Department of Transportation June 13, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model RB211-535C-37 engines. This proposed AD was prompted by the manufacturer revising the existing engine time limits manual (TLM) to introduce new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations and associated thresholds and intervals for life-limited parts. This proposed AD would require revising the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the operator's existing approved engine maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive instructions and associated thresholds and intervals for life-limited parts, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Advanced Research Projects AgencyInfrastructure (ARPA-I) is a newly-designated agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that was authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) November 15, 2021 (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). ARPA-I was established by Congress ``to support the development of science and technology solutions that overcomes long-term challenges and advances the state of the art for United States transportation infrastructure.'' ARPA-I will have a single overarching goal and focus: to fund external innovative advanced research and development (R&D) programs that develop new technologies, systems, and capabilities to improve transportation infrastructure in the United States. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to obtain input from interested parties on potential areas for future innovative advanced research and development programs to be funded and managed by ARPA-I, subject to the availability of appropriations.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for three 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.

The FAA is amending its standards for pressurized compartment loads such that partitions located adjacent to a decompression hole need not be designed to withstand a certain decompression condition. This rulemaking is necessary because, in some cases, it is not practical to design partitions in certain airplane compartments to withstand this decompression condition if it occurs within that compartment.

This NPRM proposes to adopt a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard to require automatic emergency braking (AEB), including pedestrian AEB (PAEB), systems on light vehicles. An AEB system uses various sensor technologies and sub-systems that work together to detect when the vehicle is in a crash imminent situation, to automatically apply the vehicle brakes if the driver has not done so, or to apply more braking force to supplement the driver's braking. The AEB system proposed in this NPRM would detect and react to an imminent crash with a lead vehicle or pedestrian. This NPRM promotes NHTSA's goal to equip vehicles with AEB and PAEB, and advances DOT's January 2022 National Roadway Safety Strategy that identified requiring AEB, including PAEB technologies, on new passenger vehicles as a key Departmental action to enable safer vehicles. This NPRM also responds to a mandate under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law directing the Department to promulgate a rule to require that all passenger vehicles be equipped with an AEB system.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2021-10- 28, which applied to all Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. (Pilatus) Model PC-24 airplanes. AD 2021-10-28 required incorporating new revisions to the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the existing airplane maintenance manual (AMM) or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. Since the FAA issued AD 2021-10-28, the FAA determined that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD requires revising the ALS of the existing AMM or ICA for your airplane, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference (IBR). The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.