Department of Transportation February 10, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the Department's regulations, certain air carriers are required to file BTS Schedule B-7 (Airframe and Aircraft Engine Acquisitions and Retirements) and Schedule B-43 (Inventory of Airframes and Aircraft Engines). Under the Department's regulations, the Department can withhold confidential business information if release of the confidential information is likely to cause substantial competitive harm to the entity that submitted the information to the Department. The BTS routinely grants, based on the sensitive nature of this cost data, a ten-year confidentiality period. After receiving notification that, upon the expiration of the ten-year confidentiality period, the BTS intended to release the cost data, the United Parcel Service Co. (UPS) and United Air Lines, Inc. (United) filed objections to the pending release. Both UPS and United claimed that the cost data, although ten years old, remained sensitive and its release would result in competitive harm. The cost data is now 20 years old. BTS is seeking public comments on the merits of the UPS and United positions and views on whether the BTS should increase the confidentiality period for certain airframe and aircraft engine cost data.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on December 4, 2014. Airworthiness Directives (ADs) are regulations issued to require correct corrective action to correct unsafe conditions in aircraft, engines, propellers, and appliances. Reports of inspections are often needed when emergency corrective action is taken to determine if the action was adequate to correct the unsafe condition. The respondents are aircraft owners and operators. Currently, FAA has blanket Paperwork Reduction Act approval from OMB for all ADs with information collection requirements. Per OMB's request, this collection is being converted to a generic information collection request, which will require FAA to submit individual ADs with reporting requirements to OMB for approval prior to their release.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Agusta AB139 and AW139 helicopters to require replacing certain single-braided flexible hydraulic hoses with double-braided flexible hydraulic hoses. This AD was prompted by occurrences of leaking flexible hydraulic hoses. The actions of this AD are intended to prevent loss of hydraulic power and subsequent loss of helicopter control.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2007-03-18, AD 2008-17-02, AD 2012-08-03, and AD 2012-15-14, for certain Airbus Model A300 B4-2C, B4-103, and B4-203 airplanes; Model A300 B4-600, B4-600R, and F4-600R series airplanes, and Model A300 C4-605R Variant F airplanes (collectively called Model A300-600 series airplanes); and Model A310 series airplanes. AD 2007-03-18, AD 2008-17-02, AD 2012-08- 03, and AD 2012-15-14 required repetitive inspections of the forward lugs of the aft bearing at rib 5 of the main landing gear (MLG) on the left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) wings, and repair if necessary; and installation of new bushes with increased interference fit in the forward lug of the aft bearing at rib 5 of the MLG on the LH and RH wings. This new AD adds airplanes to the applicability; and adds, for certain airplanes, repetitive inspections of the MLG rib 5 aft bearing forward lugs, and repair if necessary. This AD was prompted by reports of cracking in the forward lug of the MLG rib 5 aft bearing attachment. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracking of the forward lugs of the aft bearing at rib 5 of the MLG on the LH and RH wings, which could affect the structural integrity of the MLG attachment, resulting in possible MLG collapse during landing or rollout.