Department of Transportation November 20, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-23- 51, which applied to all The Boeing Company Model 737-8 and 737-9 (737 MAX) airplanes. AD 2018-23-51 required revising certificate limitations and operating procedures of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) to provide the flightcrew with runaway horizontal stabilizer trim procedures to follow under certain conditions. This AD requires installing new flight control computer (FCC) software, revising the existing AFM to incorporate new and revised flightcrew procedures, installing new MAX display system (MDS) software, changing the horizontal stabilizer trim wire routing installations, completing an angle of attack (AOA) sensor system test, and performing an operational readiness flight. This AD also applies to a narrower set of airplanes than the superseded AD, and only allows operation (dispatch) of an airplane with certain inoperative systems if specific, more restrictive, provisions are incorporated into the operator's existing FAA-approved minimum equipment list (MEL). This AD was prompted by the potential for a single erroneously high AOA sensor input received by the flight control system to result in repeated airplane nose-down trim of the horizontal stabilizer. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA announces the availability of and requests comments on proposed airworthiness criteria for the Wingcopter GmbH Model 198 US unmanned aircraft system (UAS). This document proposes airworthiness criteria the FAA finds to be appropriate and applicable for the UAS design.

The FAA announces the availability of and requests comments on proposed airworthiness criteria for the Zipline International Inc. Model Zip UAS Sparrow unmanned aircraft system (UAS). This document proposes airworthiness criteria the FAA finds to be appropriate and applicable for the UAS design.

The FAA announces the availability of and requests comments on proposed airworthiness criteria for the Amazon Logistics, Inc. Model MK27 unmanned aircraft system (UAS). This document proposes airworthiness criteria the FAA finds to be appropriate and applicable for the UAS design.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2019-21-10, which applies to all Airbus SAS Model A321-111, -112, -131, -211, -212, -213, -231, and -232 airplanes. AD 2019-21-10 requires a one-time eddy current conductivity measurement of certain structural parts of the outer flaps to determine if the incorrect alloy was used, and replacement if necessary. Since the FAA issued AD 2019-21-10, the design approval holder (DAH) has issued an updated list of suspected parts, including those that may have been improperly heat treated, and the FAA has determined that more airplanes are affected by the unsafe condition. This proposed AD would continue to require a one-time eddy current conductivity measurement of certain structural parts of the outer flaps to determine if the incorrect alloy was used, and replacement if necessary, and would also require a new one-time eddy current conductivity measurement of certain other structural parts of the outer flaps to determine if the parts were properly heat treated, and replacement if necessary, and would include additional affected airplanes, 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.

This action proposes to amend the Class E airspace at Bradford Regional Airport, Bradford, PA. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of an airspace review caused by the decommissioning of the Bradford VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) navigation aid as part of the VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program.