Federal Aviation Administration April 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document announces the availability of the final rule entitled Flight Simulation Training Device Initial and Continuing Qualification and Use, which went on public inspection at the Office of the Federal Register April 30, 2008, and will be published in the Federal Register on May 9, 2008.

This action establishes Class E airspace at Centre-Piedmont Cherokee County Airport, (PYP), Centre, AL and removes Class E airspace at Centre Municipal Airport, Centre, AL, (C22). The operating status of the airport will include Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations.

This action confirms the effective date of a direct final rule published in the Federal Register (73 FR 9185) that establishes Class E Airspace at Rumford, ME, to support a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Special Instrument Approach Procedure (LAP) that has been developed for medical flight operations into the Rumford Community Hospital.

This action confirms the effective date of a direct final rule published in the Federal Register (73 FR 9450) that establishes Class E Airspace at Stonington, 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 Stonington Municipal Airport.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed 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 MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

This action proposes to establish a low altitude Area Navigation (RNAV) route, designated T-276 in the Southwest Oregon. T- routes are low altitude Air Traffic Service (ATS) routes, based on RNAV, for use by aircraft having instrument flight rules (IFR)-approved Global Positioning System (GPS)/Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) equipment. The FAA is proposing this action to reduce controller workload, enhance safety and improve the efficient use of the navigable airspace in the Portland, OR, terminal area.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Boeing Model 747 series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires repetitive inspections for cracking and corrosion of all exposed surfaces of the carriage spindles (including the inner bore and aft links) of the trailing edge flaps, and additional inspection and corrective action if necessary. The existing AD also requires repetitive overhaul of the carriage spindle and aft link, which terminates the repetitive inspections. This proposed AD would add a repetitive inspection to detect broken parts, and revise the overhaul threshold and repetitive intervals. This proposed AD results from analysis that showed additional inspections should be done to prevent the loss of a flap, and that the flight-hour- based interval should be revised to a flight-cycle-based interval, because the greatest loads on the spindles happen during takeoff and landing. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct failed carriage spindles or aft links for the inboard or outboard trailing edge flaps. Such failure could cause the flap to depart the airplane, reducing the flightcrew's ability to maintain the safe flight and landing of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) model helicopters. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the Technical Agent for Italy, with which we have a bilateral agreement, states in the MCAI:

The FAA's Aviation Safety, an organization responsible for the certification, production approval, and continued airworthiness of aircraft, and certification of pilots, mechanics, and others in safety related positions, publishes proposed non-regulatory documents that are available for public comment on the Internet at https://www.faa.gov/ aircraft/draftdocs/.

This notice announces a public meeting (teleconference) of the FAA's Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) to discuss transport airplane and engine (TAE) issues.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Government/Industry Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to all Boeing Model 737-300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires repetitive inspections for discrepancies of the fuselage skin under the dorsal fin assembly, and repairing if necessary. This proposed AD would require an inspection for any chafing or crack in the fuselage skin and abrasion resistant coating at the dorsal fin landing, an inspection for damage to the dorsal fin seals, attach clip, and seal retainer, and other specified and corrective actions as necessary. The new proposed requirements would end the need for the existing repetitive inspections. This proposed AD results from a report of an 18-inch crack found in the fuselage skin area under the blade seals of the nose cap of the dorsal fin due to previous wear damage, and additional reports of fuselage skin wear. We are proposing this AD to prevent discrepancies of the fuselage skin, which could result in fatigue cracking due to cabin pressurization and consequent rapid in-flight decompression of the airplane fuselage.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for BHTC Model 230 helicopters. This proposed 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 aviation authority of Canada, with which we have a bilateral agreement, states in the MCAI:

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed 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 MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) revision of a current information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on December 6, 2007, vol. 72, no. 234, pages 68947-68948. 14 CFR part 17 sets forth procedures for filing solicitation protests and contract claims in the FAA's Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition.

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) revision of a current information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on December 6, 2007, vol. 72, no. 234, page 68947. The information collected is from airmen and is used to determine compliance with FAA regulations regarding second-in-command certification for the operation of aircraft.

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a current information collection. Accident Prevention Counselor Activity Reports are used by counselors to advise the FAA of Accident Prevention Program accomplishments.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Boeing Model 757 airplanes and Model 767-200, 767-300, and 767-300F series airplanes. This AD requires revising the Limitations section of the airplane flight manual to advise the flight crew of procedures to follow to ensure that a fuel filter impending bypass condition due to gross fuel contamination is detected in a timely manner. This AD was prompted by an error in the operating program software (OPS) of the engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS). The error prevents the display of an advisory message to the flight crew of a left engine fuel filter contamination and imminent bypass condition, which may indicate an imminent multiple engine thrust loss or engine malfunction event due to fuel contamination. We are issuing this AD to prevent malfunction and thrust loss on both engines, which could result in a forced off-airport landing.

This amendment proposes superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S- 61A, D, E, L, N, NM, R, and V helicopters. The existing AD currently requires determining whether the main rotor shaft (MRS) was used in repetitive external lift (REL) operations. The existing AD also requires a nondestructive inspection (NDI) for cracks, replacing any unairworthy MRS with an airworthy MRS, appropriately marking the MRS, making a logbook entry, and establishing retirement lives for each REL MRS. This proposed AD would contain some of the same requirements but would determine new retirement lives for each MRS. The REL retirement life would be based on hours time-in-service (TIS) or lift cycles, whichever occurs first. The Non-REL retirement life would be reduced and would only be based on hours TIS. This proposed AD would also require the operator to remove from service any MRS with oversized dowel pin bores. Also, certain restricted category models that were inadvertently omitted in the current AD would be added to the applicability. This proposed AD is prompted by the manufacturer's reevaluation of the retirement life for the MRS based on torque, ground-air-ground (GAG) cycle, and fatigue testing. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent MRS structural failure, loss of power to the main rotor, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

The FAA is publishing notice of proposed release of approximately 27.07 acres of land at the Lonesome Pine Airport, Wise, Virginia to Wise County (Portions of Property Map Parcels 4, 5, 6). The release of land will provide a location for a regional business & technology park and an emergency services training facility. Releasing the land does not adversely impact the Airport and the land is not needed for airport development as shown on the Airport Layout Plan. Fair Market Value of the land has been assessed and will be provided to The Cumberlands Airport Commission for Airport and Commission development expenses.

The FAA is revising an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Boeing Model 747-400 series airplanes. That AD currently requires inspecting the support bracket of the crew oxygen cylinder installation to determine the manufacturing date marked on the support, and performing corrective action if necessary. This new AD retains all the requirements of the existing AD and expands the applicability of the existing AD to include certain airplanes that are not on the U.S. Register. This AD results from a report indicating that certain oxygen cylinder supports may not have been properly heat- treated. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the oxygen cylinder support under the most critical flight load conditions, which could cause the oxygen cylinder to come loose and leak oxygen. Leakage of oxygen could result in oxygen being unavailable for the flightcrew or could result in a fire hazard in the vicinity of the leakage.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

This action proposes special conditions for the Embraer S.A. Model ERJ 190-100 ECJ airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features associated with access during flight of the main deck Class C cargo compartment. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed 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 proposes special conditions for the Embraer S.A. Model ERJ 190-100 ECJ airplane which has a novel and unusual design feature, in that it features multiple electrical/electronic equipment bays that are located throughout the airplane. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed 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. Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of the Embraer S.A. Model ERJ 190-100 ECJ airplane.