Federal Aviation Administration January 14, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This amendment adopts miscellaneous amendments to the required IFR (instrument flight rules) altitudes and changeover points for certain Federal airways, jet routes, or direct routes for which a minimum or maximum en route authorized IFR altitude is prescribed. This regulatory action is needed because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace under instrument conditions in the affected areas.

These special conditions are issued for Airbus Model A350-900 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with the airplane's response to the design roll maneuver. 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 special conditions for the Airbus Model A350-900 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with lateral-directional and longitudinal stability and low energy awareness. 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.

These amended special conditions are issued for Airbus Model A350-900 series airplanes. Notice of proposed special conditions, request for comments, for crew rest compartments of the A350-900 were published on March 30, 2012 in the Federal Register [Docket No. FAA- 2012-0343; Notice No. 25-460-SC]. The comment period closed May 14, 2012. Comments were received. In response to an August 1, 2013 letter from Airbus, the wording of the special conditions was revised. The revised wording for special conditions 4 and 14 is now agreed. The revised amended special conditions wording is in italics. These airplanes will have novel or unusual design features associated with two separate Crew Rest Compartments: a Flight Crew Rest Compartment (FCRC) intended to be occupied by flight crew members only, and a Cabin Crew Rest Compartment (CCRC) intended to be occupied by cabin crew members. Both types of Crew Rest Compartments (CRC) are installed in the overhead area with access from the main deck. 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.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Eurocopter France (Eurocopter) Model EC225LP helicopters. This AD requires inspecting the swashplates for corrosion or a crack, and making the appropriate repairs or replacement of parts. This AD was prompted by the discovery of corrosion on the swashplates when the main rotor hub (MRH) assemblies were reconditioned. The actions of this AD are intended to detect corrosion or a crack in the swashplates, which could lead to failure of the swashplates and subsequent loss of helicopter control.