Department of Transportation November 25, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Board is granting an exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502 from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 11323-25 for John D. Nielsen (Nielsen), a noncarrier individual who controls Class III rail carrier Nebraska Northwestern Railroad, Inc. (NNW), to acquire control of Nebkota Railway, Inc. (NRI), another Class III rail carrier, which connects with NNW at Chadron, Neb.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) renews an exemption which enables motor carriers to mount lane departure warning system sensors lower in the windshield of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) than is currently permitted by the Agency's regulations. The Agency has concluded that granting this renewed exemption will maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved without the exemption. However, the Agency requests comments on this issue, especially from anyone who believes this standard will not be maintained.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter (Eurocopter) France Model EC225LP helicopters. This proposed AD would require measuring the operating load of the cockpit fuel shut- off controls and replacing the tangential gearbox if the operating load threshold is exceeded. This proposed AD is prompted by the jamming of the left-hand (LH) side of the fuel shut-off and general cut-off controls (controls). The proposed actions are intended to prevent the jamming of the controls so that a pilot can shut down an engine during an engine fire or during an emergency landing.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH TAE 125-01 reciprocating engines. This AD requires applying sealant to close the engine clutch housing (crankcase assembly) opening. This AD was prompted by a report of engine power loss due to engine coolant contaminating the engine clutch. The design of the engine allows the crankcase assembly opening to be susceptible to contamination from external sources. We are issuing this AD to prevent in-flight engine power loss, which could result in loss of control of, and damage to, the airplane.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invited comments on an information collection under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 2137-0034 entitled, ``Hazardous Materials Shipping Papers and Emergency Response Information,'' pertaining to the Paperless Hazard Communications Pilot Program. In the precursor 60-Day Notice (Docket No. PHMSA-2013-0124, Notice No. 13-7, Federal Register Vol. 78, No. 139, FR Doc. 2013-17363, filed July 18, 2013), PHMSA invited volunteers from organizations representing fire and other emergency responders, law enforcement, and other regulated entities (i.e., shippers and carriers who transport hazardous materials (HM) by air, highway, rail, and water) to participate in a pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of paperless hazard communications systems and to comment on and participate in an information collection activity associated with the pilot program. This 30-Day Notice acknowledges comments received regarding the 60-Day Notice (Docket No. PHMSA-2013-0124, Notice No. 13-7, Federal Register Vol. 78, No. 139, FR Doc. 2013-17363, filed July 18, 2013) and provides details on the four information collection efforts to be conducted under the pilot program.

This notice concerns a petition for waiver submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital) to waive, in part, the requirement that a launch operator enter into a reciprocal waiver of claims with each customer. The FAA grants the petition on the condition that no employees of NASA- sponsored CubeSat operators will be inside a hazard area associated with the Minotaur I launch.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) AQUILA Aviation by Excellence AG Model AT01 airplanes. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as a defective sealing of a tapped through bore hole at the inside of the fuel tank openings in combination with prolonged periods at maximum fuel level. 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 all The Boeing Company Model 757 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of a broken forward support fitting at the inboard track of the inboard flap. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the forward support fitting assemblies of the inboard track of the left and right inboard flaps for cracking, and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracking of the forward support fitting assembly, which could result in loss of inboard flap control and subsequent loss of airplane control.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model AS332L2 and EC225LP helicopters. This AD requires inspecting the torque value of the bolts that secure the front and rear main gearbox (MGB) suspension bar attaching fittings, and re-torqueing the bolts to the proper value if the torque value is out of tolerance. This AD also requires, if the torque value is out of tolerance by more than 20 percent, inspecting the bolts, frames, and related equipment for a crack and repairing or replacing them if cracked. This AD was prompted by reports of cracks on Frame 5295 of Model AS332L2 helicopters. The actions of this AD are intended to detect the torque loss of the bolts that secure the MGB bar attaching fittings and to prevent cracks that could lead to failure of the MGB supporting structure, detachment of the MGB, and loss of helicopter control.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) model Tay 620-15, 650-15, and 651-54 turbofan engines. This AD requires a one-time inspection of the high-pressure (HP) air bleed valve operating mechanism and, depending on findings, corrective action. This AD was prompted by excessive deterioration of the HP air bleed valve operating mechanism, which is influencing the aerodynamic fan flutter margin. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to multiple fan blade failure. We are issuing this AD to prevent multiple fan blade failure, which could result in uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane.