Department of Transportation October 2, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal to authorize the release of 138.33 acres of airport property at the former Willmar Municipal Airport, Willmar, MN. The land will be used for an industrial park. The FAA issued a Categorical Exclusion on August 8, 2012. The City of Willmar built a new airport in 2006, therefore the acreage being released is not needed for aeronautical use. The 138.33 acres are on the east side of the former Willmar Municipal Airport, more specifically west of County Road 5 and north of Willmar Avenue SW. The acreage was originally acquired with City of Willmar funds. There are no impacts to the airport by allowing the airport to dispose of the property. The fair market value of this land is $729,100 and will be applied to the new Willmar Municipal Airport for operating and maintaining the airport. Approval does not constitute a commitment by the FAA to financially assist in the disposal of the subject airport property nor a determination of eligibility for grant-in-aid funding from the FAA. In accordance with section 47107(h) of title 49, United States Code, this notice is required to be published in the Federal Register 30 days before modifying the land-use assurance that requires the property to be used for an aeronautical purpose.

FRA is issuing Safety Advisory 2012-04 to remind track owners, railroads, and their track inspectors of the importance of complying with the applicable rail management programs and engineering procedures that address rail with severe rail head wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) conditions. FRA is issuing this notice in response to a July 11, 2012, derailment in Ohio that a preliminary investigation indicates was likely caused by the failure of multiple defects involving detail fractures in rail exhibiting significant vertical head loss (rail head wear) and gage-side-oriented RCF. This notice contains recommendations to track owners to ensure that their employees and other entities performing track inspections comply with the requirements of the applicable engineering procedures that address critical rail head wear, particularly if the track under inspection exhibits significant RCF or a sudden increase in localized rail failure.

We propose to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Cessna Aircraft Company (Cessna) Models 172R, 172S, 182S, 182T, T182T, 206H, and T206H airplanes. The existing AD currently requires an inspection of the engine oil pressure switch and, if applicable, replacement of the engine oil pressure switch. Since we issued that AD, we have received new reports of internal failure of the engine oil pressure switch, which could result in complete loss of engine oil with consequent partial or complete loss of engine power or fire. This proposed AD would increase the applicability of the AD and place a life-limit of 3,000 hours time-in-service on the engine oil pressure switch, requiring replacement when the engine oil pressure switch reaches its life limit. We are proposing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

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) approval to renew an information collection. Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) is a program for the routine collection and analysis of digital flight data from airline operations, including but not limited to digital flight data currently collected pursuant to existing regulatory provisions. The FAA requires certificate holders who voluntarily establish approved FOQA programs to periodically provide aggregate trend analysis information from such programs to the FAA.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has placed in the docket and on its Web site proposed guidance in the form of a circular chapter to help transportation providers ensure that the buses and rail cars they acquire meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. This proposed chapter on vehicle acquisition is the first in a series of approximately 12 chapters that will compose a complete ADA circular. By public notice, FTA invites public comment on this proposed circular chapter and suggestions for specific issues to cover in future chapters.

We propose to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires one-time and repetitive inspections of specific areas and, when necessary, corrective actions for those rudders where production rework has been identified. Since we issued that AD, we have determined that additional inspections and corrective actions are necessary to address the identified unsafe condition, and that additional airplanes with certain rudders are subject to the identified unsafe condition. This proposed AD would add airplanes with certain rudders to the AD applicability; change an inspection type for certain reinforced rudder areas; require pre-inspections and repairs if needed; and require permanent restoration of vacuum loss holes. This proposed AD would also require additional inspections for certain rudders and repair if needed; and require replacement of certain rudders with new rudders. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct extended de-bonding, which might degrade the structural integrity of the rudder. The loss of the rudder leads to degradation of the handling qualities and reduces the controllability of the airplane.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Model SAAB 2000 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of chafing on the bottom panel of the center cabin. This proposed AD would require doing a general visual inspection to determine if certain fasteners are installed, and related investigative and corrective actions. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct any chafing on the bottom panel of the center cabin, which could affect the structural integrity of the affected wing-to- fuselage connection.