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

This action proposes special conditions for the Boeing Model 747-8 airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features associated with connectivity of the passenger domain computer systems to the airplane critical systems and data networks. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for these design features. 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.

The FAA proposes to rule and invites public comment on the release of land at the Kearney Municipal Airport under the provisions of Section 125 of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR 21).

The FAA is requesting public comment on the Town of Houlton, Maine's request to change a portion (36,450 s.f.) of Airport property from aeronautical use to non-aeronautical use. The property is located on Industrial Drive adjacent to Houlton International Corporation. The property will be used to expand Houlton international Corporation's facility. The property was acquired from the United States Government under Surplus Property Deed dated July 14, 1947. The disposition of proceeds from the disposal of airport property will be in accordance with FAA's Policy and Procedures Concerning the Use of Airport Revenue, published in the Federal Register on February 16, 1999. Section 125 of The Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21St Century (AIR 21) requires the FM to provide an opportunity for public notice and comment to the ``waiver'' or ``modification'' of a sponsor's Federal obligation to use certain airport property for aeronautical purposes.

This establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

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:

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.

This notice of waiver concerns two petitions for waiver submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX): A petition to waive the requirement that a waiver petition be submitted at least sixty days before the proposed effective date of the waiver, and a petition to waive the requirement that SpaceX only initiate reentry of its reentry vehicle, the Dragon Spacecraft (Dragon), by command. The first petition is unnecessary because, as explained below, SpaceX demonstrated good cause for its late filing. The FAA finds that waiving the requirement for SpaceX ground operators to initiate Dragon's reentry to Earth is in the public interest and will not jeopardize public health and safety, safety of property, and national security and foreign policy interests of the United States.

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:

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above that would supersede an existing AD. 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:

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, and -900 series airplanes. This AD requires sealing the fasteners on the front and rear spars inside the main fuel tank and on the lower panel of the center fuel tank, inspecting the wire bundle support installation in the equipment cooling system bays to identify the type of clamp installed and determine whether the Teflon sleeve is installed, and doing related corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from a design review of the fuel tank systems. We are issuing this AD to prevent arcing at certain fuel tank fasteners in the event of a lightning strike or fault current event, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.

We are superseding an existing 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: