Department of Transportation December 20, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is considering a request from the State of Montana to release certain deed restrictions at the Yellowstone Airport, MT.

FMCSA grants a limited 90-day waiver from the Federal hours- of-service (HOS) regulations pertaining to electronic logging devices (ELDs) for the transportation of agricultural commodities as defined in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). The Agency takes this action in response to a waiver request from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) on behalf of eight organizations representing transporters of livestock and other agricultural commodities, as defined in the FMCSRs. The Agency has determined that the waiver is in the public interest and would likely achieve a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level that would be achieved absent such exemption, based on the terms and conditions imposed. The waiver will also through notice and public comment, provide FMCSA with time to consider certain exemption applications from segments of the agricultural industry concerning the use of ELDs to document drivers' hours of service and clarify applicability of the requirements and the need for certain carriers to begin using ELDs by the December 18, 2017, deadline.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2009-25-07 for Airbus Helicopters Model EC120B helicopters. AD 2009-25-07 required amending the rotorcraft flight manual supplement (RFMS) and pre-flight checking the emergency flotation gear before each flight over water. Since we issued AD 2009-25-07, Airbus Helicopters developed a terminating action and identified an additional part- numbered emergency floatation gear part with the unsafe condition. This new AD retains the requirements of AD 2009-25-07, expands the applicability, and adds a terminating action for the repetitive inspections. The actions of this AD are intended to correct an unsafe condition on these helicopters.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the Enstrom Helicopter Corporation (Enstrom) Model F-28, F-28A, F-28C, F- 28C-2, F-28C-2R, F-28F, F-28F-R, TH-28, 280, 280C, 280F, 280FX, 480, and 480B helicopters. This AD requires inspecting certain rod end bearing assemblies. This AD is prompted by an accident. The actions of this AD are intended to prevent an unsafe condition on these helicopters.

This action announces changes in ADS-B services, including Traffic Information ServiceBroadcast (TIS-B), for a small number of aircraft. The FAA is implementing a filter for certain ADS-B equipped aircraft broadcasting erroneous or improper information when the broadcast information could affect the safe provision of air traffic services. Any aircraft subject to the filter will not have its ADS-B information sent to an air traffic control (ATC) facility nor will the aircraft be a client for TIS-B services. Affected aircraft will continue to receive ATC services within radar coverage using secondary radar information.