Department of Transportation July 30, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) exemption on behalf of truck and bus drivers who are licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia and need a Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate from FMCSA to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMV) in interstate commerce. The exemption enables interstate CMV drivers who are licensed in Virginia and are subject to the Federal SPE requirements under 49 CFR 391.49 to continue to fulfill the Federal requirements with a State-issued SPE and to operate CMVs in interstate commerce anywhere in the United States.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requests public comment on an application for exemption from Groendyke Transport, Inc. (Groendyke) to allow the use of a pulsating brake lamp in addition to the steady burning brake lamps required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) in its fleet operations. The FMCSRs require all exterior lamps (both required lamps and any additional lamps) to be steady-burning, with the exception of turn signal lamps, hazard warning signal lamps, school bus warning lamps, amber warning lamps or flashing warning lamps on tow trucks and commercial motor vehicles (CMV) transporting oversized loads, and warning lamps on emergency and service vehicles authorized by State or local authorities. Groendyke believes that operating a pulsating brake lamp on the rear of its trailers on a fleet-wide basis would allow the company to operate its equipment more effectively, efficiently, and safely, and would maintain a level of safety that is equivalent to, or greater than, the level that it would achieve without the requested exemption.

Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (CTA), has determined that certain Continental brand tires do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 139, New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles. CTA filed a noncompliance report dated March 31, 2017, and later revised it on February 23, 2018. CTA also petitioned NHTSA on April 27, 2017, and amended it on June 28, 2017, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety.

This action amends Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Memphis International Airport, Memphis, TN. Airspace reconfiguration is necessary due to the decommissioning of the Elvis non-directional radio beacon (NDB), and for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at this airport. Olive Branch Airport, Olive Branch, MS, is removed from the airspace description to be reestablished in a separate rulemaking.

This rule amends, suspends, or removes 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 for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam srl Model P2006T 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 an incorrect part number for the rudder trim actuator is referenced in the Airworthiness Limitations section of the FAA-approved maintenance program (e.g., maintenance manual) and the life limit for that part may not be properly applied in service. We are issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.