Department of Transportation March 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited (Bell) Model 429 helicopters. This proposed AD would reduce the life limit of certain landing gear parts and is prompted by a stress analysis. The proposed actions are intended to address an unsafe condition on these products.

This action modifies Class E airspace designated as a surface area at Findlay Airport, Findlay, OH; and Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Ashland County Airport, Ashland, OH; Lakefield Airport, Celina, OH; Pickaway County Memorial Airport, Circleville, OH; Ross County Airport, Chillicothe, OH; Fairfield County Airport, Lancaster, OH; Defiancé Memorial Airport, Defiancé, OH; Findlay Airport; Bluffton Airport, Findlay, OH; Butler County Airport-Hogan Field, Hamilton, OH; Lima Allen County Airport, Lima, OH; and Madison County Airport, London, OH. Decommissioning of non-directional radio beacons (NDB), cancellation of NDB approaches, and implementation of area navigation (RNAV) procedures have made this action necessary for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at these airports. This action also updates the geographic coordinates for Port Columbus International Airport; Findlay Airport; Ashland County Airport; Samaritan Hospital Heliport, Ashland, OH; Lakefield Airport; Ross County Airport; Defiancé Regional Medical Center Heliport, Defiancé, OH; Bluffton Airport; Lima Allen County Airport; and St. Rita's Medical Center Heliport, Lima, OH, to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database. Also, the names of Samaritan Hospital Heliport (formerly Samaritian Regional Health System), Defiancé Regional Medical Center Heliport (formerly Defiancé Hospital), and Butler County Regional Airport-Hogan Field (formerly Butler County Regional Airport) are being updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 79 individuals from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The exemptions enable these individuals to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce without meeting the vision requirement in one eye.

FMCSA announces its denial of 144 applications from individuals who requested an exemption from the Federal vision standard applicable to interstate truck and bus drivers and the reasons for the denials. 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 exemptions does not provide a level of safety that will be equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

FMCSA announces receipt of applications from 14 individuals for exemption from the vision requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. They are unable to meet the vision requirement in one eye for various reasons. The exemptions will enable these individuals to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce without meeting the prescribed vision requirement in one eye. If granted, the exemptions would enable these individuals to qualify as drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the proposed Information Collection Requests (ICRs) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICRs describe the information collections and their expected burden. On October 26, 2016, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICRs.

This action proposes to expand upon the current Restricted Area R-2205 by subdividing 8 separate areas in the vicinity of Fairbanks, AK, over the Digital Multipurpose Training Range (DMPTR) and the Yukon Training Area (YTA), to provide a more realistic protective airspace required for hazardous activities within the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC).

This action modifies Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at James G. Whiting Memorial Field Airport, Mapleton, IA. Decommissioning of the Mapleton non-directional radio beacon (NDB), cancellation of NDB approaches, and implementation of area navigation (RNAV) procedures have made this action necessary for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Grayling Airport, Grayling, AK to support the development of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations under standard instrument approach and departure procedures at the airport, and for the safety and management of controlled airspace within the National Airspace System.

This action proposes to modify VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways V-7 and V-67, in the eastern United States due to the planned decommissioning of the Graham, TN, VORTAC navigation aid.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1 Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application''portion of the table below as follows: 1 Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.

The Board is instituting a proceeding to determine the railroad industry's cost of capital for 2016. The decision solicits comments on the following issues: The railroads' 2016 current cost of debt capital; the railroads' 2016 current cost of preferred equity capital (if any); the railroads' 2016 cost of common equity capital; and the 2016 capital structure mix of the railroad industry on a market value basis. Comments should focus on the various cost of capital components listed above using the same methodology followed in Railroad Cost of Capital2015, EP 558 (Sub-No. 19) (STB served Aug. 5, 2016).

We are publishing a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-92A helicopters. This AD requires inspecting certain bearings. This AD is prompted by reports of failed bearings with subsequent loss of tail rotor (TR) control. The actions of this AD are intended to address an unsafe condition on these helicopters.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) of Canada, under international agreement, jointly publish and presently administer the St. Lawrence Seaway Regulations and Rules (Practices and Procedures in Canada) in their respective jurisdictions. Under agreement with the SLSMC, the SLSDC is amending the joint regulations by updating the Seaway Regulations and Rules in various categories. The changes update the following sections of the Regulations and Rules: Condition of Vessels; Seaway Navigation; Radio Communications; General; and, Vessels Transiting U.S. Waters. These amendments are necessary to take account of updated procedures and will enhance the safety of transits through the Seaway. Several of the amendments are merely editorial or for clarification of existing requirements. The joint regulations will become effective in Canada on March 20, 2017.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for The Boeing Company Model 777-200 and -300 series airplanes equipped with Rolls-Royce Model Trent 800 engines. This AD was prompted by reports of damage to the upper bifurcation forward fire seal and seal deflector, and localized damage to the insulation blanket installed just aft of the fire seal. This AD requires installing serviceable thrust reverser (T/R) halves on the left and right engines. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A300 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by an evaluation by the design approval holder (DAH) that indicates that a section of the wing and aft fuselage is subject to widespread fatigue damage (WFD). This AD requires an inspection to determine if certain modifications have been done. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain United Instruments, Inc. 5934 series altimeters that were manufactured between January 2015 and February 2016 and installed in airplanes and helicopters. This AD was prompted by reports of certain altimeters displaying higher than actual altitude due to a slow diaphragm leak, which would affect the accuracy of the altimeters. This AD requires replacing the affected altimeters. We are issuing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Department of Transportation invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew a previously approved information collection. The FAA established the Waivers and ATC Authorization in Controlled Airspace under Part 107 portal to allow a remote pilot in command to request a waiver from regulations or an authorization for a small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to operate in Class B, C, D, and the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-100, -200, -200C, -300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of frame web cracking at certain locations. This proposed AD would require repetitive inspections in certain locations of the frame web, and corrective action if necessary. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for DG Flugzeugbau GmbH Model DG-500MB gliders that are equipped with a Solo 2625 02 engine that has been modified with a fuel injection system following the instructions of Solo Kleinmotoren GmbH Service Bulletin (SB)/Technische Mitteilung (TM) 4600-3 ``Fuel Injection System'' and re-identified as Solo 2625 02i. 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 failure of the connecting rod bearing resulting from too much load on the rod bearings from the engine control unit. We are issuing this proposed AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Airbus Helicopters Model BO-105C, BO-105LS A-3, and BO-105S helicopters. This AD requires inspecting each main rotor blade (MRB) for debonding, and is prompted by a report of incorrect bonding of the shell to the MRB. These actions are intended to detect and prevent an unsafe condition on these products.

We are revising an earlier proposal for certain Airbus Model A300 B4-600R series airplanes, Model A300 C4-605R Variant F airplanes, and Model A300 F4-600R series airplanes. This action revises the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) by extending the area to be inspected for cracking. This SNPRM also proposes to require an additional inspection for previously inspected airplanes. We are proposing this airworthiness directive (AD) to address the unsafe condition on these products. Since these actions impose an additional burden over those proposed in the NPRM, we are reopening the comment period to allow the public the chance to comment on these proposed changes.

We propose to supersede airworthiness directive (AD) 2015-08- 51 for Enstrom Helicopter Corporation (Enstrom) Model F-28A, 280, F- 28C, F-28C-2, F-28C-2R, 280C, F-28F, F-28F-R, 280F, 280FX, and 480 helicopters. AD 2015-08-51 requires an inspection of the main rotor spindle (spindle) and reporting the inspection results to the FAA. This proposed AD was prompted by additional reports of cracked spindles and would require establishing a life limit and a recurring inspection. These proposed actions are intended to prevent the unsafe condition on these products.