Federal Aviation Administration February 20, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

These special conditions are for Boeing Model 777 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with seats that include non-traditional, large, non-metallic panels that would affect survivability during a post-crash fire event. 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.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Lockheed Model L-1011 series airplanes. This proposed AD would require revising the FAA-approved maintenance program by incorporating new airworthiness limitations for fuel tank systems to satisfy Special Federal Aviation Regulation No. 88 requirements. This proposed AD would also require the accomplishment of certain fuel system modifications, the initial inspections of certain repetitive fuel system limitations to phase in those inspections, and repair if necessary. This proposed AD results from a design review of the fuel tank systems. We are proposing this AD to prevent the potential for ignition sources inside fuel tanks caused by latent failures, alterations, repairs, or maintenance actions, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter Deutschland (Eurocopter) Model EC135 helicopters. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the Technical Agent for the Federal Republic of Germany, with which we have a bilateral agreement, states in the MCAI:

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 147: Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems Airborne Equipment.

The FAA proposes to rule and invite public comment on the release of land at the Brigham City Municipal Airport under the provisions of Section 125 of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR 21).

This action establishes Class E Airspace at Rumford, ME to support a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Special Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) that has been developed for medical flight operations into the Rumford Community Hospital. This action enhances the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations by providing that required controlled airspace to protect for this approach around Rumford, ME.