Department of Transportation 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 Trent 768-60, 772-60, and 772B-60 engines. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of cracks on affected intermediate-pressure compressor (IPC) rotor shaft balance lands. This proposed AD would require repetitive on-wing or in-shop borescope inspections (BSIs) of the affected IPC rotor shaft balance land for cracks, replacement of any IPC rotor shaft if necessary, and would prohibit the installation of an affected IPC rotor shaft on any engine, 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 FAA is withdrawing a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that proposed to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain General Electric Company (GE) CF6-80E1A2, CF6-80E1A3, CF6-80E1A4, and CF6-80E1A4/B model turbofan engines. The NPRM was prompted by a manufacturer investigation that revealed that certain compressor discharge pressure seals (CDP seals) and forward outer seals were manufactured from powder metal material suspected to contain iron inclusion. The NPRM proposed to require the replacement of the affected CDP seals and forward outer seals. Since issuance of the NPRM, the FAA has reviewed subsequent information received from the manufacturer and determined that the unsafe condition is not likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design. Accordingly, the NPRM is withdrawn.

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.

The FAA proposes that individuals with foreign addresses, and no U.S. physical address of record on file with the FAA, who hold or apply for certain certificates, ratings, or authorizations designate a U.S. agent for service of FAA documents. The U.S. agent would receive service of FAA documents on the certificate holder or applicant's behalf. This proposed rule would facilitate the FAA's ability to accomplish prompt and cost-effective service of process and service of other safety-critical or time-sensitive documents to individuals abroad through service on their U.S. agents.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for turbocharged, reciprocating engine-powered airplanes and helicopters and turbocharged, reciprocating engines with a certain v-band coupling installed. This AD was prompted by multiple failures of spot-welded, multi-segment v-band couplings at the tailpipe to the turbocharger exhaust housing flange (also referred to as ``spot-welded, multi- segment exhaust tailpipe v-band coupling''). This AD establishes a life limit for the spot-welded, multi-segment exhaust tailpipe v-band coupling and requires repetitively inspecting the spot-welded, multi- segment exhaust tailpipe v-band coupling. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. This collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval concerns NHTSA's Criminal Penalty Safe Harbor Provision. It is a reinstatement of a previously approved information collection. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on June 29, 2022. No comments were received.

This notice announces a meeting of the WOTAB.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) announces a public meeting of the U.S. Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee (MTSNAC) to develop and discuss advice and recommendations for the U.S. Department of Transportation on issues related to the marine transportation system.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal from the Wichita Airport Authority, Wichita, KS, to release two parcels of land including a 20 acre parcel and a 4.176 acre parcel of land from the federal obligation dedicating it to aeronautical use and to authorize these parcels to be used for revenue-producing, non- aeronautical purposes.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Engine Alliance (EA) Model GP7270, GP7272, and GP7277 engines. This AD was prompted by a manufacturer investigation that revealed that certain high-pressure turbine (HPT) interstage seals were manufactured from material suspected to contain iron inclusion. This AD requires replacement of the affected HPT interstage seals. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA announces the availability of, and requests comments on, the proposed airworthiness criteria for the AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation (AWPC) Model AW609 powered-lift. This document proposes airworthiness criteria the FAA finds to be appropriate and applicable for the powered-lift design.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its review and approval and invites public comment. This notice invites comments on a proposed information collection titled ``Safety Impacts of Human-Automated Driving System (ADS) Team Driving Applications.'' It is a driving simulator study with a series of questionnaires that will quantify the safety implications of team driving applications between humans and ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Specifically, this study will focus on team driving applications with an SAE Level 4 (L4) CMV. In L4 automation, as specified by SAE (2021), CMVs are capable of all functions and controls necessary for driving without human monitoring in limited conditions, and the human driver will not be asked to take over control of the vehicle. The L4 CMV will not operate outside of the conditions it was designed for without human control. Approximately 80 CMV drivers will participate in the study. The study will assess the safety benefits and disbenefits of human-ADS team driving applications and support the analysis of potential requests for relief from FMCSA's hours-of-service (HOS) regulations.

These special conditions are issued for the Airbus SAS (Airbus) Model A320-251N, -252N, -253N, -271N, -272N, and -273N; and Model A321-251NX, -252NX, -253NX, -271NX, and -272NX airplanes. These airplanes 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 a mini emergency power supply unit containing rechargeable lithium-ion 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.

This action amends the West Palm Beach, FL Class E airspace legal description by removing ``West Palm Beach'' from the Palm Beach International Airport name in the West Palm Beach Class E airspace legal description sub-header as it is excessive and unnecessary. This action does not change the boundaries, altitudes, or operating requirements of the Class E airspace area.

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 collection involves receiving and maintaining correspondence required to be sent to the FAA from pilots who have been involved in a drug- or alcohol-related motor vehicle action. The information to be collected will be used to and/or is necessary because the FAA must identify airmen with multiple drug- or alcohol-related motor vehicle actions, and verify traffic conviction information in order to support the FAA's Aviation Safety, Office of Aerospace Medicine, Aerospace Medical Certification Division, for their requirements to evaluate the qualifications of that airman to hold a medical certificate.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), proposes to establish a new system of records titled, ``DOT/FAA 856 Airmen Medical Records.'' 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 61.23 Medical Certificates: Requirement and Duration specify operations requiring medical certificates. Collectively, for the purposes of this system of records notice, individuals required to obtain medical certificates are referred to as applicants. This Notice covers records maintained for the required airmen medical certification process which is initiated by the airman medical certificate application. In addition to the initial medical records obtained at time of certification, FAA also maintains information on post-certification medical changes including failed drug and substance abuse testing results that could disqualify certificated airmen. Finally, this system of records supports regulatory enforcement activities and other legal actions, such as denial of medical certifications, so records including, but not limited to, pre- decisional notes in airmen medical files, are exempted from certain access and disclosure requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974.

This action amends Very High Frequency (VHF) Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways V-3, V-157, and V-579; and removes VOR Federal airway V-578 in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program.

This action proposes to establish United States Area Navigation (RNAV) routes T-440, T-455, T-457, T-459, and T-476, and amend RNAV routes T-358, T-416, and T-445 in support of the FAA's Very High Frequency (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 ground-based navigation aids to a satellite-based navigation system.

NHTSA invites public comments about our intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a new information collection. Before a federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from OMB. Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes a collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval on a segmentation study related to alcohol-impaired driving and riding (motorcycles). This study's objective is to better understand alcohol-consumption behaviors and how they relate to potential alcohol-impaired driving/riding. The results of this study will help NHTSA inform its consumer messages to reduce fatalities and injuries on US roadways.