Department of Transportation May 7, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 58 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 requirements in one eye.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for AERMACCHI S.p.A. Models F.260, F.260B, F.260C, F.260D, F.260E, and F.260F airplanes. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as cracks on the body of the flap actuators. The FAA is issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

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.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2017-19-24, which applies to certain Airbus SAS Model A318 series airplanes; Model A319-111, -112, -113, -114, -115, -131, -132, and -133 airplanes; Model A320-211, -212, -214, -231, -232, and -233 airplanes; and Model A321-111, -112, -131, -211, -212, -213, -231, and -232 airplanes. The FAA also proposes to supersede AD 2018-16-04, which applies to Airbus SAS Model A320-216, -251N, and -271N airplanes; and Model A321-251N, -253N, and -271N airplanes; as well as the models in AD 2017-19-24. Those ADs require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive maintenance requirements and airworthiness limitations. Since AD 2018-16-04 was issued, the FAA has determined that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD would require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which will be incorporated by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Yabor[atilde] Ind[uacute]stria Aeron[aacute]utica S.A. Model ERJ 190- 300 and ERJ 190-400 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a failure propagation test, which revealed that when complete loss of the electrical digital current (DC) essential bus 2 was induced, the smoke detection system of the forward and aft electrical bays erroneously indicated the presence of smoke via the respective engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS) messages. This AD requires revising the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) procedures associated with messages of smoke in the electronic bays presented on the EICAS, as specified in an Ag[ecirc]ncia Nacional de Avia[ccedil][atilde]o Civil (ANAC) Brazilian AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace, designated a surface area, at Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport, Sitka, AK. To properly size the area, the extension southwest of the airport should be reduced. The extension northwest of the airport is not required and should be removed. This action also proposes to establish a Class E airspace area, designated as an extension to a Class D or Class E surface area, northwest of the airport. Additionally, this action proposes to properly size Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface. The extension southwest of the airport should increase in size and the extension northwest of the airport is not required and should be removed. Further, this action proposes to remove Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface. This area is wholly contained within the Alaska southeast en route area and duplication is not necessary. Lastly, this action proposes numerous administrative corrections to the airspace legal descriptions. This action would ensure the safety and management of IFR operations at the airport.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace, designated a surface area, at Mc Grath Airport, McGrath, AK. To properly size the area, it should be reduced from a 7.6-mile radius to a 5.6-mile radius of the airport. This action also proposes to properly size Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface. The extension north of the airport should increase in size to contain arriving and departing IFR aircraft. The extension to the southeast of the airport is not required and should be removed. Additionally, this action proposes to properly size Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface. The area should be reduced from a 74-mile radius to a 45-mile radius of the airport. Lastly, this action proposes numerous administrative corrections to the airspace legal descriptions. This action would ensure the safety and management of IFR operations at the airport.

This action proposes to amend the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Athens Municipal Airport and Lochridge Ranch Airport, Athens, TX. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of airspace reviews caused by the decommissioning of the Athens non-directional beacon (NDB) which provided navigation information for the instrument procedures at these airports. The geographic coordinates of the Lochridge Ranch Airport and the name of the Crossroads NDB would also be updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database. Airspace redesign is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at these airports.

This action proposes to amend the Class D airspace and Class E airspace area designated as an extension to a Class D surface area and establish a Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at St. Louis Regional Airport, Alton/St. Louis, IL. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of an airspace review caused by the decommissioning of the outer marker to runway 29 at St. Louis Regional Airport which provided navigational information to this airport. The geographic coordinates of the airport would also be updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database.

This action proposes to amend the Class D airspace, Class E surface area airspace, and Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Erie International Airport/Tom Ridge Field, Erie, PA; revoke the Class E airspace area designated as an extension to Class D and Class E surface area at Erie International Airport/Tom Ridge Field; and amend the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Corry-Lawrence Airport, Corry, PA. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of airspace reviews due to the decommissioning of the Tidioute VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) navigation aid, which provided navigation information for the instrument procedures at these airports, as part of the VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program.

This action removes Jet Route J-105 and amends VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways V-15, V-63, V-272, and V- 583 in the vicinity of McAlester, OK. The modifications are necessary due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the McAlester, OK, VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) navigation aid (NAVAID), which provides navigation guidance for portions of the affected air traffic service (ATS) routes. The McAlester VOR is being decommissioned as part of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.