Department of Transportation March 13, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces actions taken by the FHWA and other Federal agencies that are final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project, the Gaston East-West Connector, from I-85 west of Gastonia in Gaston County, North Carolina, to I-485 near the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The Gaston East-West Connector is also known as State Transportation Improvement Program Project U-3321. Those actions grant licenses, permits, and approvals for the project.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, 42 United States Code Sec. 4321-4347 (as amended), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA implementing regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500-1508), and FAA Order 1050.1E, Change 1, the FAA is announcing the availability of and requesting comments on the Draft EA for the Launch and Reentry of SpaceShipTwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The Draft EA was prepared to analyze the potential environmental impacts of issuing experimental permits and/or launch licenses to operate SpaceShipTwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets and WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California. Under the Proposed Action, the FAA would issue experimental permits and/or launch licenses to multiple operators for the operation of SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo at the Mojave Air and Space Port. Both WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo would be piloted during operations. The Mojave Air and Space Port comprises an area of approximately 3,000 acres in Kern County, California, and is east of the unincorporated town of Mojave. The Draft EA addresses the potential environmental impacts of implementing the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative of not issuing an experimental permit and/or launch license for the operation of SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The FAA has posted the Draft EA on the FAA/AST Web site at https:// www.faa.gov/about/officeorg/headquartersoffices/ast/environme ntal/ review/permits/. A paper copy of the Draft EA may be reviewed for comment during regular business hours at the following locations:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be holding a public meeting to discuss issuing a new Technical Standard Order (TSO). This TSO will define a minimum performance standard (MPS) for avionic surveillance equipment, for aircraft that are currently exempt from using ATC transponder and altitude reporting equipment or automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B Out) equipment as defined in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Sec. Sec. 91.215 and 91.225. Meeting Dates and Location:

We are superseding two existing airworthiness directives (AD). One existing AD is for Airbus Model A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes without Airbus modification 26017. That AD currently requires replacing the flight warning computers (FWCs). The other existing AD is for Airbus Model A320 and A321 series airplanes on which Airbus modification 24612 or Airbus Service Bulletin A320-31-1080 has not been accomplished. That existing AD currently requires revising the limitations section of the airplane flight manual. This new AD requires replacing both FWC units with certain FWC units. This AD was prompted by in-service events of thrust lever mismanagement and a manufacturer analysis on the failure to follow procedure or heed existing cockpit cues. The analysis of the thrust lever management issue showed two categories of scenarios that could lead to thrust asymmetry during landing, with controllability and deceleration consequences. We are issuing this AD to prevent thrust asymmetry conditions which could result in loss of control of the airplane during landing.