Federal Aviation Administration February 26, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to amend Class D airspace, Class E surface airspace, Class E airspace designated as an extension (by removing NOTAM part-time status), and Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Keesler Air Force Base (AFB), Biloxi, MS, and Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, (formerly Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport), Gulfport, MS. The geographic coordinates for these airports and the Keesler TACAN navigation aid would be adjusted in the associated Class D and E airspace to match the FAA's aeronautical database. Also, an editorial change would be made to the Class E extension airspace legal descriptions replacing ``Airport/ Facility Directory'' with the term ``Chart Supplement'' for these airports. This action would enhance the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at these airports.

This action amends Class E surface airspace at Greenville, NC, by removing Pitt County Memorial Hospital Heliport from the Class E surface area airspace associated with Pitt-Greenville Airport. Helicopters departing from the heliport must now receive clearance. Consequently, the cut out from Class E surface airspace is no longer required. Controlled airspace is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also updates the geographic coordinates of the airport under Class E surface airspace and Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface of the earth, to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database.

We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2016-12- 09, for certain Airbus Model A330-200, -200 Freighter, and -300 series airplanes; and Model A340-200 and -300 series airplanes. AD 2016-12-09 requires removing fasteners, doing a rototest inspection of fastener holes, installing new fasteners, oversizing the holes and doing rototest inspections for cracks if necessary, and repairing any cracking that was found. Since we issued AD 2016-12-09, an evaluation by the design approval holder (DAH) indicates that certain fastener holes are subject to widespread fatigue damage (WFD). This proposed AD would add airplanes to the effectivity, add repetitive inspections of the fastener holes at frame (FR) 40, and, for certain airplanes, require a modification, which terminates the inspections. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.