Federal Aviation Administration June 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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. This collection covers the reporting of unauthorized illumination of aircraft by lasers.

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 information collected allows the FAA to evaluate its certification standards, maintenance programs, and regulatory requirements. It is also the basis for issuance of Airworthiness Directives designed to prevent unsafe conditions and accidents.

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. One of the ways to have an information program designated as protected under Section 40123 is for an air carrier or other person to submit an application for an individual program. The FAA evaluates the application and either publishes a designation based on the application for public comment or denies the application.

Incident to a public meeting held by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday, June 1, 2011, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, concerning aircraft registration by owner trustees for non- U.S. citizen beneficiaries, interested parties have submitted written comments to FAA. Those comments as well as the Notice of Public Meeting and FAA slide presentation may be viewed at the Office of Chief Counsel's FAA Web site located at https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/ headquarters_offices/agc/. Additional comments are being accepted by the FAA through July 1, 2011, and may be submitted via e-mail to ladeana.peden@faa.gov.

This rulemaking would establish noise certification standards for issuing type and airworthiness certificates for a new civil, hybrid airplane-rotorcraft known as the tiltrotor. This rule proposes to adopt the same recommended guidelines for noise certification found in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 16, Volume 1, Chapter 13, Attachment F (Amendment 7) for tiltrotors certificated in the United States (U.S.). The ICAO recommended practices are already harmonized internationally, and the adoption as standards into our regulations would be consistent with the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) goal of harmonizing U.S. regulations with international standards. The proposed standards would apply to the issuance of the original type certificate, changes to the type certificate, and standard airworthiness certificates for tiltrotors.

This action amends Class E Airspace at Cocoa, FL, as the Merritt Island Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) has been decommissioned and new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures have been developed at Merritt Island Airport. This action enhances the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

This action proposes to amend Class E Airspace at Shelby, NC, as new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures have been developed at Shelby-Cleveland County Regional Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also would recognize the airport name change to Shelby-Cleveland County Regional Airport.

This action proposes to establish Class E Airspace at Copperhill, TN, to accommodate new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures at Martin Campbell Field Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 787 series airplane. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with seats with inflatable lapbelts. 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.

This action proposes to establish Class D airspace at Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, CA. Controlled airspace is necessary to contain potential missed approaches at Los Angeles International Airport. The FAA is proposing this action to enhance the safety and management of aircraft operations at the airport. This action also would edit Class E airspace by adding the geographic coordinates and the airport name to the airspace designation.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD requires repetitive testing of the stabilizer takeoff warning switches, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD was prompted by reports that the warning horn did not sound during the takeoff warning system test of the S132 ``nose up stab takeoff warning switch.'' We are issuing this AD to detect and correct a takeoff warning system switch failure, which could reduce the ability of the flightcrew to maintain the safe flight and landing of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD requires a detailed inspection to detect distress and existing repairs to the leading edge structure of the vertical stabilizer at the splice at Station Zfs=52.267; repetitive inspections for cracking in the front spar cap forward flanges of the vertical stabilizer, and either the aft flanges or side skins; repetitive inspections for loose and missing fasteners; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This AD was prompted by reports of cracked vertical stabilizer skin, a severed front spar cap, elongated fastener holes at the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer, and cracked front spar web and front spar cap bolt holes in the vertical stabilizer. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct such cracking damage, which could result in the structure being unable to support limit load, and could lead to the loss of the vertical stabilizer.

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) helicopters. This action requires visually inspecting the adhesive bead between the bushing and the Starflex star (Starflex) arm for a crack, a gap, or loss of the adhesive bead, inspecting the Starflex arm ends for delamination, and replacing the Starflex if any of these conditions are found. This amendment is prompted by three cases of deterioration of a Starflex arm. In two of these cases, the deterioration caused high amplitude vibrations in flight, compelling the pilot to make a precautionary landing. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent failure of the Starflex, high-amplitude vibrations in flight, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

This amendment supersedes an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified Robinson model helicopters that currently requires a visual inspection for skin separation along the leading edge of blade skin aft of the skin-to-spar bond line on the lower surface of each main rotor blade (blade) and in the tip cap area. The existing AD also requires a ``tap test'' for detecting a separation or void in both bonded areas and repainting any exposed area of the blades. If any separation or void is detected, the AD requires, before further flight, replacing the blade. Thereafter, before each flight, the existing AD also requires checking for any exposed (bare) metal along the skin-to- spar bond line on the lower surface of each blade near the tip. If any bare metal is found, that AD requires an inspection by a qualified mechanic. This amendment contains the same requirements but expands the applicability to include all serial-numbered model helicopters and limits the applicability to specific blade part numbers. This amendment also requires a repetitive inspection of the blade and any necessary rework. This amendment is prompted by a fatal accident in Israel. We have also included responses to comments objecting to the recording requirements in the current AD relating to the pilot checks before each flight and to comments that the burden of the before-each-flight pilot check exceeds the benefit. We have concluded that a check before the first flight of each day is sufficient for aviation safety. The actions specified by this AD are intended to provide more specific AD actions, to relieve the burdens associated with the before-each-flight check by changing it to a daily check, to detect blade skin debond, and to prevent blade failure and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

This action changes the effective date for the amendment of all Anchorage, AK, Federal Airways that are affected by the relocation of the Anchorage VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) navigation aid. The FAA is taking this action due to a failed flight inspection.

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes 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 safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

This action proposes to modify the Norton Sound Low, Control 1234L, and Control 1487L Offshore Airspace Areas in Alaska. The airspace floors would be lowered to provide controlled airspace beyond 12 miles from the coast of the United States given that there is a requirement to provide Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) en route Air Traffic Control (ATC) services and within which the United States is applying domestic ATC procedures.

This action amends the Class E Airspace at Waynesboro, VA, to accommodate the additional airspace need for the Standard Instrument Approach Procedures developed for Eagle's Nest Airport. This action enhances the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. Also, the geographic coordinates for the airport will be corrected.

This action proposes to establish Class E Airspace at Forest, VA to accommodate new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard Instrument Approach Procedures serving New London Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations within the National Airspace System.

This amendment rescinds airworthiness directive (AD) 2009-18- 19 for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by EASA, to rescind EASA AD 2010-0083. The MCAI specifies the following:

We propose to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to the products listed above. The existing AD currently requires repetitively inspecting the elevator control tabs for discrepancies and, if any discrepancies are found, taking necessary corrective actions to bring all discrepancies within acceptable tolerances. The existing AD also requires reporting certain inspection results to the FAA. Since we issued that AD, we determined that we inadvertently omitted certain airplanes from the Applicability section. This proposed AD would retain the actions currently required in AD 2011-05-02 and remove the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA01059SE condition in the Applicability section. We are proposing this AD to add new repetitive inspections of the elevator control tabs. If these inspections are not done, excessive free-play in the elevator control tabs could develop. This condition could lead to loss of tab control linkage and severe elevator flutter. Such elevator flutter could lead to possible loss of control.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 206: Aeronautical Information and Meteorological Data Link Services

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This 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:

These special conditions are issued for Pratt and Whitney Canada (PWC) model PW210S engines. The engine model will have a novel or unusual design feature which is engine operation in auxiliary power unit (APU) mode. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the added safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

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: