Department of Transportation September 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking would rename the city designator listed under the title in the preamble and regulatory text for Tri-Cities Regional Airport, and establish Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Hawkins County Airport, Rogersville, TN, and Virginia Highlands Airport, Abington, VA. The Tri-Cities Class D airspace description would be amended to better describe the controlled airspace area. In an NPRM published in the Federal Register on April 10, 2012, the FAA proposed to amend existing controlled airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Tri-Cities Airport, Blountville, TN, that included the airports mentioned above. The FAA has reassessed the proposal and finds that separation of existing Class E airspace surrounding Virginia Highlands Airport, Abingdon, VA, and Hawkins County Airport, Rogersville, TN, from the Class E airspace area of Tri-Cities Regional Airport, Tri-Cities, TN, is necessary to further the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations in the Tri- Cities, TN area.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public that we have prepared a Record of Decision (ROD) for the ``Taos Regional Airport, Airport Layout Plan Improvements'' Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Town of Taos, owner and operator of Taos Regional Airport located in Taos, New Mexico, has requested the FAA to approve revisions to its Airport Layout Plan (ALP) to reflect and allow construction of a new runway and other associated airport projects; the Town is requesting Federal funding for the project. This ROD sets forth FAA's final determination and environmental approvals for the federal actions necessary to implement the proposed airport improvements under Alternative 2D, the FAA's selected alternative, and the Airport Sponsor to proceed with processing an application for federal funding.

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt 19 individuals from its rule prohibiting persons with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM) from operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce. The exemptions will enable these individuals to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

This notice announces a public meeting of the FAA's Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) to discuss transport airplane and engine (TAE) issues.

The FHWA, on behalf of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), is issuing this notice to advise the public that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for a proposed highway project in Riverside County, California. Caltrans will be responsible for production of the EIS in accordance with assignment of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) responsibilities from DOT to Caltrans pursuant to Section 6005 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU, Pub. L. 109-59).

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt 12 individuals from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). They are unable to meet the vision requirement in one eye for various reasons. The exemptions will enable these individuals to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce without meeting the prescribed vision requirement in one eye. The Agency has concluded that granting these exemptions will provide a level of safety that is equivalent to or greater than the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these CMV drivers.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A300 B4-600, B4-600R, and F4-600R series airplanes, and Model A300 C4-605R Variant F airplanes (collectively called A300-600 series airplanes); and Model A310 series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of cracking through the honeycomb core closed with phenolic resin. This condition could result in extended debonding and could adversely affect the structural integrity of the rudder. This proposed AD would require inspecting to determine the serial number of a certain rudder and replacing the rudder with a new or serviceable rudder if necessary. We are proposing this AD to prevent extended de-bonding, which could result in loss of the rudder and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

NHTSA will hold a public hearing on whether Snyder Computer Systems, Inc. and Snyder Systems, Inc., also known as Wildfire Motors (Wildfire),\1\ of Steubenville, Ohio, have reasonably met their obligation to remedy noncompliances with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 122, Motorcycle brake systems, in a recall involving Model Year (MY) 2009 WF650-C three-wheeled vehicles, which Wildfire imported from China.

This action proposes special conditions for the Embraer Model EMB-550 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with the effects of sudden engine stoppage upon the airframe. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model EC 155B, EC155B1, SA-365N1, AS- 365N2 and AS 365 N3 helicopters to require visually inspecting the tail rotor hub (TRH) for a crack and removing the TRH if a crack exists. This AD is prompted by reports of cracks on two TRHs. These actions are intended to prevent the tail rotor from jamming, which could lead to reduced or loss of control of the helicopter.

This notice announces action taken by the FHWA that is final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The action relates to the proposed Longfellow Bridge Rehabilitation and Restoration Project in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The action grants an approval for the project.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. (Bell), Model 412 and 412EP helicopters. This proposed AD is prompted by reports of cracking in the swashplate outer ring assemblies (outer ring). This AD would establish a lower life limit on certain outer rings, requiring a revision of the retirement life on the components' history card or equivalent record, and a revision of the maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA). This proposal also would prohibit installing these outer rings on any helicopter. The proposed actions are intended to prevent failure of an outer ring because of cracking, which could lead to the loss of main rotor (M/R) blade pitch control and subsequent loss of helicopter control.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211-Trent 875-17, RB211-Trent 877-17, RB211-Trent 884-17, RB211-Trent 884B-17, RB211-Trent 892-17, RB211- Trent 892B-17, and RB211-Trent 895-17 turbofan engines. That AD currently requires initial and repetitive ultrasonic inspections (UIs) of certain low-pressure (LP) compressor blades identified by serial number (S/N). This new AD requires the same actions but expands the population of blades. This AD was prompted by the need to add the inspections of the LP compressor blades listed by S/N in Appendices 3H through 3L of RR plc Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) No. RB.211-72-AG244, Revision 4, dated December 22, 2011. We are issuing this AD to prevent multiple LP compressor blades from failing due to blade root cracks, which could lead to uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A330-200 Freighter series airplanes, Model A330-200 series airplanes, Model A330-300 series airplanes, Model A340-200 series airplanes, and Model A340-300 series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of an in-flight turn back after the nose landing gear (NLG) did not retract after take-off. This proposed AD would require repetitive overhaul of the NLG retraction actuator. We are proposing this AD to prevent failure of the retraction actuator, which could cause collapse of the NLG after touchdown and possible injury to flightcrew and passengers.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A300 B4-601, B4-603, B4-620, B4-605R, and B4-622R airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report that the door frame shells of passenger doors 2 and 4 may not have sufficient structural strength to enable the airplane to operate safely. This proposed AD would require reinforcing of the door frame shells of passenger doors 2 and 4 on both sides of the fuselage. We are proposing this AD to prevent structural failure of the door frame shells, which could result in in-flight decompression of the airplane and consequent injury to passengers.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Fokker Services B.V. Model F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of burned contacts in a certain production break plug and its corresponding receptacle. This AD requires modifying galley power supply wiring by disconnecting it from the affected plug/ receptacle and reconnecting the power supply wiring through splices. We are issuing this AD to prevent a high electrical load, which might lead to overheating of the galley power supply wiring and/or the electrical connector and consequent smoke or fire in the galley area, which could result in damage to the airplane and injury to occupants.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites comments on a new information collection (IC) to help determine the effectiveness of PHMSA's 811 Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on this information collection was published on July 5, 2012 (77 FR 39797). No comments were received.

This document publishes the final data on thefts of model year (MY) 2010 passenger motor vehicles that occurred in calendar year (CY) 2010. The final 2010 theft data indicated a decrease in the vehicle theft rate experienced in CY/MY 2010. The final theft rate for MY 2010 passenger vehicles stolen in calendar year 2010 is 1.17 thefts per thousand vehicles, a decrease of 12.03 percent from the rate of 1.33 thefts per thousand in 2009. Publication of these data fulfills NHTSA's statutory obligation to periodically obtain accurate and timely theft data and publish the information for review and comment.

Under this notice, the FAA announces the submission deadline of October 11, 2012, for Summer 2013 flight schedules at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in accordance with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Worldwide Slot Guidelines. The deadline coincides with the schedule submission deadline for the IATA Slots Conference for the Summer 2013 scheduling season.

The FAA proposes to rule and invites public comment on the release of land at the Meade Municipal Airport (MEJ), Meade, Kansas, under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 47107(h)(2).