Federal Aviation Administration April 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 757-200 and -300 series airplanes. This AD requires replacing certain electrical panels with certain new panels. This AD results from a report of some loose wire terminations in the P50 panel that caused intermittent indications in the flight deck. We are issuing this AD to prevent intermittent indications in the flight deck, incorrect circuitry operation in the panels, and airplane system malfunctions that may adversely affect the alternate flaps, alternate gear extension, and fire extinguishing.

Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption part 11 of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of any petition or its final disposition.

Pursuant to Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 5 U.S.C. App. 2), and 5 U.S.C. 552b(c), notice is hereby given of a telephone conference for the Launch Operations and Support Working Group of the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC). The agenda will include a report by the Working Group Chairperson, discussions on the commercial space launch programs for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and other updates on working group activities, and will take place on Tuesday, April 18, 2006, from 4 p.m. until 5:55 p.m., eastern daylight time. For the call-in telephone number and the passcode, contact the Contact Person listed below.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Aerospatiale Model ATR42 airplanes and Model ATR72 airplanes. This AD requires installing protective ramps on trim panel 110VU; and inspecting the protective guard of the standby pitch trim switch to determine if it is missing, damaged, or ineffective, and doing the corrective action if necessary. This AD results from a finding that the protective guard of the standby pitch trim switch, which is installed on the center pedestal, could be damaged or missing. We are issuing this AD to prevent inadvertent activation of the standby pitch trim, which could result in pitch trim runaway and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing transport category airplanes. This AD requires determining if the terminal fittings of the spars of the wings are made of 7079 aluminum alloy material. For any positive finding, the AD requires doing repetitive inspections for cracks and corrosion of all exposed surfaces of the terminal fitting bores; doing repetitive inspections for cracks, corrosion, and other surface defects, of all exposed surfaces, including the flanges, of the terminal fitting; applying corrosion inhibiting compound to the terminal fittings; and repairing or replacing any cracked, corroded, or defective part with a new part. This AD also provides for an optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This AD results from reports of cracking of the terminal fittings of the spars of the wings. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct stress-corrosion cracking of the terminal fittings, which could result in the failure of one of the terminal fitting connections. Such a failure, combined with a similar failure of one of the other three terminal fittings, could result in the inability of the airplane structure to carry fail-safe loads, which could result in loss of structural integrity of the wing attachment points.

These special conditions are issued for the Cessna Model 510 series airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with engine location, certain performance, flight characteristics and operating limitations necessary for this type of airplane. 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 airworthiness standards applicable to these airplanes.

This notice proposes to establish Class E airspace at Jersey Shores Airport (P96), Jersey Shores, Pennsylvania. The development of an Area Navigation (RNAV) Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) and Helicopter RNAV (GPS) 074 approach for the Jersey Shores Airport to serve flights operating into the airport during Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions makes this action necessary. Controlled airspace extending upward from 700 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) is needed to contain aircraft executing an approach. The area would be depicted on aeronautical charts for pilot reference.

This notice proposes to establish Class E airspace at Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. The development of an Area Navigation (RNAV) Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) and Helicopter RNAV (GPS) 188 approach for the Wyoming Valley Medical Center to serve flights operating into the airport during Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions makes this action necessary. Controlled airspace extending upward from 700 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) is needed to contain aircraft executing an approach. The area would be depicted on aeronautical charts for pilot reference.

Under the provisions of Title 49, U.S.C. 47153(c), notice is being given that the FAA is considering a request from the Augusta Aviation Commission and the Augusta Regional Airport to waive the requirement that a 4.31-acre parcel of surplus property, located at the Augusta Regional Airport, be used for aeronautical purposes.

The FAA is revising an earlier NPRM for an airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain BAE Systems (Operations) Limited Model BAe 146 airplanes. The original NPRM would have required repetitive inspections to measure the depth of chafing or scoring in the skin along the full length of the wing-to-fuselage fairing from forward to aft ends at the contact between the seal and fuselage, and related investigative/corrective actions if necessary. The original NPRM resulted from a report of chafing in this area. This action revises the original NPRM by removing certain credit for prior accomplishment of proposed requirements. We are proposing this supplemental NPRM to detect and correct such chafing or scoring, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the fuselage.

This action withdraws a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). That NPRM proposed a new airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain RRD Tay 650-15 series turbofan engines. That proposed action would have required initial and repetitive inspections of the high pressure compressor (HPC) shaft and high pressure turbine (HPT) shaft for spline flank wear. Since we issued that NPRM, the Luftfahrt- Bundesamt (LBA), which is the airworthiness authority for Germany, notified us that the spline flank wear inspections are now downgraded by RRD from ``mandatory'' to ``recommended''. Accordingly, we withdraw the proposed rule.

This action proposes to revise Class E airspace at Huslia, AK. One Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) is being produced, and two SIAPs are being revised for the Huslia Airport. Adoption of this proposal would result in revision of Class E airspace upward from 700 feet (ft.) and 1,200 ft. above the surface at Huslia, AK.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Turbomeca Makila 1 A2 turboshaft engines. This AD requires upgrading the software version of the digital electronic control. This AD results from Turbomeca determining that Makila 1 A2 turboshaft engines with software version 9 installed in the digital electronic control unit (DECU), under certain conditions, could experience a free turbine overspeed and uncontained failure. We are issuing this AD to prevent overspeed and uncontained failure of the free turbine and damage to the helicopter.

This action revises Class E airspace at Valdez Pioneer Field, AK to provide adequate controlled airspace to contain aircraft executing two new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs), and one revised SIAP. This rule results in revised Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet (ft.) above the surface at Valdez Pioneer Field, AK.

This action revises Class E airspace at Cold Bay, AK to provide adequate controlled airspace to contain aircraft executing two new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs), and seven revised SIAPs. This rule results in revised Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet (ft.) and 1,200 ft. above the surface at Cold Bay, AK.

This action revises Class E airspace at St. Paul Island, AK to provide adequate controlled airspace to contain aircraft executing one new Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP), and five revised SIAPs. This rule results in revised Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet (ft.) and 1,200 ft. above the surface at St. Paul Island, AK.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier Model DHC-8-100, DHC-8-200, and DHC-8-300 series airplanes. This proposed AD would require repetitive inspections of the fluorescent light tube assemblies of the cabin, lavatory, and sidewall, and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD would also provide for optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This proposed AD results from reports of overheating due to arcing between the fluorescent tube pins and the lamp holder contacts. The tubes had not been properly seated during installation. We are proposing this AD to prevent fumes, traces of visible smoke, and fire at the fluorescent light tube assembly.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus airplanes identified above. This proposed AD would require improving the routing of certain electrical wire bundles in certain airplane zones, as applicable to the airplane model. This proposed AD results from fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are proposing this AD to reduce the potential of ignition sources inside fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in fuel tank explosions and consequent loss of the airplane.

The National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as required by the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000, established the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group (NPOAG) in March 2001. The NPOAG was formed to provide continuing advice and counsel with respect to commercial air tour operations over and near national parks. This notice informs the public of six vacancies (due to completion of membership on October 9, 2006), on the NPOAG (now the NPOAG Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC)) for members representing general aviation (one vacancy), commercial air tour operators (two vacancies), environmental concerns (two vacancies) and Native American tribes (one vacancy), and invites interested persons to apply to fill the vacancies.

This notice announces the availability of and request for comments on the following documents: ``Peer Review of Sandia National Laboratories `Assessment of Preventing Ignition Sources With SFAR 88 Airworthiness Directives'.'' FAA Disposition of ``Peer Review of Sandia National Laboratories `Assessment of Preventing Ignition Sources With SFAR 88 Airworthiness Directives'.'' ``Peer Review Document DOT/FAA/AR-05/8 Fuel Tank Flammability Assessment Method User's Manual.'' FAA Disposition of ``Peer Review Document DOT/FAA/AR-05/8 Fuel Tank Flammability Assessment Method User's Manual.''

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain Boeing Model 727 airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive visual inspections for cracking of the forward entry doorway forward frame and repair if necessary. That AD also provides an optional modification that constitutes terminating action. This new AD requires adding new post-repair and post- modification inspections for previously repaired or modified airplanes, mandating the optional modification, and adding airplanes to the applicability of the AD. This AD results from reports of cracking of the forward entry doorway forward frame of airplanes previously modified. We are issuing this AD to prevent the loss of the structural integrity of the forward entry doorway due to cracking of the frame at Body Station 303.9, and consequent cracking of the fuselage skin and rapid decompression of the airplane.