Federal Aviation Administration 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

The FAA is correcting a final rule published on February 21, 2014. In that rule, the FAA amended its regulations to revise the helicopter air ambulance, commercial helicopter, and general aviation helicopter operating requirements. This document corrects errors in the codified text of that document.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2014-07-01, for certain The Boeing Company Model 747 airplanes. AD 2014-07-01 required repetitive inspections for cracking in certain bulkhead structure; inspections of certain fasteners and support frame modifications on certain airplanes; related investigative and corrective actions, if necessary; and an interim modification that would terminate certain repetitive inspections. This AD clarifies certain paragraph references and revises a compliance time. This AD was prompted by a determination that certain paragraph references are in error. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the BS 2598 bulkhead structure, which could adversely affect the structural integrity of the bulkhead and the horizontal stabilizer support structure, and result in loss of controllability of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain EADS CASA (Type Certificate Previously Held by Construcciones Aeronauticas, S.A.) Model CN-235-300 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of reduced thickness of the center fuselage lower skin panel. This AD requires a detailed inspection to determine the presence of panel thickness reduction; and repetitive nondestructive testing (NDT) inspections and repair if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct reduced thickness of lower panel joints, which could result in reduced fatigue and damage tolerant characteristics of the lower panel joint to the adjacent side panels and failure of the center fuselage lower skin panel, resulting in loss of control of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A300 series airplanes; Airbus Model A300 B4-600, B4-600R, and F4-600R series airplanes, and Model A300 C4-605R Variant F airplanes (collectively called Model A300-600 series airplanes); and Model A310 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of failures of the right inner tank fuel pump. This AD requires repetitive functional tests of the circuit breakers for the fuel pump power supply, and replacement of certain circuit breakers. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct failure of the circuit breakers for the fuel pump power supply, which could result in a fuel pump overheating, leading to a fuel tank explosion.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for AHD Model EC135P1, P2, P2+, T1, T2, and T2+ helicopters. This AD requires repetitive visual inspections of the ring frame X9227 for a crack and, if there is a crack, replacing the ring frame before further flight. This AD is prompted by a fatigue crack in the ring frame. These actions are intended to detect a crack in the ring frame and prevent loss of the tail rotor and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and -900ER series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of installation of incorrect wire support clamps within the bay area of the left and right environmental control systems (ECS) during production; the ECS bay area is a flammable fluid leakage zone. Use of incorrect wire support clamps that are not fully cushioned could allow electrical power wiring to come in contact with the exposed metal of the improper clamp, causing a short circuit and subsequent electrical arcing. This AD requires inspecting to identify the part number of the wire support clamp, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to prevent electrical arcing and a potential ignition source, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in a fuel tank explosion, and consequent loss of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-300, -400, -500, -600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and -900ER series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a review of the tail strobe light installation, which revealed that the tail strobe light is not electrically bonded to primary structure of the airplane. This AD requires installing a new tail strobe light housing and a new disconnect bracket, and changing the wire bundles. This AD also requires, for certain airplanes, an inspection to determine if sealant is applied, and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to prevent, in case of a direct lightning strike to the tail strobe light, damage to the operation of other critical airplane systems due to electromagnetic coupling and large transient voltages, and damage to the control mechanisms or surfaces due to a fire, which could result in loss of control of the airplane.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Thomas, OK. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Thomas Muni Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs at the airport.

This rule 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.

We are superseding emergency airworthiness directive (AD) 2014-12-52 for all Honeywell International Inc. TFE731-4, -4R, -5AR, - 5BR, -5R, -20R, -20AR, -20BR, -40, -40AR, -40R, -40BR, -50R, and -60 turbofan engines. Emergency AD 2014-12-52 was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of these engines. AD 2014-12-52 required, before further flight, a review of the engine logbook maintenance records to determine if any affected engines are installed. AD 2014-12-52 also prohibited operation of an airplane with two or more affected engines that have 2nd stage low-pressure turbine (LPT2) blades with less than 250 operating hours since new. This AD retains the requirements of AD 2014-12-52 and clarifies the intent of the mandatory requirements. This AD was prompted by reports of LPT2 blade separations. We are issuing this AD to prevent LPT2 blade failure, multiple engine in-flight shutdowns, and damage to the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211 Trent 768-60, 772-60, and 772B-60 turbofan engines. This AD requires modification of the engine by removing an electronic engine control (EEC) incorporating EEC software standard A14 or earlier and installing an EEC eligible for installation. This AD was prompted by an uncontained multiple turbine blade failure on an RR RB211 Trent 772B turbofan engine. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the intermediate-pressure (IP) turbine disk drive arm or burst of the high-pressure turbine disk, which could lead to uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane.

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.

The Federal Aviation Administration is considering a proposal to release approximately 1.0 acres of airport property for non- aeronautical use at the Manchester Regional Airport, Manchester, NH. The acre released is currently used as a buffer zone to adjacent wetlands and would be exchanged for approximately 4.3 acres of land that would be used for the same purpose. The FAA invites public comment on this proposal.

The FAA proposes to amend the Qualification Performance Standards for flight simulation training devices (FSTDs) for the primary purpose of improving existing technical standards and introducing new technical standards for evaluating an FSTD for full stall and stick pusher maneuvers, upset recognition and recovery maneuvers, maneuvers conducted in airborne icing conditions, takeoff and landing maneuvers in gusting crosswinds, and bounced landing recovery maneuvers. These new and improved technical standards are intended to fully define FSTD fidelity requirements for conducting new flight training tasks introduced through recent changes in the air carrier training requirements as well as to address various National Transportation Safety Board and Aviation Rulemaking Committee recommendations. The proposal also updates the FSTD technical standards to better align with the current international FSTD evaluation guidance and introduces a new FSTD level that expands the number of qualified flight training tasks in a fixed-base flight training device. The proposed changes would ensure that the training and testing environment is accurate and realistic, would codify existing practice, and would provide greater harmonization with international guidance for simulation. With the exception of the proposal to codify new FSTD technical standards for specific training tasks through an FSTD Directive, the proposed amendments would not apply to previously qualified FSTDs.

This action amends the time of designation for restricted area R-3002G at Fort Benning, GA, by removing the words ``local time'' and adding the words ``Eastern time'' to the published time of designation. The majority of the R-3002 complex (i.e., R-3002A through F) lies within the Eastern time zone. However, R-3002G is a small segment that is in the Central time zone. Since the Eastern time zone is predominant and is used for scheduling activities in the entire complex, the time of designation for R-3002G is amended to avoid confusion.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 767 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of a rotary actuator for the trailing edge (TE) flap that had slipped relative to its mating reaction ring, which is attached to the flap support rib. This proposed AD would require repetitive inspections for corrosion of the fixed ring gear and reaction ring splines of the rotary actuator assembly for each support position, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct reaction ring gears and rotary actuator gears from becoming disengaged with flaps extended and causing an uncommanded roll due to flap blowback, overload, or flap departure from the airplane, which could compromise safe flight and landing of the airplane.

We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2005-14- 07, which applies to certain The Boeing Company Model 727, 727C, 727- 100, 727-100C, 727-200, and 727-200F series airplanes. AD 2005-14-07 currently requires repetitive inspections of the carriage attach fittings on the inboard and outboard foreflaps of each wing for cracking and other discrepancies, and corrective actions if necessary. Since we issued AD 2005-14-07, we received a report of broken inboard and outboard carriage attach fittings of the outboard foreflaps found during an inspection. This proposed AD would reduce certain repetitive inspection intervals for the inboard and outboard carriage attach fittings for the outboard foreflaps, require previously optional terminating actions which install improved outboard foreflap carriage attach fittings, and add new initial and repetitive inspections of those fittings and corrective actions if necessary. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the attach fittings of the foreflap carriage of the wings, which could result in partial or complete loss of the foreflap and consequent loss of controllability of the airplane.

The FAA publishes a monthly notice, as appropriate, of PFC approvals and disapprovals under the provisions of the Aviation Safety and Capacity Expansion Act of 1990 (Title IX of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990) (Pub. L. 101-508) and Part 158 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 158). This notice is published pursuant to paragraph d of Sec. 158.29.

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 April 14, 2014, vol. 79, no. 71, pages 20962-20963. This information collection is used to allocate slots and maintain accurate records of slot transfers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), the only High Density Traffic Airport. The information is provided by air carriers, commuter operators, or other persons holding a slot at DCA or by persons conducting an Other (unscheduled) operation at DCA. This notice serves as a correction to the notice for public comments published on June 27, 2014, vol. 79, number 124, page 36574. This notice clarifies details of the collection activity and revises hourly burden figures.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes to rule and invites public comment on the application for a release of approximately .3885 acre of airport property at Taylor Airport, Taylor, Arizona, from all conditions contained in the Grant Agreement Assurances since the land is not needed for airport purposes. The property will be sold for its fair market value and the proceeds deposited in the airport account. The reuse of the land will not conflict or interfere with the airport or its operation, thereby protecting the interests of civil aviation.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce plc (RR) RB211 Trent 768-60, 772-60, and 772B-60 turbofan engines. This proposed AD was prompted by fuel leaks caused by damage to the fan case low-pressure (LP) fuel tube. This proposed AD would require inspection of the fan case LP fuel tubes and associated clips and the fuel oil heat exchanger (FOHE) mounts and associated hardware. We are proposing this AD to prevent failure of the fan case LP fuel tube, which could lead to an in-flight shutdown of one or more engines due to fuel starvation, loss of thrust control, and damage to the airplane.

This action proposes special conditions for the Bombardier Aerospace Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with a reduced margin between design cruising speed, VC/ MC, and design diving speed, VD/MD, based on the incorporation of a high speed protection system that limits nose down pilot authority at speeds above VD/ MD. 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 proposes special conditions for the Boeing Model 767-2C airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. These design features include the addition of four body fuel tanks and a modified fuel management system that, directly or as a result of failure or malfunction, could affect the airplane's structural performance. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for these design features. 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.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 787-8 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of deficiencies in the flight control module (FCM) software. This proposed AD would require installing certain FCM software. We are proposing this AD to correct deficiencies in the FCM software, which, if not corrected, could prevent continued safe flight and landing.