Department of Transportation March 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

As required by the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, a draft policy statement would revise FAA procedures in order to require applicants for amendments to type certificates (TCs) for transport category aircraft to disclose, in a single document at the beginning of the certification process, all new systems and intended changes to existing systems known to the applicant.

This action extends the comment period for the NPRM titled ``System Safety Assessments,'' that was published on December 8, 2022. In that document, the FAA proposed to amend certain airworthiness regulations to standardize the criteria for conducting safety assessments for systems, including flight controls and powerplants, installed on transport category airplanes. With this action, the FAA seeks to reduce risk associated with airplane accidents and incidents that have occurred in service, and reduce risk associated with new technology in flight control systems. The intended effect of this proposed action is to improve aviation safety by making system safety assessment (SSA) certification requirements more comprehensive and consistent. The FAA is extending the comment period closing date to allow commenters additional time to analyze the proposed rule and prepare a response.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2015-09-04 R1, which applied to DG Flugzeugbau GmbH Model DG-1000T gliders equipped with a Solo Kleinmotoren GmbH (currently Solo Vertriebs-und Entwicklungs-GmbH) (Solo) Model 2350 C engine. AD 2015-09-04 R1 prohibited operation of the engine and required performing a magnetic particle or dye penetrant inspection of the propeller shaft and reporting the results of the inspection to Solo. This AD is prompted by mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI identifies the unsafe condition as occurrences of rupture of the eccentric axle on Solo Model 2350 C engines (installed on DG Flugzeugbau GmbH Model DG-1000T gliders in the United States) and an occurrence on a Solo Model 2350 D engine (installed on Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH (Schempp-Hirth) Model Duo Discus T gliders in the United States). This AD requires repetitive replacement of the eccentric axle, adds the Schempp-Hirth Model Duo Discus T gliders to the applicability, and retains from AD 2015-09-04 R1 the option of operating the glider with the engine non-operative instead of replacing the eccentric axle. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action proposes to amend Class D airspace, remove Class E airspace designated as an extension to a Class D surface area, establish a Class D airspace extension, and amend Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Quantico MCAF (Turner Field), Quantico, VA, as an airspace evaluation determined an update is necessary. In addition, this action would remove the Brooke Very High-Frequency Omnidirectional Range Collocated Tactical Air (VORTAC) from the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface in the legal description, remove the extension to the south, and increases the radius of the Class E airspace. This action would also update the airport's geographic coordinates and replace the terms Notice to Airmen with Notice to Air Missions and Airport/Facility Directory with Chart Supplement in the descriptions.

This action proposes to amend Very High Frequency (VHF) Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways V-71 and V-245, revoke VOR Federal airways V-554 and V-570, and establish Area Navigation (RNAV) routes T-471, T-473, and T-474. The FAA is proposing this action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Natchez, MS (HEZ), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigational aid (NAVAID). The Natchez VOR is being decommissioned in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for six individuals from the requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers have ``no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition which is likely to cause loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a CMV.'' The exemptions enable these individuals who have had one or more seizures and are taking anti-seizure medication to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.