Federal Aviation Administration May 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

This action proposes to revoke the Columbus, GA, Class C airspace area; establish Class D airspace area to replace the Class C airspace area; and amend the existing Class E surface area and 700-foot Class E airspace at Columbus, GA. The FAA is proposing this action because Columbus Metropolitan Airport no longer meets the criteria required to qualify for a Class C airspace designation. Reconfiguring the area would enhance safety and facilitate more efficient use of airspace within the National Airspace System.

This notice is re-published for editorial clarification. The original publication was sufficiently similar in substance to serve as due notice. The FAA assigned the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) a new task to identify and develop recommendations on additional requirements for low speed alerting in new transport category airplanes. This task is the first phase of an overall effort to examine new standards, as well as possible retrofit standards. This notice is to inform the public of this ARAC activity.

This action amends Class E airspace for Claremore, OK, adding additional controlled airspace to accommodate Area Navigation (RNAV) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Claremore Regional Airport, Claremore, OK. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) operations at the airport.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Litchfield, MN. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Litchfield Municipal Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

The FAA hereby provides notice of intent to release certain airport properties 5.88 acres at the Tampa International Airport, Tampa, FL from certain conditions, reservations, and restrictions as contained in a Quitclaim Deed agreement between the FAA and the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, dated November 5, 1947. The release of property will allow the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority to use property for other than aeronautical purposes. The property is located in the southeast quadrant of Tampa International Airport property, Hillsborough County, Florida. The parcel is currently designated as aeronautical use. The property will be used for nonaeronautical use/revenue generation. The fair market value of the property has been determined by appraisal to be $2,690,000. The airport will receive at least fair market rental value for the property. Documents reflecting the Sponsor's request are available, by appointment only, for inspection at the Tampa International Airport and the FAA Airports District Office.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Center, TX adding additional controlled airspace necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Center Municipal Airport, Center, TX. Adjustments also would be made to the geographic coordinates of the Amason nondirectional beacon (NDB). The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

This action amends Jet Route J-120, in Alaska. The FAA is taking this action in preparation of the eventual decommissioning of the Barter Island (BTI) Non-directional Beacon (NDB) at the Village of Kaktovik, Alaska. This action ensures the safe and efficient use of the airspace within the National Airspace System (NAS).

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Model DC-9-30, DC-9-40, and DC-9-50 series airplanes. This AD requires inspecting to determine the part numbers of the forward and aft auxiliary tank fuel boost and transfer pump conduit/conduit assembly and conduit assembly electrical connector, as applicable, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct the potential for an arc/spark condition to occur within the fuel boost or transfer pump conduit assembly connectors and propagate into the forward and aft auxiliary fuel tanks, which could result in a fire or explosion.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the Sikorsky Model S-92A helicopters. The AD requires replacing the main gearbox (MGB) filter bowl assembly with a two-piece MGB filter bowl assembly and replacing the existing mounting studs. The AD also requires inspecting the MGB lube system filters, the housing, the housing threads, and the lockring counterbore and repairing or replacing them as necessary. This amendment is prompted by tests indicating that an existing MGB filter bowl assembly can fail under certain loading conditions including those associated with a damaged MGB filter or mounting stud resulting from high frequency maintenance tasks. Testing of the improved MGB filter bowl assembly demonstrates a significant increase in strength and durability over the existing filter bowl. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the MGB filter bowl assembly due to failure of the mounting studs or the filter bowl, loss of oil from the MGB, failure of the MGB, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Turbomeca Arriel 1B, 1D, 1D1, and 1S1 turboshaft engines. That AD requires initial and repetitive relative position checks of the gas generator 2nd stage turbine blades on Turbomeca Arriel 1B (that incorporate Turbomeca Modification (mod) TU 148), Arriel 1D, 1D1, and 1S1 turboshaft engines that do not incorporate mod TU 347. That AD also requires initial and repetitive replacements of 2nd stage turbines on Arriel 1B, 1D, and 1D1 engines. This AD requires lowering the initial and repetitive thresholds for replacement of 2nd stage turbines on Arriel 1B, 1D, and 1D1 engines. This AD results from reports of new cases of failures of 2nd stage turbine blades since we issued AD 2008-07-01. We are issuing this AD to prevent the failure of 2nd stage turbine blades, which could result in an uncommanded in- flight engine shutdown, and a subsequent forced autorotation landing or accident.

This action proposes to modify the Chicago, IL, Class B airspace area by expanding the existing airspace to ensure containment of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft conducting instrument approach procedures within Class B airspace, and segregating IFR aircraft at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) aircraft operating in the vicinity of Chicago Class B airspace. Additional Class B airspace would support operations to ORD's triple parallel runways and three additional parallel runways planned for the near future. This action would enhance safety, improve the flow of air traffic, and reduce the potential for midair collision in the Chicago terminal area, further supporting the FAA's national airspace redesign goal of optimizing terminal and en route airspace areas to reduce aircraft delays and improve system capacity.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a Record of Decision (ROD), resulting from an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been prepared for a New Bedford Regional Airport, New Bedford, Massachusetts.

This document proposes adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the Sikorsky Model S-70A and S-70C helicopters. This proposal would require an ultrasonic test (UT) inspection of the tail gearbox output bevel gear (gear) for a crack. If you find a crack, replacing the gear with an airworthy gear before further flight would be required. This proposal is prompted by three gear cracking incidents, one of which resulted in the tail rotor separating from the helicopter. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to detect a crack in the gear to prevent a tail rotor separating, loss of tail rotor control, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above that supersedes an existing AD. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as: * * * * *

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Model S-76A, B, and C helicopters that requires inspecting each installed Woodward HRT (formerly HR Textron) main rotor servo actuator (servo actuator) for a high rate of leakage and replacing each affected servo actuator with a servo actuator containing a newly re-designed servo actuator piston. This amendment is prompted by a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Safety Recommendation issued in response to an accident involving a Model S-76C helicopter. In the NTSB Safety Recommendation, the performance of a servo actuator piston upon reaching 3,000 hours time-in-service (TIS) was questioned as a result of piston head seal leakage and piston head plasma spray flaking. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent degraded servo actuator performance as a result of piston head seal leaking and plasma spray flaking, which could result in subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 737- 700/-700C/-800/-900 and -900ER series airplanes equipped with the Rockwell HGS-4000 Head-Up Guidance System. These airplanes, as modified by Rockwell Collins, Inc., will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with the Enhanced Vision System (EVS) functionality, to be added by Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). 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 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is making minor technical changes to a final rule published in the Federal Register on June 14, 1996. That final rule adopted corrections and editorial changes to several parts, which included an amendment to a section of part 119 that removed two subparagraphs. However, the FAA inadvertently did not also amend a separate section of part 119 to remove reference to the two obsolete subparagraphs. The FAA is issuing this technical amendment to correct that oversight.

The FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a current information collection. The FAA has initiated customer service surveys throughout the agency, requiring that every element have contact with their customers to assure that their needs are being met and that service is improved.

This action proposes to establish Class E Airspace at Homestead, FL, to accommodate the additional airspace needed for the Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) developed for Homestead General Aviation Airport. This action enhances the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 205/EUROCAE WG 71: Software Considerations in Aeronautical Systems.

On January 12, 2010, the nation of Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake near the heaviest populated part of the country, its capital, Port-au-Prince. Within hours, there was a significant increase in the volume of air traffic in the area as the world responded with many types of emergency relief and assistance. Since the FAA is the International Civil Aviation Organization-designated provider of air navigation services in much of the Caribbean just north of Haiti and north and east of the Dominican Republic, many of these humanitarian flights go through U.S.-controlled airspace and incur charges by the FAA (known as ``Overflight Fees'') for the air navigation services provided. This Notice advises all concerned of the determination by the FAA to exclude temporarily from its Overflight Fee bills any charges for humanitarian flights responding to the earthquake in Haiti.