Federal Aviation Administration 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA proposes to rule and invites public comment on the application to impose and use the revenue from a PFC at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport under the provisions of the 49 U.S.C. 40117 and part 158 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 158).

This action withdraws the direct final rule published in the Federal Register on November 14, 2005, (70 FR 69077). In that action, the FAA proposed to establish a Class E enroute domestic airspace west of San Luis Obispo, CA, to replace existing Class G uncontrolled airspace. The FAA has determined that the boundaries of this airspace will be revised and another direct final rule resubmitted for publication.

This advisory circular (AC) sets forth an acceptable means, but not the only means, of showing compliance with Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 23 for two new concepts in small airplanes. The two concepts are: (1) Synthetic Vision (SV), and (2) pathway depictions displaying the navigation course on the primary flight display. This AC addresses the two concepts in a head down display format only. This AC covers airplanes in the normal, utility, acrobatic, and commuter categories approved to fly under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). Material in this AC is neither mandatory nor regulatory in nature and does not constitute a regulation. The draft advisory circular was issued for Public Comment on May 16, 2005 (70 FR 25873). When possible, comments received were used to modify the draft advisory circular.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Gulfstream Aerospace LP Model Gulfstream 100 airplanes; and Model Astra SPX, and 1125 Westwind Astra airplanes. This AD requires a one-time inspection for discrepancies of the nose wheel steering assembly of the landing gear, installing a warning placard on each nose landing gear door, and corrective action if necessary. This AD results from reports of failure of the steering brackets of the nose wheel steering assembly, and in one incident, loss of steering control. We are issuing this AD to find and fix these discrepancies, which could result in loss of steering control and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

The FAA published a document in the Federal Register on August 30, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 169) regarding Special Condition 23-127-SC for Chelton Flight Systems, Various Airplane Models; Protection of Systems for High Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF). This amendment is being published to add several airplane models to the existing special condition to cover current and future amendments to the Approved Model List (AML) STC. These special conditions address HIRF certification requirements for digital systems not addressed by the current regulations. See the attached AML for the airplanes that are added by this amendment. These airplanes, as modified by Chelton Flight Systems, will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with the installation of an electronic flight instrument system. These special conditions address the protection of these systems from the effects of high intensity radiated field (HIRF) environments. 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.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all BAE Systems (Operations) Limited Model BAe 146-100A and -200A series airplanes. This AD requires inspecting the nose landing gear (NLG) assembly to determine the part number of the NLG main fitting subassembly. For subject NLG main fitting subassemblies, this AD also requires determining the total number of accumulated landings on a subject NLG main fitting subassembly, and eventually replacing the NLG assembly. This AD results from a report indicating that the airplane maintenance manual contains incorrect safe-life limit information for certain NLG assemblies. We are issuing this AD to ensure that affected NLG fitting subassemblies are removed from service before they reach their approved safe-life limit. Operating with an NLG fitting subassembly that is beyond its approved safe-life limit could result in failure of the NLG and consequent loss of directional control on the ground and major structural damage to the airplane.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus airplanes, listed above. This AD requires installing two-stage relays in the electronics rack (90VU), and performing related corrective and investigative actions. This AD results from reports of inadvertent rudder trim activation when the autopilot is on. We are issuing this AD to prevent inadvertent trim activation when the autopilot is on and the slats are extended, which could result in rudder activation when the autopilot is turned off.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Boeing Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747-200C, 747-200F, 747-300, 747SR, and 747SP series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires repetitive detailed and ultrasonic inspections of the thrust links of the rear engine mounts for any crack or fracture and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD would require repetitive replacement of the thrust links with new or overhauled thrust links, which ends the repetitive detailed and ultrasonic inspections. This proposed AD results from the finding of fractured and cracked forward lugs of the rear engine mount thrust link on the number one strut on two airplanes. We are proposing this AD to prevent cracked or fractured thrust links that could lead to the loss of the load path for the rear engine mount bulkhead and damage to other primary engine mount structure, which could result in the in-flight separation of the engine from the airplane and consequent loss of control of the airplane.

On November 10, 2005, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a direct final rule to amend its regulation on the use of pilot supplemental oxygen with an effective date of January 9, 2006. The FAA received an adverse comment from the National Transportation Safety Board stating that the FAA relied on time of useful consciousness data that did not represent actual pilot performance under realistic decompression conditions. In accordance with Sec. 11.31, which states if the FAA receives an adverse comment it will notify the public by publishing a document in the Federal Register, the FAA is using this notice to withdraw this direct final rule in whole.

This final rule amends FAA regulations dealing with how the FAA notifies petitioners of its decisions on petitions for exemption. This rule change eliminates the requirement for the FAA to publish dispositions of petitions for exemption in the Federal Register. This change is intended to streamline our process and will save the agency the cost of publication. Publishing dispositions in the Federal Register is unnecessary because petitioners are notified in writing of FAA's decision and the decision is placed in the public docket, which is internet accessible and searchable.

These special conditions are issued for a Boeing Model 747-400 airplane modified by Lufthansa Technik AG. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with the installation of large non-structural glass items in the cabin area of an executive interior occupied by passengers and crew. The installation of these items in a passenger compartment, which can be occupied during taxi, takeoff, and landing, is a novel or unusual design feature with respect to the material used. 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. Effective Date: January 3, 2006.

This action proposes to establish an Area Navigation Instrument Flight Rules Terminal Transition Route (RITTR), designated T-210, in the Jacksonville, FL, terminal area. The purpose of RITTR is to expedite the handling of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) overflight aircraft through busy terminal airspace areas. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace in the Jacksonville, FL, terminal area.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain American Champion Aircraft Corporation (ACAC) Models 7AC, 7ACA, S7AC, 7BCM, 7CCM, S7CCM, 7DC, S7DC, 7EC, S7EC, 7ECA, 7FC, 7GC, 7GCA, 7GCAA, 7GCB, 7GCBA, 7GCBC, 7HC, 7JC, 7KC, 7KCAB, 8KCAB, and 8GCBC airplanes. This AD requires you to make a temporary Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) limitation entry or install a temporary placard prohibiting aerobatic flight if you operate the airplane before the required inspection of this AD; inspect for incorrect swaging width of the cable Nicopress sleeves on the elevator, rudder, aileron, and flap control cables; replace cables that have incorrect sleeve swage width; remove POH limitation or placard prohibiting aerobatic flight after inspection and replacement of cables with incorrect sleeve swage width; and report any findings of incorrect sleeve swage width to FAA. This AD results from partial loss of aileron control because an incorrectly swaged cable sleeve allowed the cable to slip. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct incorrect swaging widths of the flight control cable Nicopress sleeves, which could result in failure of the elevator, rudder, aileron, and flap controls. This failure could lead to loss of control of the airplane.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A330-200, A330-300, A340-200, and A340-300 series airplanes. This AD requires operators to modify the hydraulic control block of the nose landing gear. This AD results from a report of an unexpected steering event (swerve) during the take-off roll of one affected airplane. We are issuing this AD to prevent loss of airplane steering while on the ground, which could result in the airplane going off the side of the runway.

This document makes a correction to the final rule published in the Federal Register on August 6, 1993 (58 FR 42165). That rule changed airframe and flight airworthiness standards for normal, utility, acrobatic and commuter category airplanes.

This action amend Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, part 71 (14 CFR part 71) by modifying Class E airspace at Beatrice, NE. The establishment of a Very High Frequency Omni-directional Range (VOR) Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) to Runway 17 has made this action necessary. Additional controlled airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface is needed to contain aircraft executing this IAP. The intended effect of this rule is to provide adequate controlled airspace for Instrument Flight Rules operations at Beatrice Municipal Airport, Beatrice, NE.

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 the disposition of certain petitions previously received. 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.

This document revises an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to Boeing Model 747-400, 777-200, and 777- 300 series airplanes, that would have required an inspection of the flight deck humidifier to determine certain part numbers. That proposed AD also would have required, for certain airplanes, replacing the cell stack of the flight deck humidifier with a supplier-tested cell stack, or replacing the cell stack with a blanking plate and subsequently deactivating the flight deck humidifier, if necessary. For other airplanes, that proposed AD would have required replacing the cell stack with a supplier-tested cell stack, or replacing the cell stack with a blanking plate and subsequently deactivating the humidifier system, if necessary. The proposed AD also would have allowed blanking plates to be replaced with cell stacks. This new action revises the proposed rule by adding airplanes to the applicability, requiring an inspection of the flight deck humidifier to determine certain part numbers on certain airplanes, and requiring replacement of the cell stack on certain other airplanes. The actions specified by this new proposed AD are intended to prevent an increased pressure drop across the humidifier and consequent reduced airflow to the flight deck, which could result in the inability to clear any smoke that might appear in the flight deck. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all EMBRAER Model ERJ 170 airplanes. This proposed AD would require revising the Airworthiness Limitations section (ALS) of the airplane maintenance manual (AMM) to include new, specific maintenance tasks related to the incorporation of a new horizontal stabilizer actuator. This proposed AD also would require revising the ALS of the AMM to include revised repetitive inspection intervals for certain tasks in the maintenance plan related to the aileron and flap/slat flight controls system. This proposed AD results from safety assessments of the aileron and flap/slat flight controls system, conducted after the type certification of the airplane, which showed that some dormant faults did not comply with the safety assessment criteria. We are proposing this AD to prevent failure of the aileron and flap/slat controls system, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Fokker Model F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes. This proposed AD would require an inspection of the main landing gear (MLG) main fitting for cracks, and repair if necessary. This proposed AD would also require installing a placard and revising the airplane flight manual to include procedures to prohibit the application of brakes during backward movement of the airplane. This proposed AD results from a report that an MLG main fitting failed on an airplane that was braking while moving backward. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct cracks in the MLG main fitting, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the MLG main fitting.

The FAA is adopting a new noise standard for single-engine propeller driven small airplanes. This noise standard ensures that the latest available noise reduction technology is incorporated into new aircraft designs. This noise standard is also intended to harmonize the noise certification standard for propeller driven small airplanes newly certificated in the United States with those airplanes that meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 16 noise standard.

The FAA is correcting a typographical error in an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that was published in the Federal Register on December 5, 2005 (70 FR 72363). The error resulted in an incorrect reference to the effective date of Brazilian airworthiness directive 2003-01-03R1. This AD applies to certain EMBRAER Model EMB-135 and Model EMB-145 series airplanes. This AD is superseding an existing AD that currently requires repetitive inspections of the spring cartridges of the elevator gust lock system to determine if the lock washer projection correctly fits the slots in the cartridge flange, and corrective action if necessary, for certain airplanes. This AD retains the requirements of the existing AD and adds a requirement for final terminating action for all affected airplanes.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 202: Portable Electronic Devices.