Federal Aviation Administration February 8, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document revises an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to all EMBRAER Model EMB-120 series airplanes, that would have required revising the airplane flight manual to include operational limitations for use of the autopilot, and installing two placards that advise the flight crew to check the pitch trim before descent. This new action would retain the original requirements, but with revised placard language. This new action would also require modifying the elevator trim system, which would terminate the requirements of the AD. The actions specified by this new proposed AD are intended to prevent pitch trim upsets if the pitch trim actuators jam or freeze, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Boeing Model 727 airplanes. This proposed AD would require repetitive inspections for any crack in the area of the elevator side fitting/ hinge fitting joint and for any crack or elongation inside and outside of the holes in the clevis and in the lug, corrective actions if necessary, and other specified actions. This proposed AD results from reports of elongated holes and cracks found in the lugs of the attachment fittings of the elevator quadrant upper support assembly at the tip of the vertical fin. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct damage to the aft attachment lugs of the elevator quadrant support assembly that could lead to failure of the lugs. This condition could accelerate wear elsewhere in the elevator control system, which could reduce the crew's ability to maintain safe flight.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Boeing Model 747 airplanes. This proposed AD would require a one-time inspection of certain fuselage skins at section 41 to find any external doublers that cover the inspection areas and to identify the external doublers that end on a stringer and those that do not, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD results from reports of cracks found at fastener locations in the fuselage skins at section 41. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct fuselage skin cracks at fastener locations along the skin-to- stringer attachments, which could join together and become large and consequently result in rapid decompression of the cabin.

This action extends the comment period for a proposed amendment to the ``Policy Regarding the Establishment of Airport Rates and Charges'' that was published on January 17, 2008. In that document, the Department of Transportation (``Department'') and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed to amend the ``Policy Regarding the Establishment of Airport Rates and Charges'' published in the Federal Register on June 21, 1996 (``1996 Rates and Charges Policy''). The Department and the FAA proposed three amendments to the 1996 Rates and Charges Policy (two modifications and one clarification). These amendments are intended to provide greater flexibility to operators of congested airports to use landing fees to provide incentives to air carriers to use the airport at less congested times or to use alternate airports to meet regional air service needs. Any charges imposed on international operations must also comply with the international obligations of the United States. This extension is a result of a request from the Air Transport Association of America, Inc., the Cargo Airline Association, the National Air Carrier Association, and the Regional Airline Association on behalf of their members, to extend the comment period for thirty days.