Federal Aviation Administration December 29, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Dumas, TX, to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Moore County Airport, Dumas, TX. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs at Moore County Airport.

This action proposes to modify Class E airspace at Point Mugu NAWS, Oxnard, CA. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate aircraft flying in the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center's (ARTCC's) airspace area. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations in Los Angeles ARTCC's airspace.

This action proposes special conditions for the Erickson Air- Crane Incorporated (Erickson Air-Crane) S-64E and S-64F rotorcraft. These rotorcraft have novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with being transport category rotorcraft designed only for use in heavy external-load operations. At the time of original type certification, a special condition was issued for each model helicopter because the applicable airworthiness regulations did not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for turbine-engine rotorcraft or for rotorcraft with a maximum gross weight over 20,000 pounds that were designed solely to perform external-load operations. At the request of Erickson Air-Crane, the current type certificate (TC) holder for these helicopter models, we propose the following to resolve reported difficulty in applying the existing special conditions and to eliminate any confusion that has occurred in Erickson's dealings with a foreign authority. Specifically, we are proposing to consolidate the separate special conditions for each model helicopter into one special condition to clarify and more specifically reference certain special condition requirements to the regulatory requirements, to add an inadvertently omitted fire protection requirement, to recognize that occupants may be permitted in the two observer seats and the rear-facing operator seat during other than external-load operations, and to clarify the requirements relating to operations within 5 minutes of a suitable landing area.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Model 767 airplanes. This proposed AD would require installing new panel assemblies in the main equipment center and removing certain relays from some panels in the main equipment center. This proposed AD would also require revising the maintenance program to incorporate airworthiness limitations (AWLs) No. 28-AWL-27 and No. 28-AWL-28. This proposed AD results from fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are proposing this AD to prevent possible sources of ignition in a fuel tank caused by electrical fault or uncommanded dry operation of the main tank boost pumps and center auxiliary tank override and jettison pumps. An ignition source in the fuel tank could result in a fire or an explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.

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 amends Class E airspace for the Altus, OK area. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate Area Navigation (RNAV) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Altus/Quartz Mountain Regional Airport, Altus, OK. This action also updates the geographic coordinates of the Altus AFB Rwy 17 ILS Localizer. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations at the airport.