Department of Transportation February 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Cessna Aircraft Company Models 172R and 172S airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of chafing of a new configuration of the fuel return line assembly, which was caused by the fuel return line assembly rubbing against the right steering tube assembly during rudder pedal actuation. This AD requires you to install the forward and aft fuel return line support clamps and brackets; inspect for a minimum clearance between the fuel return line assembly and the steering tube assembly and clearance between the fuel return line assembly and the airplane structure; and, if any damage is found, replace the fuel return line assembly. We are issuing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc. Model CL-600-1A11 (CL-600), CL-600-2A12 (CL-601), and CL-600-2B16 (CL-601-3A, CL-601-3R, & CL-604 Variants) airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of cracking found on the upper and lower Web of the engine support beam. This AD requires revising the maintenance program. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the engine support beam, which could result in failure of the engine support beam and affect the structural integrity of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd female ACME threaded hose connectors, part numbers HS6139 and HS6144, installed on balloons. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as insufficient tightness of the threaded hose connector in the assembly area that could result in fuel leakage. We are issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (Type Certificate previously held by Raytheon Aircraft Company; Beech Aircraft Corporation) Model 400A airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report that the wiring for the 5- volt direct current (DC) system is undersized and does not have adequate circuit protection for the smaller gauge wire. This AD requires installing an in-line fuse in the 5-volt DC system for each of the five instrument lighting control power supplies. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the wiring, which could result in smoke in the cockpit, loss of cockpit lighting, and potential damage to surrounding wiring for other cockpit equipment such as the stick shaker function or angle-of-attack indicators.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model EC 155B, EC155B1, SA-365N1, AS-365N2 and AS 365 N3 helicopters. That AD currently requires inspecting certain tail rotor hubs (TRH) for a crack and removing any cracked TRH. This AD requires the same actions but adds more part numbers to the list of affected TRHs. This AD is prompted by further analysis that indicates that additional part-numbered TRHs must be inspected for cracks. The actions specified by this AD are intended to detect a crack in the TRH and prevent the tail rotor from jamming, which could lead to reduced or loss of control of the helicopter.

Michelin North America, Inc. (Michelin),\1\ has determined that certain BF Goodrich brand tires manufactured between June 12, 2011 and April 21, 2012, do not fully comply with paragraph S5.5(b) of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 139, New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles. Michelin has filed an appropriate report dated July 16, 2012, pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports.

This amendment adopts miscellaneous amendments to the required IFR (instrument flight rules) altitudes and changeover points for certain Federal airways, jet routes, or direct routes for which a minimum or maximum en route authorized IFR altitude is prescribed. This regulatory action is needed because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace under instrument conditions in the affected areas.

Under the provisions of Title 49, U.S.C. 47153(c), notice is being given that the FAA is considering a request from the Glynn County Airport Commission to waive the requirement that a 0.739-acre parcel of surplus property, located on Glynn County airport owned and operated land adjacent to, but not contiguace with, BrunswickGolden Isles Airport, be used for aeronautical purposes.

We are revising an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Cessna Aircraft Company Model 500, 501, 550, 551, S550, 560, 560XL, and 650 airplanes. That NPRM proposed to require an inspection to determine if certain air conditioning (A/C) compressor motors are installed and to determine the accumulated hours on certain A/C drive motor assemblies; repetitive replacement of the brushes in the drive motor assembly, or as an option to the brush replacement, deactivation of the A/C system and placard installation; and return of replaced brushes to Cessna. That NPRM was prompted by multiple reports of smoke and/or fire in the tailcone caused by sparking due to excessive wear of the brushes in the A/C motor. This action revises that NPRM by revising the optional A/C system deactivation procedure. We are proposing this supplemental NPRM to prevent the brushes in the A/C motor from wearing down beyond their limits, which could result in the rivet in the brush contacting the commutator causing sparks and consequent fire and/or smoke in the tailcone with no means to detect or extinguish the fire and/or smoke. Since these actions impose an additional burden over that proposed in the NPRM, we are reopening the comment period to allow the public the chance to comment on these proposed changes.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model AS350 and AS355 helicopters, to require inspecting for a crack in the control lever attachment yokes, and if needed, replacing the tail rotor gearbox (TGB). This proposed AD is prompted by improper casting of TGB casing assemblies, which may lead to cracking. A crack in the control lever attachment yokes could cause a loss of tail rotor pitch control, and consequently, loss of control of the helicopter.

We are adopting 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 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 AD requires inspecting to determine the serial number of a certain rudder and replacing the rudder with a new or serviceable rudder if necessary. We are issuing this AD to prevent extended de-bonding, which could result in loss of the rudder and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

The Board is granting an exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502 from the prior approval requirements at 49 U.S.C. 11323-25 for Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company (GTW), an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian National Railway Company, to acquire from CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) an exclusive, perpetual, non-assignable railroad operating easement over approximately 2.1 miles of CSXT's Memphis Terminal Subdivision, between Leewood, Tenn., milepost 00F371.4, and Aulon, Tenn., milepost 00F373.4 (Leewood-Aulon Line), subject to employee protective conditions. The Leewood-Aulon Line is currently owned by CSXT. Illinois Central Railroad Company, a GTW affiliate, operates over it via trackage rights. Along with the proposed easement acquisition by GTW, CSXT would retain local and overhead trackage rights over the Leewood-Aulon Line. GTW's easement acquisition is one part of an Agreement for Exchange of Perpetual Easements between GTW and CSXT. In exchange for GTW's acquiring an easement from CSXT over the Leewood-Aulon Line, GTW has agreed to grant CSXT an exclusive, perpetual, non-assignable railroad operating easement over 22.37 miles of GTW track on the Elsdon Subdivision between the connection with CSXT at Munster, Ind., milepost 31.07, and Elsdon, Ill., milepost 8.7, which connects to the southern end of the BNSF Railway Company's Corwith Yard. The Board is separately granting authority for CSXT's acquisition of this operating easement in the Chicago area in Docket Nos. FD 35522 et al.\1\

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747-200C, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, and 747SP series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of worn or incorrectly assembled latches on main deck escape slides installed on airplane doors. This proposed AD would require determining if the latches are correctly assembled; and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD also would require, for certain airplanes, modifications to the escape slide/rafts and escape slides. We are proposing this AD to prevent a latch hook moving from closed to open in an escape slide/raft or escape slide, which could result in the escape slide/raft or escape slide not deploying correctly in an emergency, or releasing/inflating into the passenger cabin and causing injury to passengers and crew.

On January 10, 2013, Academy Express, L.L.C. (Academy), a motor carrier of passengers, filed an application for authority under 49 U.S.C. 14303 to acquire the property of Golden Ring Travel & Transportation, Inc. (Golden Ring), also a motor carrier of passengers. The Board is tentatively approving and authorizing the transaction, and, if no opposing comments are timely filed, this notice will be the final Board action. Persons wishing to oppose the application must follow the rules set forth at 49 CFR 1182.5 and 1182.8.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) Model 500N, 600N and MD900 helicopters to require determining the cure date for each NOTAR fan blade tension- torsion strap (T-T strap), establishing a calendar-time retirement life for certain T-T straps, reducing the retirement life of certain T-T straps, marking each T-T strap with the expiration date, creating a component record card for each T-T strap, and revising the airworthiness limitations section of the maintenance manual to reflect the changes to the retirement life. This AD was prompted by a report from the T-T strap manufacturer that, over a period of time, moisture may reduce the strength of a T-T strap. The actions are intended to prevent failure of a T-T strap, loss of directional control and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

These special conditions are issued for the Embraer S.A., Model EMB-550 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with hydrophobic coatings. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These 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.

This SNPRM amends the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published on October 22, 2012 which proposed to amend VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) Federal airway V-595 in Oregon. This SNPRM proposes to remove an additional segment of the airway due to high terrain and navigation aid coverage issues.

We propose to revise an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to all Dowty Propellers R408/6-123-F/17 model propellers. The existing AD currently requires initial applications of sealant between the bus bar assembly and the backplate assembly of certain line-replaceable units (LRUs), and repetitive applications of sealant on all R408/6-123-F/17 model propellers. Since we issued that AD, Dowty Propellers has introduced an optional terminating action to the applications of sealant. This proposed AD would add the optional terminating action. We are proposing this AD to prevent an in-flight double generator failure, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation 14SF-7, 14SF-15, and 14SF-23 series propellers using certain Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation auxiliary pumps and motors (auxiliary feathering pumps). This proposed AD was prompted by a report of a propeller not moving into the feathering position after an engine in-flight shutdown. This proposed AD would require removing certain serial numbers (S/Ns) of auxiliary feathering pumps from service. We are proposing this AD to prevent propellers from failing to move into the feathering position after an engine in-flight shutdown. Propellers failing to feather can cause high drag on the propeller, asymmetric thrust, and difficulty of, or impossibility in, controlling the airplane.

This action establishes Class E airspace at Kasigluk, AK, to accommodate aircraft using Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) standard instrument approach procedures at Kasigluk Airport. This action also makes a minor adjustment to the geographic coordinates of the airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at the airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes to rule and invites public comment on the application for a release of approximately 9.89 acres of airport property at Delano Municipal Airport, Delano, California from all conditions contained in the Quitclaim Deed and Grant Assurances since the parcels of land are not needed for airport purposes. The property will be conveyed at its fair market value for the benefit of the airport. The use of the land by the City of Delano will remain the same and represents a continued compatible land use that will not interfere with the airport or its operation, thereby protecting the interests of civil aviation.

We are revising an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD) for all Fokker Services B.V. Model F.27 Mark 050 airplanes, and Model F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes. That NPRM proposed to require inspecting and, if necessary, adjusting, the torque values of nuts on circuit breakers, contactors, and terminal blocks of the electrical power center (EPC) and battery relay panel. This proposed AD would also require inspecting to determine if certain parts are installed, and installing the parts if necessary. This action revises that NPRM by adding a previously omitted terminal block to the required actions. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct loose nuts, which could result in arcing and potentially an onboard fire, possibly resulting in damage to the airplane and injury to occupants or maintenance personnel. Since these actions impose an additional burden over that proposed in the NPRM, we are reopening the comment period to allow the public the chance to comment on these proposed changes.

We propose to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Airbus Model A310 series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires repetitive inspections for fatigue cracking of the area around the fasteners of the landing plate of the aileron access doors of the bottom skin panel of the wings, and related corrective action. The existing AD provides for an optional terminating action, which ends the repetitive inspections. Since we issued that AD, a reassessment of the previous fatigue threshold and inspection interval resulted in a determination that reduced inspection thresholds and intervals for accomplishment of the tasks are necessary. This proposed AD would reduce the initial inspection compliance time and intervals and provide additional terminating action options. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the area around the fasteners of the landing plate of the aileron access doors and the bottom skin panel of the wings, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the wings.