Federal Aviation Administration December 14, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action amends the Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) that prohibits certain flights in specified areas of the Sanaa (OYSC) Flight Information Region (FIR) by all: United States (U.S.) air carriers; U.S. commercial operators; persons exercising the privileges of an airman certificate issued by the FAA, except when such persons are operating U.S.-registered aircraft for a foreign air carrier; and operators of U.S.-registered civil aircraft, except where the operator of such aircraft is a foreign air carrier. There has been a reduction in the level of risk to U.S. civil aviation operations in limited portions of the specified areas of the Sanaa (OYSC) Flight Information region (FIR) where the FAA had prohibited flight operations under the SFAR. As a result, the FAA is reducing the amount of airspace in the Sanaa (OYSC) FIR in which U.S. civil aviation operations are prohibited. However, there continues to be an unacceptable level of risk to U.S. civil aviation operations in the remainder of the specified areas of the Sanaa (OYSC) FIR, as described in this rule, resulting from terrorist and militant activity. Consequently, the FAA is also amending this SFAR to extend its expiration date. The FAA is also republishing, with minor revisions, the approval process and exemption information for this SFAR.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Fokker Services B.V. Model F28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes. This AD requires contacting the FAA to obtain instructions for addressing the unsafe condition on these products, and doing the actions specified in those instructions. This AD was prompted by a report of an engine multiple fan blade-off (MFBO) event, caused by engine fan flutter. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau Models ASH 25M and ASH 26E gliders. 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 fatigue cracks found on the exhaust silencer. We are issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2015-15- 13, which applies to certain Airbus Model A319 series airplanes; Model A320-211, -212, -214, -231, -232, and -233 airplanes; and Model A321- 111, -112, -131, -211, -212, -213, -231, and -232 airplanes. AD 2015- 15-13 requires modification of the potable water service panel and waste water service panel, including doing applicable related investigative and corrective actions. Since we issued AD 2015-15-13, further investigations linked to widespread fatigue damage (WFD) analysis highlighted that, to meet the WFD requirements, it is necessary that the affected modification not be accomplished before reaching a certain threshold. This proposed AD would require modification of the waste water and potable water service panels with new compliance times. This proposed AD would also remove certain airplanes from the applicability and add Model A320-216 airplanes to the applicability. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.