Federal Aviation Administration November 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.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2023-05- 08, which applied to certain Airbus Canada Limited Partnership Model BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 airplanes. AD 2023-05-08 required revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD continues to require certain actions in AD 2023-05-08 and requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, as specified in a Transport Canada AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action proposes to amend domestic Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-1, V-29, V-38, V-139, and V-286 in the eastern United States. The FAA is taking this action due to the planned decommissioning of the Salisbury, MD (SBY) VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) and the Snow Hill, MD (SWL), VORTAC. This action is in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report that during manufacture of drag brace lower lock link assemblies for the main landing gear (MLG), a certain required inspection was not performed. This AD requires doing a check of maintenance records or an inspection to determine if certain drag brace lower lock link assemblies are installed, and applicable on-condition actions. This AD also prohibits the installation of affected parts. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2022-24-06, which applies to certain Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model BR700-710A1-10, BR700-710A2-20, and BR700-710C4-11 engines. AD 2022-24-06 requires initial and repetitive visual inspections of certain low-pressure compressor (LPC) rotor (fan) disks and replacement of any LPC rotor (fan) disk with cracks detected. AD 2022-24-06 also allows for modification of the engine in accordance with RRD service information as a terminating action to these inspections. Since the FAA issued AD 2022-24-06, the manufacturer published updated service information and revised the engine maintenance manual (EMM) to provide instructions for an improved ultrasonic inspection method, which prompted this AD. This proposed AD would require initial and repetitive visual inspections of certain LPC rotor (fan) disks and replacement of any LPC rotor (fan) disk with cracks detected and would allow modification of the engine as a terminating action to the inspections, 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.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Safran Helicopter Engines, S.A. (Safran) Model ARRIUS 2F engines. This AD was prompted by a report of an uncommanded in-flight shut-down (IFSD) of a Safran Model ARRIUS 2F engine, followed by an investigation that revealed the IFSD was due to a missing lubricating and balancing groove on one of the bearings of the fuel control unit (FCU) fuel pump related to a non-conforming manufacturing process. This AD requires removal of the affected fuel pump from service and replacement with a serviceable part, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action proposes to modify the Class D airspace and Class E airspace designated as an extension to a Class D airspace at Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne Municipal Airport, Hawthorne, CA. This action would more appropriately contain instrument flight rules (IFR) and visual flight rules (VFR) operations at the airport. Additionally, the airport's legal description would be amended to match the FAA's database.

The FAA is withdrawing the NPRM published in the Federal Register on November 7, 2024, which proposed to modify Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface within a designated landmass and within 12 miles from a designated coastline associated with the state of Alaska. Additionally, this action proposed administrative amendments to update the airspace's existing Class E airspace legal description. These actions were to support lower altitude instrument flight rules (IFR) operations and enhance safety for aircraft utilizing IFR and visual flight rules (VFR) operations.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model DC-9-81 (MD-81), DC-9-82 (MD-82), DC- 9-83 (MD-83), DC-9-87 (MD-87), and MD-88 airplanes, and Model DC-9-10, DC-9-20, DC-9-30, DC-9-40, and DC-9-50 series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by the discovery of jammed elevators during takeoff. This proposed AD would require revising the "Certificate Limitations" section of the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) to include a procedure to confirm elevator surfaces are not jammed in the trailing edge down (TED) position. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

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 Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on September 18, 2024. The collection involves operational data submissions by proponents who have been granted exemptions and operational data submissions by State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) participants in the UAS BEYOND program. The information to be collected will be used to inform FAA policy and decision-making regarding integrating UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS).

FAA is publishing this notice to solicit nominations for membership on the BCWA Advisory Committee.

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.

These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVII-G400 airplane. This airplane 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 a therapeutic oxygen distribution system that provides a shared source of oxygen between the flightcrew and passengers. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These 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.

Notice is being given that the FAA is considering a request from the Port of Portland, Oregon to waive the ADAP and AIP property requirements and dispose of approximately 15.7 acres of airport property located at Hillsboro Airport, in Hillsboro, Oregon.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Embraer S.A. Model EMB-545 and EMB-550 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of corrosion, damage, and rupture on the down lock spring assemblies of the main landing gear (MLG) and nose landing gear (NLG). This AD requires inspecting for affected MLG and NLG down lock springs and replacing affected down lock springs, and prohibits the installation of affected parts, as specified in an Ag[ecirc]ncia Nacional de Avia[ccedil][atilde]o Civil (ANAC) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This notification announces a limited, conditional policy for prioritizing returned operations at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) due to a construction-related runway closure at EWR for purposes of establishing a carrier's operational baseline in the next corresponding scheduling seasons. A "returned operation" is any planned operation included in the initially approved schedules that a carrier moved or will not operate due to the effort to reach the targeted reduced schedule throughout the construction period at EWR. In addition, the FAA will provide similar limited, conditional relief at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) under the FAA's Level 2 schedule facilitation process as well as a limited, conditional waiver of minimum usage requirements at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), for impacted flights between EWR and the listed airports.

This action corrects final rule typographic errors published in the Federal Register on July 30, 2024. Subsequent to publication, the FAA identified that the final rule was published with the incorrect docket number.

This action proposes to amend Colored Federal Airways Green 8 (G-8), Green 10 (G-10), Green 12 (G-12), and Red 99 (R-99). Revocation of Colored Federal Airway Blue 27 (B-27) and Alaskan Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airway V-619 in Alaska. This proposed action is due to the decommissioning of the Chinook, Fort Davis, Hotham, Oscarville, and Kachemak Nondirectional Radio Beacons (NDB) in Alaska.

The FAA is proposing to amend requirements applicable to meteorological towers and permanent wind energy systems. This rule would require any person that owns (sponsor) any proposed, altered, or existing meteorological tower to file notice with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) if the highest point of the structure is at least 50 feet above ground level (AGL) up to and including 200 feet AGL at its site. The FAA is also proposing marking requirements for meteorological towers constructed or altered after the effective date of a final rule if the highest point of the structure is at least 50 feet AGL up to and including 200 feet AGL at its site. Additionally, the FAA proposes making certain pertinent information about any meteorological tower with the highest point of the structure at least 50 feet AGL up to and including 200 feet AGL at its site available on the FAA's official database. The FAA expects these changes to lower the collision risk for aircraft during low-altitude operations. Moreover, these requirements would partially address two statutory mandates and two National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations.

This action establishes Class E airspace at Rose Hill, KS to support new public instrument procedures.

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 Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on June 26, 2024. The collection involves the submission of FAA Form 8710-4 for the certification process of rotorcraft external- load operators. The information to be collected is necessary to evaluate the applicants' qualifications for certification.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all ATR-GIE Avions de Transport R[eacute]gional Model ATR42 and Model ATR72 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by the insufficient accuracy of a certain Angle of Attack (AoA) probe at low airspeeds which could lead to a delayed activation of the stick pusher in a flaps-extended configuration. This proposed AD would require replacing each affected part with a serviceable part, and would also prohibit the installation of affected parts, 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.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The collection involves information on voluntary airport noise compatibility programs. The information to be collected is necessary because noise compatibility program measures are eligible for Federal grants in-aid if they are provided to FAA for review and approval in advance. The respondents are airport sponsors that voluntarily submit noise exposure maps and noise compatibility programs to the FAA for review and approval.