Federal Aviation Administration November 29, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes special conditions for The Boeing Company (Boeing) Model 747-8 series airplane. This airplane, as modified by Boeing, will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. This design feature is the installation of stairs for flightcrew to access the forward and aft lower lobe compartments during flight. These compartments will have two main functions: storage of service items and that of a Class C cargo compartment. 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.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2008-10-01 and AD 2010-05-51, which apply to certain Eurocopter France (now Airbus Helicopters) Model EC120B helicopters. AD 2008-10-01 requires replacing certain part-numbered and serial-numbered spherical thrust bearings. AD 2010-05-51 requires repetitively inspecting the main rotor (M/R) head rotor hub (rotor hub) and, depending on the results, taking corrective action. Since the FAA issued those ADs, the manufacturer revised the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) to incorporate various airworthiness limitations, tasks, and associated thresholds and intervals that were previously contained in service bulletins, as well as incorporate a new task. This proposed AD would require revising the ALS of the existing maintenance manual (MM) or instructions for continued airworthiness (ICAs) and the existing approved maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface for Goldsboro, NC, by adding airspace for Wayne Memorial Hospital Inc. Heliport, Goldsboro, NC. Additionally, this action would bring the Goldsboro Class D and Class E airspace into compliance with FAA orders and support instrument flight rule (IFR) procedures and operations.