Federal Aviation Administration November 10, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA has determined that the minimum random drug and alcohol testing percentage rates for the period January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2016, will remain at 25 percent of safety- sensitive employees for random drug testing and 10 percent of safety- sensitive employees for random alcohol testing.

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. This information will be used to issue special flight authorizations for non-revenue transports and non-transport jet operations of Stage 2 airplanes at U.S. airports. Only a minimal amount of data is requested to identify the affected parties and determine whether the purpose for the flight is one of those enumerated by law.

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. Aeronautical information is required by the FAA in order to carry out agency missions such as those related to aviation flying safety, flight planning, airport engineering and federal grants analysis, aeronautical chart and flight information publications, and the promotion of air commerce as required by statute.

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 commercial air tour operational data provided to the FAA and NPS will be used by the agencies as background information useful in the development of air tour management plans and voluntary agreements for purposes of meeting the mandate of the National Parks Air Tour Management Act (NPATMA) of 2000.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (PWC) PT6A-60AG, -65AG, -67AF, and -67AG turboprop engines. This proposed AD was prompted by incidents of corrosion and perforation of the two-ply Cu-Be bellows in Woodward fuel control units (FCUs). This proposed AD would require removing the Woodward FCU and installing an FCU that is eligible for installation. We are proposing this AD to prevent failure of the Woodward FCU, which could lead to failure of the engine, in-flight shutdown, and loss of control of the airplane.

The FAA is issuing a final rule that removes certain redundant or underutilized ground-based nondirectional radio beacon (NDB) and VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs). On April 13, 2015, the FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking to remove 736 procedures. After consideration of public comments and conducting an internal review, the FAA has decided to move forward with removing 334 procedures that did not receive public comment. The 198 procedures for which comments were received will be addressed in the future. The FAA also identified 191 procedures that were proposed for removal but that do not meet the criteria at this time. Those 191 procedures may be reevaluated at a later date; however, their removal is withdrawn from consideration in this rule. There are 13 procedures erroneously identified in the NPRM that were already in the process for removal and should not have been included in this proceeding. The FAA concluded that these procedures should continue in the separate proceeding and are not addressed in this final rule.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model 269A, 269A-1, 269B, 269C, 269C-1, 269D, and TH-55A helicopters. This AD requires repetitively inspecting and lubricating the tail rotor (T/R) driveshaft splined fittings. This AD was prompted by a report that the T/R driveshaft can disconnect due to deterioration of the splined coupling. The actions are intended to detect and prevent excessive wear of the splined coupling, which could lead to failure of the T/R driveshaft and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.