Federal Aviation Administration November 8, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes special conditions for the Airbus Model A350-900 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with side stick controllers for pitch and roll control instead of conventional wheels and columns. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed 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 corrects a final rule published in the Federal Register of September 30, 2013, that establishes Class E airspace at the Glasgow VHF Omni-Directional Radio Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigation aid, Glasgow, MT. A favorable comment from the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) was received in the public Docket but was not referenced in the Final Rule.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for ECD Model BO105C (C-2 and CB-2 Variants) and BO105S (CS-2 and CBS-2 Variants) helicopters with a certain third stage turbine wheel installed. This AD requires installing a placard on the instrument panel and revising the limitations section of the rotorcraft flight manual (RFM). This AD is prompted by several incidents of third stage engine turbine wheel failures, which were caused by excessive vibrations at certain engine speeds during steady-state operations. These actions are intended to alert pilots to avoid certain engine speeds during steady-state operations, prevent failure of the third stage engine turbine, engine power loss, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model AW139 helicopters. This AD requires replacing certain solder splices in the co-pilot audio system. This AD was prompted by the discovery of improper installation of solder splices on the co-pilot audio system causing intermittent noise through the audio system during flight. The actions of this AD are intended to prevent degradation and complete loss of communications between the pilot and co-pilot during flight, impairing the co-pilot's capability to react immediately to operational difficulties, which could lead to subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all DG Flugzeugbau GmbH Models DG-800A, DG-800B, DG-500MB gliders. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as a defective starter motor control unit, which could activate the starter motor without pressing the starter button. We are issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.