Federal Aviation Administration April 25, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action establishes United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes T-480, T-482, and T-488, and amends RNAV Routes Q-140, T-206, T- 258, T-287, T-295, and T-398 in the eastern United States. These actions support Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) which provides a modern RNAV route structure to improve the efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS).

The FAA is withdrawing the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register on June 15, 2023, proposing to amend Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airway V- 469; and to revoke VOR Federal Airways V-164, V-423, and V-576; due to the planned decommissioning of the Williamsport, PA (FQM), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (DME); Stonyfork, PA (SFK), VOR/DME; Danville, VA (DAN), VOR; Hancock, NY (HNK), VOR/DME; and Delancey, NY (DNY), VOR/ DME.

This rule amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for various helicopters modified by certain supplemental type certificates (STCs) that approve the installation of an emergency float kit or an emergency float with liferaft kit. This proposed AD was prompted by the results of an accident investigation and subsequent reports of difficulty pulling the emergency float kit float activation handle installed on the pilot cyclic. This proposed AD would require repetitively inspecting the pull force on the float activation handle and, depending on the results, accomplishing corrective actions. For certain model helicopters, this proposed AD would also require removing from service and replacing certain part-numbered float inflation reservoirs (reservoirs) and pull cable assemblies (cables) with certain other part-numbered reservoirs and cables. Finally, this proposed AD would prohibit installing certain part-numbered reservoirs and cables on certain helicopters. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2023-18-09, which applies to certain Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 900EX airplanes. AD 2023-18-09 requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. Since the FAA issued AD 2023-18-09, the FAA has determined that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD would continue to require certain actions in AD 2023-18-09 and would require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.