Department of Transportation July 2, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rulemaking amends the airplane operating regulations to include certain provisions of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 that affect jet airplanes with a maximum weight of 75,000 pounds or less operating in the United States. The law provides that after December 31, 2015, such airplanes will not be allowed to operate in the contiguous United States unless they meet Stage 3 noise levels. This final rule incorporates that prohibition and describes the circumstances under which an otherwise prohibited airplane may be operated.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

We propose to supersede three existing airworthiness directives (ADs) that apply to The Boeing Company Model 757-200, - 200PF, and -200CB series airplanes. The existing ADs currently require repetitive inspections and audible tap tests of the upper and lower skins of the trailing edge wedges on certain slats, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. Since we issued these ADs, we have received reports of slats disbonding on airplanes on which the terminating actions of the existing ADs were completed and also reports of slats disbonding on airplanes outside of the applicability of the existing ADs. This proposed AD would require a determination of the type of trailing edge wedges of the leading edge slats, repetitive inspections on certain trailing edge wedges for areas of skin-to-core disbonding, and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD would also provide an optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This AD would revise the applicability of the existing ADs to include additional airplanes. We are proposing this AD to prevent delamination of the trailing edge wedge of the leading edge slats, possible loss of pieces of the trailing edge wedge assembly during flight, reduction of the reduced maneuver and stall margins, and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

FMCSA announces its decision to exempt 16 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.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Learjet Inc. Model 60 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of a high-speed rejected takeoff caused by all four main landing gear (MLG) tires blowing out during the takeoff roll. This AD requires installing new rigid hydraulic tube assemblies to the MLG struts; installing a new MLG squat switch bracket, modifying the MLG squat switch wire harness; modifying the MLG anti-skid wheel transducer electrical wire harnesses; routing and securing the anti-skid wheel and squat switch electrical wire harnesses to the MLG strut assembly; installing outboard bracket assemblies, anti-skid shield, forward electrical cover on the forward stiffener, upper and lower inboard bracket assemblies, and clamps that support the electrical wire harness; modifying the aft stiffener for the new electrical wire harness support; installing the aft electrical cover and strap on the aft stiffener; installing a new flat landing light lamp if necessary; and, for certain airplanes, installing a new wheel speed detect box assembly, nutplates, and brackets and a new thrust reverser interface box, and modifying the wiring for the new thrust reverser interface box. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the braking system or adverse operation of the spoiler and thrust reverser system due to external damage, particularly from tire failure, which could result in loss of control of the airplane.