Department of Transportation May 16, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

These special conditions are issued for the Cessna Aircraft Company (Cessna) Model J182T airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with the installation of an aircraft diesel engine (ADE). 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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics invites the general public, industry and other governmental parties to comment on the continuing need for and usefulness of BTS collecting a sample of airline passenger itineraries with the dollar value of the passenger ticket. Certificated air carriers that operated scheduled passenger service with at least one aircraft having a seating capacity of over 60 seats or operates an international route report these data. Comments are requested concerning whether: (a) The collection is still needed by the Department of Transportation; (b) BTS accurately estimates the reporting burden; (c) there are other ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collected; and (d) there are ways to minimize reporting burden, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

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, 747-200F, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, 747-400F, 747SR, and 747SP series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of a disbonded doubler and a skin crack in section 41 of the fuselage, and multiple reports of cracked or missing fastener heads. This proposed AD would require repetitive inspections for cracking of the fuselage skin, discrepant fasteners, and for disbonds at the doublers; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. For certain airplanes, this proposed AD would also require a terminating repair for repair doublers. We are proposing this AD to prevent rapid decompression and loss of structural integrity of the airplane due to such disbonding and subsequent cracking of the skin panels.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for a certain Spectrolab Nightsun XP Searchlight Assembly (searchlight) installed on, but not limited to Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model AB139 and Model AW139 helicopters, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-92A helicopters, and Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH (Eurocopter) Model EC135 and Model MBB-BK 117 C-2 helicopters. This AD requires, before further flight, inserting information into the Normal Procedures section of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM), a daily check of the searchlight, and at a specified time interval or if certain conditions are found, modifying any affected searchlight gimbal assembly. This AD was prompted by a report of a searchlight vibrating and an investigation that revealed that the gimbal azimuth top nut was loose. A loose nut, if not detected and corrected, could result in a gap between the rubber edging of the top shroud and the gimbal frame, leading to degradation of pointing accuracy and stability performance of the searchlight and excessive vibration. If the nut were to entirely disengage, the searchlight could disconnect partially or totally from the helicopter, resulting in damage to the helicopter and injury to persons on the ground. The actions of this AD are intended to ensure that the searchlight remains firmly attached to the helicopter.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for all Slingsby Sailplanes Ltd. Models Dart T.51, Dart T.51/17, and Dart T.51/17R sailplanes equipped with aluminum alloy spar booms. 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 an incident of glue joint failure on a starboard wing caused by water entering the area of the airbrake box that resulted in delamination and corrosion in the area of the aluminum alloy spar booms and the wing attach fittings. We are issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.