Federal Aviation Administration April 25, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action amends Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, part 71 (14 CFR 71) by revising Class E airspace areas at Columbus, NE. A review of the Class E airspace surface area and the Class E airspace area extending upward from 700 feet above ground level (AGL) at Columbus, NE reveals neither area complies with criteria for extensions nor reflects the current Airport reference point (ARP) for the Columbus Municipal Airport. Also, the legal descriptions of both areas are not in proper format. These airspace areas and their legal descriptions are modified to conform to the criteria in FAA Orders.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal to change a portion of the airport from aeronautical use to non-aeronautical use and to authorize the sale of the airport property. The proposal consists of 2 parcels of land totaling approximately 6.13 acres. Current use and present condition is as an overflow parking area for car rental vehicles on the southern portion of subject parcels. The northern portion of subject parcels is vacant, unimproved land. The land was not acquired with federal funds. There are no impacts to the airport by allowing the airport to dispose of the property. The proposal concerns selling the land to a corporation that will construct a commercial office building on the site. Approval does not constitute a commitment by the FAA to financially assist in the disposal of the subject airport property nor a determination of eligibility for grant-in-aid funding from the FAA. The disposition of proceeds from the disposal of the airport property will be in accordance FAA's Policy and Procedures Concerning the Use of Airport Revenue, published in the Federal Register on February 16, 1999. In accordance with section 47107(h) of title 49, United States Code, this notice is required to be published in the Federal Register 30 days before modifying the land-use assurance that requires the property to be used for an aeronautical purpose.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Cessna Model 750 airplanes. The AD requires repetitive inspections for clearance and chafing of an auxiliary power unit (APU) fuel tube assembly in the tail cone area of the airplane, and corrective actions if necessary. For certain airplanes, this AD also requires replacing the APU fuel line. This AD is prompted by reports of chafed APU fuel tubes leaking into the tail cone area due to interference between the fuel tube assembly and elevator flight control cables, hydraulic lines, and high-temperature bleed air couplings. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct this interference, which could result in chafing, fuel leaking into an area where ignition sources are present, and possible fire in an area without fire detection or extinguishing provisions.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain Boeing Model 707 airplanes and Model 720 and 720B series airplanes. That AD currently requires a preventive modification of the front spar fitting on the outboard engine nacelle. This new AD removes the requirement to do this preventive modification, and requires repetitive inspections for cracking of the front spar fitting of the inboard and outboard nacelle struts, and replacement of any cracked fitting with a new fitting. This AD also applies to more airplanes. This AD is prompted by a report indicating that a crack was found in a front spar fitting that had been replaced as part of the modification required by the existing AD. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct this cracking, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the engine nacelle, and consequent separation of an engine from the airplane.