Federal Aviation Administration July 13, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes special conditions for the Alenia Model C-27J airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology described in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. These design features include a liquid-oxygen (LOX) system. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for oxygen systems that use liquid oxygen. 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 to establish a restricted area (R-2502A) at Fort Irwin, CA, as part of a Department of the Army initiative at the National Training Center (NTC). The NTC is being expanded to meet the critical need of the Army for additional training land and airspace suitable for maneuvering large numbers of military personnel and equipment. Additionally, this action would modify the Silver military operation area (MOA) in the vicinity of the NTC Complex. Unlike restricted areas, which are designated under 14 CFR part 73, MOAs are not rulemaking airspace actions. However, since the proposed R-2502A infringes on the Silver MOA, the FAA is including a description of the Silver MOA change in this rule. The MOA change described here will also be published in the National Flight Data Digest (NFDD). The Army requested these airspace changes to provide the additional special use airspace (SUA) above the expanded ground maneuver area to facilitate realistic combat training at the NTC.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to all Boeing Model 747-100B SUD, 747-300, 747-400, and 747-400D series airplanes; and Model 747-200B series airplanes having a stretched upper deck. The existing AD currently requires repetitively inspecting for cracking or discrepancies of the fasteners in the tension ties, shear webs, and frames at body stations 1120 through 1220; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD would also require modifying the frame-to- tension-tie joints at body stations 1120 through 1220 (including related investigative actions and corrective actions if necessary), which would provide a terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This proposed AD would also require new repetitive inspections after the modification, corrective actions if necessary, and additional modification requirements at a specified time after the first modification. This proposed AD would also remove certain airplanes from the applicability. This proposed AD results from reports of cracked and severed tension ties, broken fasteners, and cracks in the frame, shear web, and shear ties adjacent to tension ties for the upper deck. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct cracking of the tension ties, shear webs, and frames of the upper deck, which could result in rapid decompression and reduced structural integrity of the airplane.