Department of Transportation November 7, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to establish Area Navigation (RNAV) routes Q-162 and Q-166 in the Southwest United States. The proposed new RNAV routes would provide alternative routing for air traffic travelling between southwest Arizona and western Texas in response to severe weather events during the spring and summer months. Additionally, the new RNAV routes would expand the availability of RNAV routing in support of transitioning the National Airspace System (NAS) from a ground-based to satellite-based system for navigation.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface by adding airspace for ECU Health Chowan Hospital Heliport, Edenton, NC. Additionally, this would correct the Northeastern Regional Airport name along with correcting coordinates for Northeastern Regional Airport.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A300 B4-600, B4-600R, and F4-600R series airplanes; and Model A300 C4-605R Variant F airplanes (collectively called Model A300-600 series airplanes). This proposed AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD would require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, 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.

This final rule amends FHWA regulations governing changes in access to the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (Interstate System). As a condition of funding for Federal-aid highway projects, Federal law prohibits State departments of transportation (State DOT) from adding any point of access to or from the Interstate System without the approval of the Secretary of Transportation. This final rule codifies and clarifies existing policies and practices regarding State DOT requests for, and FHWA approval of, changes in access to the Interstate System.

This notice concerns a petition for waiver submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) to waive the launch collective risk limit of 1 x 10-4 expected casualties (Ec) for Starship Super Heavy missions that utilize a near-orbital trajectory. The near-orbital Starship Super Heavy missions have been deemed suborbital such that a single launch collective risk limit of 1 x 10-4 Ec has been applied to cover the aggregate of the risks from the suborbital launch and suborbital reentry phases of each mission. The SpaceX petition requests an increase to the collective risk limit, to not exceed 2 x 10-4 Ec, with the condition that neither the suborbital launch nor suborbital reentry risks exceed 1 x 10-4 Ec individually. The FAA grants the petition for near-orbital Starship Super Heavy missions to allow a risk budget that parallels but remains consistent with an orbital mission profile that has a separate risk limit of 1 x 10-4 Ec for both the launch and reentry phases.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Surface Transportation Board (Board) gives notice of its intent to request from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval without change of the six existing collections described below. The Board previously published a notice about this collection in the Federal Register (August 5, 2024). That notice allowed for a 60-day public review and comment period. No comments were received.

This document announces an extension of the comment period for the referenced NPRM, which proposed to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2020-26-16, which applies to certain Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) Model PA-28-151, PA-28-161, PA-28-181, PA-28-235, PA-28R- 180, PA-28R-200, PA-28R-201, PA-28R-201T, PA-28RT-201, PA-28RT-201T, PA-32-260, PA-32-300, PA-32R-300, PA-32RT-300, and PA-32RT-300T airplanes. This NPRM invited comments concerning the proposed requirements for calculating the calculated service hours (CSH) to determine the times for required actions for each main wing spar; repetitively inspecting the lower main wing spar bolt holes for crack(s) and non-crack damage and taking corrective actions as needed; and replacing or modifying main wing spars at a specified time. This NPRM also invited comments concerning the proposal to revise the applicability by removing certain airplanes and adding a new airplane model. This extension of the comment period is necessary to provide all interested persons an opportunity to present their views on the proposed requirements of this NPRM.