Department of Transportation 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) announces that the open season for Fiscal Year 2015 applications for participation in the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) program will run for 30 days beginning today and ending September 8, 2014. The purpose of this notice is to invite interested, qualified U.S.-flag vessel operators that are not currently enrolled in the VISA program to apply. This is the only planned enrollment period for carriers to join the VISA program and derive benefits for Department of Defense (DOD) peacetime contracts initiated during the period from October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2015. Any U.S.-flag vessel operator organized under the laws of a state of the United States, or the District of Columbia, who is able and willing to commit militarily useful sealift assets and assume the related consequential risks of commercial disruption, may be eligible to participate in the VISA program. The mission of VISA is to provide commercial sealift and intermodal shipping services and systems, including vessels, vessel space, intermodal systems and equipment, terminal facilities, and related management services, to the Department of Defense (DOD), as necessary, to meet national defense contingency requirements or national emergencies. Carriers enrolled in the VISA program provide DOD with assured access to such services during contingencies. In return for their VISA commitment, DOD gives VISA participants priority for peacetime cargos.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 777-200 and -300 series airplanes equipped with Pratt and Whitney engines. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of blocked drain lines at the engine forward strut that caused flammable fluid to accumulate in a flammable leakage zone. This AD would require repetitive functional checks for blockage of the forward strut drain line, and doing corrective actions (including cleaning or replacing any blocked drain lines) if necessary; and a one- time cleaning of certain forward strut drain lines. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct blockage of forward strut drain lines, which could cause flammable fluids to collect in the forward strut area and potentially cause an uncontrolled fire or cause failure of engine attachment structure and consequent airplane loss.

These special conditions are issued for the Airbus Model A350- 900 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with operation without normal electrical power. 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.

These special conditions are issued for Airbus Model A350-900 airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with the new generation of high-bypass engines and the potential loads resulting from extreme engine-failure conditions. 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.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of the sixth meeting of RTCA Special Committee 228Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of the twenty fifth meeting of RTCA Special Committee 216, Aeronautical Systems Security.

Pursuant to Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 5 U.S.C. App. 2), notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC). The meeting will take place on, Tuesday, September 16, 2014, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Wednesday, September 17, 2014, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the National Transportation Safety Board Conference Center, 429 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Washington, DC 20594. This will be the 60th meeting of the COMSTAC. The proposed schedule for the COMSTAC working group meetings on September 16th is below:

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 29 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals from the vision requirement if the exemptions granted will not compromise safety. The Agency has concluded that granting these exemption renewals will provide a level of safety that is equivalent to or greater than the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

This action amends the Class E airspace designation for Moton Field Municipal Airport, Tuskegee, AL, by correcting the state from TN to AL. This action also removes reference to the Class E airspace, Tuskegee, AL, which was never amended due to the incorrect state error.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that FHWA will submit the collection of information described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on June 5, 2014. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for 15 individuals. FMCSA has statutory authority to exempt individuals from the vision requirement if the exemptions granted will not compromise safety. The Agency has concluded that granting these exemption renewals will provide a level of safety that is equivalent to or greater than the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

This action extends the comment period for an NPRM on transparency of airline ancillary fees and other consumer protection issues that was published in the Federal Register on May 23, 2014. The Department of Transportation is extending the period for interested persons to submit comments on this rulemaking from August 21, 2014, to September 22, 2014. This extension is a result of a joint petition filed by a number of airline associations to extend the comment period for the proposal.

PHMSA, in consultation with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is modifying the requirements governing the transportation of lithium cells and batteries. This final rule revises hazard communication and packaging provisions for lithium batteries and harmonizes the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) with applicable provisions of the United Nations (UN) Model Regulations, the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO Technical Instructions) and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of the twenty sixth meeting of the RTCA Special Committee 213, Enhanced Flight Vision Systems/Synthetic Vision Systems (EFVS/SVS).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently approved information collection activities. Before submitting the information collection request (ICR) below for clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Pacific Aerospace Limited Models FU24-954 and FU24A-954 airplanes. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated 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 cracking of control column at the wiring access hole, which could lead to loss of control. We are issuing this proposed AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This document grants in full the Nissan North America, Inc.'s, (Nissan) petition for an exemption of the NV200 Taxi vehicle line in accordance with 49 CFR part 543, Exemption from Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard. This petition is granted because the agency has determined that the antitheft device to be placed on the line as standard equipment is likely to be as effective in reducing and deterring motor vehicle theft as compliance with the parts-marking requirements of 49 CFR part 541, Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard (Theft Prevention Standard). Nissan also requested confidential treatment of specific information in its petition. The agency will address Nissan's request for confidential treatment by separate letter.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on May 6, 2014 (79 FR 25984). The 60-day comment period ended on July 7, 2014. The agency received no comments.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. Models FA-200-160, FA-200-180, and FA-200-180AO airplanes. 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 deterioration of brake performance due to seal defects caused by deterioration due to age of the O-rings of the brake master cylinder. 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 MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI), Model MD900 helicopters. This AD requires an eddy current inspection of the main rotor upper hub assembly (upper hub) for a crack and replacing the upper hub with an airworthy upper hub before further flight if there is a crack. This AD is prompted by a report of cracks on an upper hub at the blade attach holes. The actions specified by this AD are intended to detect a crack in the upper hub to prevent failure of the upper hub and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 89-12-10, for certain The Boeing Company Model 747 airplanes. AD 89-12-10 required replacement of certain underwing fuel tank access doors with stronger, fire-resistant doors. This new AD requires inspecting certain fuel tank access doors for installation of impact-resistant doors, and stencils and index markers; corrective actions if necessary; revising the maintenance program to incorporate certain new airworthiness limitations; and adding airplanes to the applicability. This AD was prompted by a report of a standard access door installed instead of an impact-resistant access door and stencils missing from some impact- resistant access doors and adjacent wing skin. We are issuing this AD to prevent foreign object penetration of the fuel tank, which could cause a fuel leak near an ignition source (e.g., hot brakes or engine exhaust nozzle), consequently leading to a fuel-fed fire.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900 and -900ER series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of incorrectly installed bolts common to the rear spar termination fitting on the horizontal stabilizer. This AD requires inspecting for a serial number that starts with the letters ``SAIC'' on the left- and right-side horizontal stabilizer identification plate; inspecting for correct bolt protrusion and chamfer of the bolts of the rear spar termination fitting of the horizontal stabilizer, if necessary; inspecting to determine if certain bolts are installed, if necessary; and doing related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to prevent loss of structural integrity of the horizontal stabilizer attachment and loss of control of the airplane.