Federal Aviation Administration September 13, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary of Transportation, announces a meeting of the FAAC Subcommittee on Financing, which will be held at the corporate headquarters of United Airlines, 77 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. This notice announces the date, time, and location of the meeting, which will be open to the public. The purpose of the FAAC is to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation to ensure the competitiveness of the U.S. aviation industry and its capability to manage effectively the evolving transportation needs, challenges, and opportunities of the global economy. The Subcommittee on Financing will address the need for a stable, secure, and sufficient level of funding for our aviation system and make recommendations to the Secretary for action. This is the third meeting of this subcommittee.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Model 737-700 (IGW) series airplanes. This AD requires deactivation or modification of PATS Aircraft, LLC, auxiliary fuel tanks. This AD results from fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are issuing this AD to prevent the potential of ignition sources inside fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in fuel tank explosions and consequent loss of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-76A, S-76B, and S-76C helicopters. This AD requires an initial and recurring inspections of the tail rotor vertical stabilizer aft spar assembly (aft spar assembly) for a crack, loose or working fasteners, and corrosion, and, if any are found, further inspections of the vertical stabilizer forward spar assembly (forward spar assembly). Repairing or replacing any unairworthy part before further flight is also required. This AD also requires a recurring track-and-balance of the tail rotor. Finally, this AD requires installing a vertical stabilizer modification kit, which is terminating action for the requirements of the AD. This AD is prompted by 26 reports of fatigue cracks in the aft spar assembly web and outer caps. The actions specified by this AD are intended to detect and correct an unbalanced or out-of-track tail rotor, which could lead to increased vibrations, a fatigue crack, loss of a portion of the vertical stabilizer and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.