Department of Transportation December 9, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

These special conditions are issued for the Cirrus Aircraft Corporation Model SF50 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with installation of an Auto Throttle System. 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.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. 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.

In accordance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the BTS to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the continuation of the following information collection: Confidential Close Call Reporting for a Transit System. This data collection effort supports a multi-year program focused on improving transit safety by collecting and analyzing data and information on close calls and other unsafe occurrences in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) system. The program is co-sponsored by WMATA's Office of the Deputy General Manager Operations (DGMO) and the President/Business Agent of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689. It is designed to identify safety issues and propose preventative safety actions based on voluntary reports of close calls submitted confidentially to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), U.S. Department of Transportation. This information collection is necessary to aid WMATA/ATU in systematically collecting and analyzing data to identify root causes of potentially unsafe events.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model A109A and A109A II helicopters. This AD requires inspecting the slider assembly pitch control (slider) for play and replacing the slider if the play exceeds certain limits. This AD is prompted by a report of excessive slider play and wear that was detected during a scheduled inspection of a Model A109A II helicopter. These actions are intended to detect and prevent excessive wear and play on a slider, which could lead to loss of tail rotor pitch control and consequently loss of helicopter control.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211-22B and RB211-524 turbofan engines with low-pressure turbine (LPT) support roller bearing, part number (P/ N) LK30313 or P/N UL29651, installed. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of a breach of the turbine casing and release of engine debris. This proposed AD would require removal of certain LPT support roller bearings installed in RR RB211-22B and RB211-524 engines. We are proposing this AD to prevent failure of the LPT support roller bearing, loss of radial position following LPT blade failure, uncontained part release, damage to the engine, and damage to the airplane.

As authorized by 46 U.S.C. 12121, the Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirement of the coastwise laws under certain circumstances. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.