Federal Aviation Administration August 8, 2012 – 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. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on May 18, 2012, 77 FR 29748. The collection of this information is necessary to ensure safety of flight by ensuring complete and adequate training, testing, checking, and experience is obtained and maintained by those who conduct flight simulation training.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.

We propose to rescind an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain The Boeing Company Model 767-200, -300, -300F, and -400ER series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires an inspection to determine if certain motor operated valve actuators for the fuel tanks are installed, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. We issued that AD to prevent an ignition source inside the fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane. Since we issued that AD, we have received new data indicating that the existing AD addresses that safety concern, but also introduces a different unsafe condition.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc. Model DHC-8 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports that various pushrods had been manufactured with tubes having the incorrect heat treatment. This AD requires replacing the affected pushrod assembly. We are issuing this AD to prevent loss of rudder control, reduced directional control of the airplane on the ground, or a jammed nose landing gear (NLG) door that could prevent the NLG from retracting or extending.

We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for all Model 747-100B SUD, 747-300, 747-400, and 747-400D series airplanes; and Model 747-200B series airplanes having a stretched upper deck. The existing AD currently requires repetitively inspecting for cracking or discrepancies of the fasteners in the tension ties, shear webs, and frames at body stations 1120 through 1220; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. That AD requires modifying the frame-to-tension-tie joints at body stations 1120 through 1220 (including related investigative actions and corrective actions if necessary), which provides a terminating action for the repetitive inspections. That AD also requires new repetitive inspections after the modification, corrective actions if necessary, and additional modification requirements at a specified time after the first modification. That AD also removed certain airplanes from the applicability. That AD was prompted by reports of cracked and severed tension ties, broken fasteners, and cracks in the frame, shear web, and shear ties adjacent to tension ties for the upper deck. This AD revises the existing AD by adding repetitive open hole high frequency eddy current (HFEC) inspections for cracking in the forward and aft tension tie channels, and repair if necessary. For certain airplanes, this AD also requires a one-time angle inspection to determine if the angle is installed correctly, and re-installation if necessary; and a one-time open hole HFEC inspection at the fastener locations where the tension tie previously attached to the frame prior to certain modifications, and repair if necessary. This AD also, for the Stage 2 inspections, reduces the initial compliance times for those inspections. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracking of the tension ties, shear webs, and frames of the upper deck, which could result in rapid decompression and reduced structural integrity of the airplane.