Federal Aviation Administration November 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Pacific Aerospace Limited Models FU24-954 and FU24A-954 airplanes 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 aircraft operating outside the aircraft aft center of gravity (C of G) limits during parachute-drop operations. Exceeding C of G limits could result in loss of control of the aircraft. We are issuing this proposed AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Decorah, IA. Decommissioning of the Decorah non-directional radio beacon (NDB) at Decorah Municipal Airport has made reconfiguration necessary for standard instrument approach procedures and for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at West Union, IA. Decommissioning of the West Union non-directional radio beacon (NDB) at George L. Scott Municipal Airport has made reconfiguration necessary for standard instrument approach procedures and for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Round Mountain, TX. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at West Ranch Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs at the airport.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of the seventeenth meeting of the RTCA Special Committee 224, Airport Security Access Control Systems.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Superior, WI. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Richard I. Bong Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs at the airport. Geographic coordinates of the airport would also be updated.

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 for to renew an information collection. Aeronautical Chart Point of Sale Survey data will be used by the Federal Aviation Administration to measure management objectives and analyze customer feedback for ISO-9001.

This action amends the maintenance regulations by removing from the preventive maintenance category the task of updating databases used in self-contained, front-panel or pedestal-mounted navigation equipment. Further, we are adding text to the maintenance regulations that describes which equipment and, under which conditions, may have aeronautical databases updated by pilots as a non-maintenance function. Equipment which does not meet the criteria outlined in the new regulation will continue to be updated as a maintenance function. This revision will ensure that pilots using specified avionics equipment have the most current and accurate data and thereby increase aviation safety.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Sikorsky Model S-70, S-70A, and S-70C helicopters, which are restricted category helicopters derived from the military Model UH-60 helicopter. This AD would require reducing or establishing life limits for certain listed helicopter parts. This AD is prompted by a review of the United States Army's analysis of their Model UH-60 fleet, which determined it necessary to establish or reduce the life limits of certain parts. The actions are intended to prevent fatigue failure of a part and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

This action proposes special conditions for the Embraer S.A. Model EMB-550 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with the interaction of systems and structures. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. 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.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A330-243, -243F, -341, -342, and -343 airplanes equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. This AD was prompted by reports of extensive damage to engine air intake cowls as a result of acoustic panel collapse. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the three inner acoustic panels of both engine air intake cowls to detect disbonding, and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct disbonding, which could result in detachment of the engine air intake cowl from the engine leading to ingestion of parts, which could cause failure of the engine, and possible injury to persons on the ground.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of the escape slide of the raft inflation system not deploying when activated due to the rotation of the cable guide in a direction which resulted in jamming of the inflation control cable. This AD requires modifying the affected slide rafts. We are issuing this AD to prevent non-deployment of the inflation system of the escape slide raft, which could result in delayed evacuation from the airplane during an emergency, and consequent injury to the passengers.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, and - 900 series airplanes. That AD currently requires replacing the drain tube assemblies and support clamps on the aft fairing of the engine struts. This new AD requires replacing the drain tube assembly of the left and right engine strut aft fairings with a new one, which includes an integral support clamp made of nickel alloy 625. This AD also adds airplanes to the applicability. This AD was prompted by a report of a broken drain tube assembly on the left engine strut at the clamp support location under the aft fairing compartment, inside the heat shield cavity of the aft fairing. There have also been reports of tube wear at this clamp location on additional airplanes. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the drain tube assemblies and clamps on the aft fairings of the engine struts. Such failure could allow leaked flammable fluids in the drain systems to discharge onto the heat shields of the aft fairings of the engine struts, which could result in an undetected and uncontrollable fire.

We are adopting a new 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. This AD was prompted by reports of cracks in the main entry door number 1 upper main sill outer chord, along the bend radius of the chord on several airplanes. This AD requires a general visual inspection to identify any existing structural repair manual (SRM) repairs of the upper main sill outer chord of the left and right side main entry door number 1, repetitive detailed inspections for cracks in the upper main sill of the door(s); and related investigative and corrective actions, if necessary. This AD also requires repetitive inspections for airplanes on which a certain repair is done, and corrective actions if necessary, and reduces certain compliance times. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracks in the main entry door number 1 upper main sill outer chord, along the bend radius of the chord, which could result in loss of structural integrity of the airplane.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-100 and -200 series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires various inspections for cracks in the outboard chord of the frame at body station (BS) 727 and in the outboard chord of stringer (S) 18A, and repair or replacement of cracked parts. This new AD adds airplanes to the applicability statement in the existing AD and adds inspections for cracks in the BS 727 frame outboard chords and the radius of the auxiliary chord, for certain airplanes. This new AD also removes the inspections of the outboard chord of S-18A required by the existing AD. This AD was prompted by several reports of fatigue cracking in the frame outboard chord at BS 727 and in the radius of the auxiliary chord on airplanes that were not affected by the existing AD. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the outboard and auxiliary chords, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the outboard chord and consequent rapid decompression of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 767-200 and -300 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of cracks in the inner chords at both left-side and right-side stations 859.5, 883.5, and 903.5. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the frame inner chord transition radius for cracks, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to prevent large cracks in the frames and adjacent structure that can adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane.

This action proposes special conditions for the Embraer S.A. Model EMB-550 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature, specifically an electronic flight control system which contains fly-by-wire control laws, including envelope protections, for the overspeed protection and roll limiting function. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. 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.

This action proposes special conditions for the Embraer S.A. Model EMB-550 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with an electronic flight control system with respect to lateral-directional and longitudinal stability and low energy awareness. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. 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.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH (ECD) Model EC135 P1, EC135 P2, EC135 P2+, EC135 T1, EC135 T2, and EC135 T2+ helicopters. This is the Federal Register publication of an Emergency AD (EAD) that was previously sent to all known owners and operators of these helicopters. That EAD superseded an earlier related EAD. This AD requires, before further flight and at specified intervals, checking and inspecting the upper and lower main rotor hub (MRH) shaft flanges for a crack, and inspecting the lower hub-shaft flange bolt attachment areas for a crack. This AD is prompted by three reported incidents of cracking on the lower hub-shaft flanges of EC135 model helicopters. These actions are intended to detect a crack on the hub-shaft flange, which if not corrected could result in failure of the MRH and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A310-204, -222, -304, -322, and -324 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by the manufacturer re-classifying slat extension eccentric bolts as principle structural elements (PSE) with replacement due at or before newly calculated fatigue life limits. This proposed AD would require replacing slat extension eccentric bolts, and associated washers with new slat extension eccentric bolts and washers. We are proposing this AD to prevent fatigue cracking, which could result in the loss of structural integrity of the airplane.

This action amends Class E airspace at Guthrie, IA. Decommissioning of the Guthrie Center non-directional radio beacon (NDB) at Guthrie County Regional Airport has made reconfiguration necessary for standard instrument approach procedures and for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations at the airport. Geographic coordinates of the airport are also adjusted.

This action amends Class E airspace at Forest City, IA. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Area Navigation (RNAV) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures at Forest City Municipal Airport. The Forest City nondirectional beacon's (NDB) geographic coordinates are also adjusted. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations at the airport.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) BR700-710A1-10 and BR700- 710A2-20 turbofan engines, and certain BR700-710C4-11 model engines. This proposed AD was prompted by RRD performing an evaluation that determined that certain high-pressure turbine (HPT) stage 1 and stage 2 discs from a specific supplier may contain steel inclusions that may cause the discs to fail before they reach their current life limits. This proposed AD would require reducing the life limits for certain HPT stage 1 and stage 2 discs. We are proposing this AD to prevent failure of the HPT stage 1 and stage 2 discs, which could result in uncontained failure of the engine and damage to the airplane.

This action announces a limited waiver of the requirement to use Operating Authorizations (slots) at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). This action also declines to grant a waiver of the requirement to use slots at Reagan Washington National Airport. This waiver is effective from October 28, 2012 through November 2, 2012.