Federal Aviation Administration December 7, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA has determined that the minimum random drug and alcohol testing percentage rates for the period January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2011, will remain at 25 percent of safety- sensitive employees for random drug testing and 10 percent of safety- sensitive employees for random alcohol testing.

This document proposes adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the Apical emergency float kits installed on certain model helicopters under supplemental type certificates. This proposal would require adding placards on each side of the fuselage to identify the location and operation of the liferaft external inflation handle. The proposal would also require replacing each liferaft operation placard to state that external liferafts are installed. This proposal is prompted by a report of a helicopter that crashed into the water, and the pilot did not deploy the floats and liferafts. Two external T- handles were available for deployment of the liferafts but were not used by the passengers because they were unaware of their location. The proposed actions are intended to prevent helicopter occupants from further injury due to unnecessary exposure to harsh water conditions and to aid in deploying liferafts when liferafts are available on the helicopter and can be activated after a water landing.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. FAR Part 43 prescribes the rules governing maintenance, rebuilding, and alteration of aircraft components, and is necessary to ensure this work is performed by qualified persons, and at proper intervals. This work is done by certified mechanics, repair stations, and air carriers authorized to perform major alterations and major repairs. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on August 27, 2010, vol. 75, no. 166, page 52803. Comments were received on the frequency of the collection reported in that notice, which has been revised in this notice to read that information is collected ``as needed.'' Other comments were received regarding the annual burden reported on the previous notice. The estimated average burden per response has been revised in this notice, and the annual hourly burden has also been recalculated and revised for better accuracy.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the McDonnell Douglas Corporation airplanes listed above. This AD requires modifying the fuel boost pumps for the center wing, and forward or aft auxiliary fuel tanks. This AD results from fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are issuing this AD to prevent possible sources of ignition in a fuel tank caused by an electrical fault in the fuel boost pumps. An ignition source in the fuel tank could result in a fire or an explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD requires changing the emergency open doors procedure by incorporation of a temporary revision into the FAA- approved airplane flight manual (AFM) for all airplanes. This AD also requires replacement of the passenger door retaining bracket with an improved design retaining bracket for certain airplanes. This AD was prompted by several reports of the rear passenger door departing the airplane in flight. We are issuing this AD to change the emergency open doors procedure and retrofit the rear passenger door retaining bracket, which if not corrected could result in the rear passenger door departing the airplane in flight.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This 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: