Federal Aviation Administration March 18, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes special conditions for the Extra EA-300/ LC airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with static stability. This airplane can perform at the highest level of aerobatic competition. To be competitive, the aircraft was designed with positive and, at some points, neutral stability within its flight envelope. Its lateral and directional axes are also decoupled from each other providing more precise maneuvering. 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 to EA-300/LC airplanes certified solely in the acrobatic category.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Elkin, NC, as new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures have been developed at Elkin Municipal Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also would update the geographic coordinates of airport.

This action proposes to amend Class E Airspace at Newnan, GA, as new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures have been developed at Newnan Coweta County Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also would update the geographic coordinates of airport.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Bombardier, Inc. Model DHC-8-400 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report that a batch of main landing gear (MLG) door actuators with a certain part number having certain serial numbers could be assembled with the scraper installed backward. This AD requires repetitive functional checks of the MLG alternate extension system (AES) and eventual replacement of certain MLG door actuators with actuators that have either been reworked or do not have certain serial numbers. We are issuing this AD to prevent incorrectly installed scrapers, which could hinder the operation of the MLG AES, and result in failure of the MLG AES on one side, and consequent unsafe asymmetrical landing configuration.

We are superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 2008-11-04 for all The Boeing Company Model 737-100, -200, -200C, -300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. AD 2008-11-04 required repetitive inspections for cracking in and around the upper and lower hinge cutouts of the forward entry and forward galley service doorways, and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD reduces the inspection threshold for cracking in and around the galley service doorway hinge cutouts, adds inspections of certain repaired structure at the forward entry and galley service doorway upper and lower hinge cutouts, expands the inspection area at the forward entry and galley service doorway upper and lower hinge cutouts, and removes certain airplanes from the applicability. This AD was prompted by multiple reports of cracks in the skin and/or bear strap at the forward galley service doorway hinge cutouts, and multiple reports of cracking under the repairs installed at the hinge cutouts. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct such cracking, which could result in rapid decompression of the airplane.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2010-15-08 for all The Boeing Company Model 737-100, -200, -200C, -300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. AD 2010-15-08 required repetitive inspections for discrepancies of each carriage spindle of the outboard mid-flaps; repetitive gap checks of the inboard and outboard carriages of the outboard mid-flaps to detect fractured carriage spindles; measuring to ensure that any new or serviceable carriage spindle meets minimum allowable diameter measurements taken at three locations; repetitive inspections, measurements, and overhaul of the carriage spindles; replacement of any carriage spindle when it has reached its maximum life limit; and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD requires reducing the life limit of the carriages, reducing the repetitive interval for certain inspections and gap checks for certain carriages. This new AD also adds an option, for certain replacements, of doing an inspection, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This AD was prompted by a report of failure of both flap carriages. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracked, corroded, or fractured carriage spindles, which could lead to severe flap asymmetry, and could result in reduced control or loss of controllability of the airplane.