Department of Transportation January 6, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to remove Class E Airspace at Southport, NC, and establish Class E Airspace at Oak Island, NC, as new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures have been developed at Cape Fear Regional Jetport/Howie Franklin Field. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also would recognize the airport name change to Cape Fear Regional Jetport/Howie Franklin Field and update the airport's geographic coordinates.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its determination that the updated noise exposure maps submitted by the Albany County Airport Authority (ACAA), for Albany International Airport, under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 47501 et. seq (Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act) and 14 CFR part 150 are in compliance with applicable requirements.

This final rule updates and consolidates all of the references to the many standards and practices that are incorporated by reference into the Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSSs). Although this part already contains a section regarding publications incorporated by reference, the list in that section is incomplete and has not been updated regularly. Instead, in many cases, materials have been incorporated piecemeal into individual FMVSSs. This final rule moves those scattered references into the centralized list so that it contains all of the references. Additionally, this final rule removes one obsolete FMVSS, No. 208a, as well as various obsolete provisions in other FMVSSs. Those provisions are applicable to vehicles and equipment manufactured before dates that have already passed and are no longer needed in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Model 737 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of extensive corrosion of a ballscrew used in the drive mechanism of the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator (HSTA). This AD requires repetitive inspections, lubrications, and repetitive overhauls of the ball nut and ballscrew and attachment (Gimbal) fittings for the trim actuator of the horizontal stabilizer; various modification(s); and corrective actions if necessary; as applicable. We are issuing this AD to prevent an undetected failure of the primary load path for the ballscrew in the drive mechanism of the HSTA and subsequent wear and failure of the secondary load path, which could lead to loss of control of the horizontal stabilizer and consequent loss of control of the airplane.