Federal Aviation Administration April 10, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to remove Class D Airspace at Andalusia, AL, as the Air Traffic Control Tower at South Alabama Regional Airport at Bill Benton Field has closed, and amend Class E Airspace at Fort Rucker, AL, by recognizing the airport's name change to South Alabama Regional Airport at Bill Benton Field. This action also would update the geographic coordinates of the two listed Class E airports.

This Notice provides information to Federal, State, and local agencies, Native American tribes, and other interested persons regarding the FAA's intent to prepare an EIS for Space Exploration Technologies' (SpaceX's) proposal to launch the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy orbital vertical launch vehicles from a private site located in Cameron County, Texas. Under the Proposed Action, SpaceX proposes to construct a vertical launch area and a control center area to support up to 12 commercial launches per year. The vehicles to be launched include the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy (up to two per year), and a variety of smaller reusable suborbital launch vehicles. SpaceX would be required to apply for the appropriate launch licenses and/or experimental permits to be issued by the FAA. The FAA will prepare the EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 United States Code [U.S.C.] 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] parts 1500- 1508), and FAA Order 1050.1E, Change 1, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, as part of its licensing and permitting process.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Eureka, NV. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate aircraft using a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) standard instrument approach procedures at Eureka Airport, Eureka, NV. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at the airport.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747- 200B, 747-200C, 747-200F, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, 747-400F, 747SR, and 747SP series airplanes. That AD currently requires an inspection of the No. 2 and No. 3 windows on the left and right sides of the airplane to determine their part numbers, related investigative and corrective actions if necessary, and repetitive inspections of single pane windows. This new AD requires installing dual pane No. 2 and No. 3 windows. This new AD also removes certain airplanes from the applicability. This AD was prompted by loss of a No. 3 window in flight, which could result in consequent rapid loss of cabin pressure. Loss of the window could also result in crew communication difficulties or incapacitation of the crew. We are issuing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 747 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of fractured latch pins found in service; investigation revealed that the cracking and subsequent fracture were initiated by fatigue and propagated by a combination of fatigue and stress corrosion. This AD requires repetitive general visual inspections for broken or missing latch pins of the lower sills of the forward and aft lower lobe cargo doors; repetitive detailed inspections for cracking of the latch pins; and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fractured or broken latch pins, which could result in a forward or aft lower lobe cargo door opening and detaching during flight, and consequent rapid decompression of the airplane.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A310 series airplanes. That AD currently requires, for certain airplanes, modifying the wire routing and installing additional protective sleeves. This new AD adds, for certain airplanes, modifying wire routings and installing a modified bracket. This AD was prompted by analyses of the wire routing showing that the route of the fuel electrical circuit in the right-hand wing must be modified in order to ensure better segregation between fuel quantity indication wires and the 115-volt alternating current wires. We are issuing this AD to prevent short circuits leading to arcing, and possible fuel tank explosion.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-92A helicopters. This AD was prompted by the discovery of tail rotor blade assemblies (blades) manufactured with mislocated aluminum wire mesh, leaving portions of the graphite torque tube (spar) region unprotected from a lightning strike. The actions are intended to detect mislocated blade wire mesh and to prevent spar delamination, loss of the blade tip cap during a lightning strike, blade imbalance, loss of a blade, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for DG Flugzeugbau GmbH Models DG-500 Elan Orion, DG-500 Elan Trainer, DG-500/ 20 Elan, and DG-500/22 Elan sailplanes and Models DG-500M and DG-500MB powered sailplanes. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued 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 incorrect re-installation of the rear cockpit securing rope for the headrest of the rear seat during maintenance, which could cause the rear seat to interfere with the control stick of the sailplane. We are issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.