Federal Aviation Administration December 1, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes to amend the airworthiness standards for airplane propellers. This action would define what a propeller critical part is, require the identification of propeller critical parts by the manufacturer, and establish engineering, manufacture, and maintenance processes for those parts. The intended effect of this proposal is to ensure the continued airworthiness of propeller critical parts by requiring a system of processes to identify and manage these parts throughout their service life. Adopting this proposal would eliminate regulatory differences between part 35 and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) propeller critical parts requirements, thereby simplifying airworthiness approvals for exports.

This rule revises airworthiness standards for type certification requirements of normal and transport category rotorcraft. The amendment requires evaluation of fatigue and residual static strength of composite rotorcraft structures using a damage tolerance evaluation, or a fatigue evaluation if the applicant establishes that a damage tolerance evaluation is impractical. The amendment addresses advances in composite structures technology and provides internationally harmonized standards.

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. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on September 23, 2011, vol. 76, no. 185, page 59186. The New England Region Aviation Expo database performs conference registration and helps plan the logistics and non-pilot courses for the expo.

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. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on September 23, 2011, vol. 76, no. 185, page 59184-59185. A Special Federal Aviation Regulation requires passengers who intend to use an approved POC to present a physician statement before boarding. The flight crew must then inform the pilot-in-command that a POC is on board.

The FAA hereby proposes to rule and invites public comment on its intent to release certain obligated properties, namely approximately 200 acres at the Martin County Airport, Stuart, FL, from the conditions, reservations, and restrictions as contained in a Surplus Property Agreement between the FAA and the Martin County, dated July 1, 1947, and in accordance with the provisions of Title 49 U.S.C. 47153(c). In anticipation and consideration of its request for a release, Martin County contracted for the installation of Engineered Materials Arresting Systems (EMAS) on Runway 12-30 at the Martin County Airport. The County also advised that its release request is designed to clarify the airport property and to correct ambiguities in title records since portions of the property contemplated by its release requested have been transferred over a number of years to a number of private and public parties. The release of the airport premises thus allows for the FAA and Martin County to establish a reliable and accurate boundary of obligated airport property. The property to be released includes parcels occupied by portions of the Martin County Golf Course, the YMCA, residential developments, a drainage area, and vacant lands. These parcels are currently designated as non-aeronautical use. The County accommodated the installation EMAS on Runway 12-30, enhancing safety for aeronautical users without impacting useable runway length in consideration of its request that a portion of the airport property be released of its federal obligations. The release of the nearly 200 acres also allows the FAA and the airport sponsor to establish and agree upon the boundary of airport property obligated through the Surplus Property Act of 1944. Additionally, the release will not prevent accomplishing the purpose for which the property was made subject to the terms, conditions, reservations, or restrictions, and will advance the interests of the United States in civil aviation. The FAA has preliminarily determined that the request to release property at the Martin County Airport submitted by the County met the procedural requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations, 14 CFR part 155. Documents reflecting the Sponsor's request are available, by appointment only, for inspection at the Martin County Airport and the FAA Airports District Office.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Model 737-300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive external non-destructive inspections to detect cracks in the fuselage skin along the chem-mill step at stringers S-1 and S-2 right, between station (STA) 827 and STA 847, and repair if necessary. This new AD adds inspections for cracking in additional fuselage crown skin locations, and repair if necessary. This new AD also reduces the inspection thresholds for certain airplanes, extends certain repetitive inspection intervals, and adds airplanes to the applicability of the existing AD. This AD was prompted by reports of additional crack findings of the fuselage crown skin at the chem- milled steps. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the fuselage skin panels at the chem-milled steps, which could result in sudden fracture and failure of the fuselage skin panels, and consequent rapid decompression of the airplane.