Department of Transportation November 17, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Public meetings of the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee (ACPAC).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on March 31, 2021. The collection is a part of the Federal Government-wide effort to streamline the process to seek feedback from the public.

These special conditions are issued for the Airbus Defense and Space S.A. (Airbus) Model C212-CC/-CD/-CE/-CF/-DF/-DE airplanes. This airplane, as modified by Airbus Defense and Space, Inc., will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. This design feature is the emergency lighting installation that contain rechargeable lithium batteries. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747-200C, 747-200F, 747-300, 747SP, 747-400, 747-400D, and 747-400F series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a determination that a certain fastener type that penetrates the fuel tank walls has insufficient bond to the structure, and energy from a lightning strike or high-powered short circuit could cause arcing to occur at the ends of fasteners in the fuel tanks. This proposed AD would require, for certain airplanes, reconfiguring the clamps of certain wire bundles, applying sealant to certain fasteners that penetrate the fuel tank walls, installing cushion clamps and polytetrafluoroethylene (TFE) sleeves, inspecting to determine if sealant was applied to certain fasteners, and applying sealant if necessary. This proposed AD would also require, for all airplanes, revising the maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new, more restrictive airworthiness limitations. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is revising a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would have applied to certain The Boeing Company Model 757-200, - 200CB, and -300 series airplanes. This action revises the NPRM by including additional airplanes that are also subject to the identified unsafe condition. Since this change would impose an additional burden over that in the NPRM, the FAA is requesting comments on this SNPRM.