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

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion nor omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion nor omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

As the FAA reviews the recommendations of the UAS Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) Operations Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), the FAA is considering the expansion of BVLOS operations in certain operating environments with the appropriate safety mitigations to ensure no adverse safety impact. The FAA is seeking comment to gather additional technical input on key concepts and potential approaches that the FAA is contemplating for use in future exemptions.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the extension of a currently approved information collection.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2022-02-01 for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Model S-92A helicopters with certain part-numbered main rotor stationary swashplate assemblies (swashplate assemblies) that had accumulated 1,600 or more total hours time-in- service (TIS) installed. AD 2022-02-01 required visually inspecting the swashplate assembly at specified intervals and depending on the results, removing the swashplate assembly from service. Since the FAA issued AD 2022-02-01, the FAA determined it was necessary to expand the applicability and require more detailed inspections to address the unsafe condition. This AD retains the actions of AD 2022-02-01, expands the applicability, adds a detailed recurring visual inspection, and requires either eddy current inspections (ECI) or fluorescent penetrant inspections (FPI). The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives notice of its intent to seek approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the extension (without change) of the collections required by statute for rail or water carrier equipment liens (recordations), water carrier tariffs, and rail agricultural contract summaries, as described in more detail below.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) gives notice of its intent to seek approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of the collection of system diagram maps, described below.

On April 3, 2023, FRA published an NPRM proposing to amend its Passenger Equipment Safety Standards to modernize Tier I and Tier III safety appliance requirements; update the pre-revenue compliance documentation and testing requirements; establish crashworthiness requirements for individual Tier I-compliant vehicles equipped with crash energy management; establish standards for Tier III inspection, testing, and maintenance and movement of defective equipment; incorporate general safety requirements from FRA's Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards for Tier III trainsets; and provide for periodic inspection of emergency lighting to ensure proper functioning. By this notice, FRA is extending the NPRM's comment period, which will close on June 2, 2023, by 60 days.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces a public meeting of the Transit Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS).

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 13 individuals from the hearing requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The exemptions enable these hard of hearing and deaf individuals to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 13 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.

These special conditions are issued for the MHI RJ Aviation ULC Model CL-600-2B19 airplane. This airplane, as modified by B/E Aerospace Ltd. (B/E Aerospace), 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 an installation of a therapeutic oxygen system for medical use. 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 Maritime Administration (MARAD) invites public comments on our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The proposed collection OMB 2133-0554 (Application and Reporting Elements for Participation in the Tanker Security Program) will be used to evaluate the eligibility of the applicant for participation in the Tanker Security Program (TSP). A minor change request to include a privacy act statement for the collection of personally identifiable information will be added to the form for this collection. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. A 60-day Federal Register Notice soliciting comments on this information collection was published on March 20, 2023.

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPS) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure procedures (ODPs) for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Honeywell International Inc. Model AS907-1-1A and AS907-2-1G engines. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of compressor surge, including a dual engine compressor surge, during takeoff climb out through a steep temperature inversion, causing a loss of engine thrust control. This proposed AD would require either the replacement of a certain electronic control unit (ECU) software version installed on AS907-1-1A engines with updated software or the replacement of certain ECUs installed on AS907-1-1A engines with ECUs eligible for installation. This proposed AD would also require the replacement of certain ECUs installed on AS907-2-1G engines with ECUs eligible for installation. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

These special conditions are issued for the Dassault Aviation (Dassault) Model Falcon 6X airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features associated with flight-envelope protections, in icing and non-icing conditions, that use high-incidence protection to automatically advance throttles when the airplane angle of attack (AoA) reaches a predetermined value. 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.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion nor omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion nor omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new information collection, which is summarized below under Supplementary Information. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-21-11, which applies to all Pratt & Whitney Division (PW) Model PW4074D, PW4077D, PW4084D, PW4090, and PW4090-3 engines with a low- pressure compressor (LPC) fan hub, part number (P/N) 51B821 or P/N 52B521, installed. AD 2018-21-11 requires performing repetitive eddy current inspections (ECIs) and fluorescent penetrant inspections (FPIs) for cracks in certain LPC fan hubs and removing LPC fan hubs from service that fail any inspection. Since the FAA issued AD 2018-21-11, the FAA determined that affected LPC fan hub assemblies can meet the published certificated life limit without the need for the required repetitive FPI inspections in AD 2018-21-11, and the repetitive ECI inspections require shortened intervals. Based on a report of another incident, the FAA determined that the unsafe condition is likely to exist or develop on additional LPC fan hub assemblies and PW model engines. This proposed AD would expand the applicability to include Model PW4074, PW4074D, PW4077, PW4077D, PW4084D, PW4090, and PW4090-3 engines with any part number LPC fan hub assembly installed and would require performing repetitive ECIs of the LPC fan hub assembly and, depending on the results of the inspections, removal of the LPC fan hub assembly from service. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action amends Very High Frequency (VHF) Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airway V-260 in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

This action establishes Class E airspace at Marion, IA. This action supports new public instrument procedures.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus SAS Model A318 series airplanes; Model A319 series airplanes; Model A320-211, -212, -214, -216, -231, -232, -233, -251N, -252N, - 253N, -271N, -272N, and -273N airplanes; and Model A321 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report that certain overheat detection system (OHDS) sensing elements installed at certain positions might not properly detect thermal bleed leak events due to a quality escape during the manufacturing process. This AD requires a one-time detailed inspection of each affected part installed at an affected position and replacement if necessary, and prohibits the installation of affected parts at affected positions, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This amendment adopts miscellaneous amendments to the required IFR (instrument flight rules) altitudes and changeover points for certain Federal airways, jet routes, or direct routes for which a minimum or maximum en route authorized IFR altitude is prescribed. This regulatory action is needed because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace under instrument conditions in the affected areas.