Department of Transportation August 15, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.

This action proposes to establish three low altitude United States Area Navigation (RNAV) routes (T-routes) in support of the VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program. The purpose is to enhance the efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS) by transitioning from a ground-based to a satellite-based navigation system.

This action proposes to amend five area navigation (RNAV) routes (T-224, T-314, T-315, T-325, and Q-68), and establish two RNAV routes (T-303, and T-360). These routes would support the FAA VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program, and would expand the availability of RNAV routing in the National Airspace System (NAS).

This action corrects a final rule published by the FAA in the Federal Register on June 30, 2022, that amends United States Area Navigation (RNAV) route T-222 in the vicinity of Bethel, AK, in support of a large and comprehensive T-route modernization project for the state of Alaska. The final rule identified the CABOT, AK, and IKUFU, AK, route points as waypoints (WPs), in error. This action makes editorial corrections to all references of the CABOT, AK, and IKUFU, AK, WPs to change them to be reflected as Fixes and match the FAA's aeronautical database information.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 this notice announces that the information collection request abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. A Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the information collection was published on March 11, 2022.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 99- 23-18, AD 2005-03-07, AD 2013-12-07, and AD 2014-04-07, which apply to certain Bell Helicopter Textron Canada (now Bell Textron Canada Limited) Model 407 helicopters. AD 99-23-18 requires revising the life limits for certain parts, replacing each part that has exceeded its life limit, and revising the Airworthiness Limitation Section (ALS) of the existing maintenance manual. AD 2005-03-07 requires establishing a maximum accumulated Retirement Index Number (RIN) count for certain crosstube assemblies and revising the ALS of the existing maintenance manual. AD 2013-12-07 requires inspecting the tailboom assembly for a crack, loose rivet, or other damage and depending on the inspection results, replacing certain parts. AD 2014-04-07 requires preflight checking, repetitively inspecting for a crack in certain tailbooms, modifying and re-identifying certain tailbooms, installing an improved horizontal stabilizer assembly, and revising the ALS of the existing maintenance manual. Since the FAA issued those ADs, a report was received of a crack on the tailboom lower skin due to fatigue damage and new and more restrictive airworthiness limitations have been issued. This proposed AD would require incorporating into existing maintenance records requirements (airworthiness limitations) as specified in the ALS service information. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A350-941 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report that the path for the grounding wire of the engine fire shut off valve (FSOV) is routed through the wing trailing edge, which is not the shortest path available. This proposed AD would require modifying the wiring between the inboard fixed leading edge in the wing and in the forward cargo compartment on the left- and right- hand sides, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.