Federal Aviation Administration June 17, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to establish Class E Airspace at Copperhill, TN, to accommodate new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures at Martin Campbell Field Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 787 series airplane. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with seats with inflatable lapbelts. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These 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 Class D airspace at Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, CA. Controlled airspace is necessary to contain potential missed approaches at Los Angeles International Airport. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at the airport. This action also would edit Class E airspace by adding the geographic coordinates and the airport name to the airspace designation.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD requires repetitive testing of the stabilizer takeoff warning switches, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD was prompted by reports that the warning horn did not sound during the takeoff warning system test of the S132 ``nose up stab takeoff warning switch.'' We are issuing this AD to detect and correct a takeoff warning system switch failure, which could reduce the ability of the flightcrew to maintain the safe flight and landing of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD requires a detailed inspection to detect distress and existing repairs to the leading edge structure of the vertical stabilizer at the splice at Station Zfs=52.267; repetitive inspections for cracking in the front spar cap forward flanges of the vertical stabilizer, and either the aft flanges or side skins; repetitive inspections for loose and missing fasteners; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This AD was prompted by reports of cracked vertical stabilizer skin, a severed front spar cap, elongated fastener holes at the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer, and cracked front spar web and front spar cap bolt holes in the vertical stabilizer. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct such cracking damage, which could result in the structure being unable to support limit load, and could lead to the loss of the vertical stabilizer.

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) helicopters. This action requires visually inspecting the adhesive bead between the bushing and the Starflex star (Starflex) arm for a crack, a gap, or loss of the adhesive bead, inspecting the Starflex arm ends for delamination, and replacing the Starflex if any of these conditions are found. This amendment is prompted by three cases of deterioration of a Starflex arm. In two of these cases, the deterioration caused high amplitude vibrations in flight, compelling the pilot to make a precautionary landing. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent failure of the Starflex, high-amplitude vibrations in flight, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

This amendment supersedes an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Robinson model helicopters that currently requires a visual inspection for skin separation along the leading edge of blade skin aft of the skin-to-spar bond line on the lower surface of each main rotor blade (blade) and in the tip cap area. The existing AD also requires a ``tap test'' for detecting a separation or void in both bonded areas and repainting any exposed area of the blades. If any separation or void is detected, the AD requires, before further flight, replacing the blade. Thereafter, before each flight, the existing AD also requires checking for any exposed (bare) metal along the skin-to- spar bond line on the lower surface of each blade near the tip. If any bare metal is found, that AD requires an inspection by a qualified mechanic. This amendment contains the same requirements but expands the applicability to include all serial-numbered model helicopters and limits the applicability to specific blade part numbers. This amendment also requires a repetitive inspection of the blade and any necessary rework. This amendment is prompted by a fatal accident in Israel. We have also included responses to comments objecting to the recording requirements in the current AD relating to the pilot checks before each flight and to comments that the burden of the before-each-flight pilot check exceeds the benefit. We have concluded that a check before the first flight of each day is sufficient for aviation safety. The actions specified by this AD are intended to provide more specific AD actions, to relieve the burdens associated with the before-each-flight check by changing it to a daily check, to detect blade skin debond, and to prevent blade failure and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.