes two new restricted areas at the Warren Grove Range, NJ. In addition, the using agency for all Warren Grove restricted areas is updated to reflect the current organization tasked with that responsibility. The FAA is taking this action to provide the airspace needed for realistic military training so that aircrews can acquire and maintain proficiency in high altitude weapons employment and other modern tactics.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Decatur, IL. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAP) at Decatur Airport. The geographic coordinates of the airport also would be adjusted. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs at the airport.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Omaha, NE. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAP) at Eppley Airfield. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs at the airport.

We propose to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to Turbomeca S.A. Arrius 2F turboshaft engines with P3 air pipe (first section) part number (P/N) 0 319 71 918 0, installed. The existing AD currently requires inspections of the P3 air pipe (first section) and right-hand (RH) rear half-wall for proper clearance, and readjustment of the pipe if necessary. Since we issued that AD, Turbomeca S.A. has redesigned the RH rear half-wall to ensure sufficient clearance between the P3 air pipe (first section) and RH rear half-wall. This proposed AD would require the same inspections for installed engines, eliminate readjusting of the P3 air pipe (first section), require replacement of the RH rear half-wall under certain conditions, and adding an optional terminating action. We are proposing this AD to prevent an uncommanded power loss to flight idle, which could result in an emergency autorotation landing or accident.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Continental Motors, Inc. (CMI) models TSIO-520, TSIO-550-K, TSIOF-550K, and IO-550-N series reciprocating engines. This emergency AD was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of these engines. This AD requires replacing affected CMI starter adapters with starter adapters eligible for installation. This AD was prompted by 5 reports received of fractures in starter adapter shaft gears in certain part number (P/N) CMI starter adapters. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the starter adapter gear shaft, leading to an inoperable oil scavenge pump and engine in-flight shutdown.

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. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company 757-200, 757-200PF, 757-200CB, 757-300, 767- 200, 767-300, and 767-300F series airplanes. That AD currently requires revising the Limitations section of the airplane flight manual (AFM) to advise the flightcrew of procedures to follow to ensure that a fuel filter impending bypass condition due to gross fuel contamination is detected in a timely manner. This new AD requires installing new operating program software (OPS) (Version 7) of the engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS) in the EICAS computers. This AD also requires various concurrent actions. This AD also retains the existing AD provision that relieves certain airplanes (those equipped with certain EICAS OPS versions) from the requirements. Accomplishment of the new actions terminates the requirements of the existing AD. This AD was prompted by an error in the EICAS OPS. The error prevents the display of an advisory message to the flightcrew of a left engine fuel filter contamination and imminent bypass condition, which may indicate an imminent multiple engine thrust loss or engine malfunction event due to fuel contamination. We are issuing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model MD-11 and MD-11F airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report that the rub strips attached to the horizontal stabilizer front spar access door location were manufactured improperly using anodized aluminum. This AD requires replacing the anodized rub strips with new alodined rub strips to prevent inadequate electrical bonding between the rub strips and the fuel access door, which can contribute to possible ignition of flammable fuel vapor in the tail fuel tank as a result of a lightning strike. We are issuing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.