Federal Aviation Administration December 4, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule amends amateur rocket regulations to preserve the level of safety associated with amateur rocketry and to reflect current industry practice. The new regulations update and align FAA regulations with widely used advances in the amateur rocket industry, specify the required information collected from operators of advanced amateur rocket launches, and define amateur rocket classifications. This action also corrects minor inconsistencies in the current rule.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Pratt & Whitney (P&W) PW4052, PW4056, PW4060, PW4062, PW4152, PW4156A, PW4158, PW4460, and PW4462 turbofan engines. This AD requires a onetime visual inspection of all EEC-131 model electronic engine controls (EECs). This AD also requires the EECs to be identified, categorized by group number, marked, and replaced using a fleet management plan. This AD results from a report of an uncommanded engine in-flight shutdown due to defective EEC pulse width modulator (PWM) microcircuits. We are issuing this AD to prevent uncommanded in-flight engine shutdowns which could result in loss of thrust and prevent continued safe flight or landing.