This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains regulatory documents having general

applicability and legal effect, most of which

are keyed to and codified in the Code of

Federal Regulations, which is published under

50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by

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new books are listed in the first FEDERAL

REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

9163 

Vol. 77, No. 32 

Thursday, February 16, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 1 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–0019; Amdt. No. 1– 

67] 

RIN 2120–AK03 

Removal of Category IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc 

Definitions 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Direct final rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The FAA is removing the 

definitions of Category IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc 

operations. The definitions are outdated 

because they are no longer used for 

aircraft certification or operational 

authorization. Removing the definitions 

will aid in international harmonization 

efforts, future landing minima 

reductions, and airspace system 

capacity improvements due to the 

implementation of performance based 

operations. 

DATES: Effective April 16, 2012. 

Submit comments on or before March 

19, 2012. If adverse comment is 

received, the FAA will publish a timely 

withdrawal in the Federal Register. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments 

identified by docket number FAA– 

2012–0019 using any of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov and follow 

the online instructions for sending your 

comments electronically. 

• Mail: Send comments to Docket 

Operations, M–30; U.S. Department of 

Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Room W12–140, West 

Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 

20590–0001. 

• Hand Delivery or Courier: Take 

comments to Docket Operations in 

Room W12–140 of the West Building 

Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 

9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

• Fax: Fax comments to Docket 

Operations at 202–493–2251. 

Privacy: The FAA will post all 

comments it receives, without change, 

to http://www.regulations.gov, including 

any personal information the 

commenter provides. Using the search 

function of the docket web site, anyone 

can find and read the electronic form of 

all comments received into any FAA 

docket, including the name of the 

individual sending the comment (or 

signing the comment for an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). DOT’s 

complete Privacy Act Statement can be 

found in the Federal Register published 

on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477–19478), 

as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov. 

Docket: Background documents or 

comments received may be read at 

http://www.regulations.gov at any time. 

Follow the online instructions for 

accessing the docket or go to Docket 

Operations in Room W12–140 of the 

West Building Ground Floor at 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 

DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

technical questions concerning this 

action, contact Bryant Welch, Flight 

Technologies and Procedures Division, 

Flight Operations Branch, AFS–410, 

Federal Aviation Administration, 470 

L’Enfant Plaza, Suite 4102, Washington, 

DC 20024; telephone (202) 385–4539; 

email bryant.welch@faa.gov. 

For legal questions concerning this 

action, contact Nancy Sanchez, Office of 

the Chief Counsel, Regulations Division, 

AGC–200, Federal Aviation 

Administration, 800 Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; 

telephone (202) 267–3073; email 

nancy.sanchez@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority for This Rulemaking 

The FAA’s authority to issue rules on 

aviation safety is found in Title 49 of the 

United States Code. Subtitle I, Section 

106 describes the authority of the FAA 

Administrator. Subtitle VII, Aviation 

Programs, describes in more detail the 

scope of the agency’s authority. 

This rulemaking is promulgated 

under the authority described in 49 

U.S.C. 40103, which vests the 

Administrator with broad authority to 

prescribe regulations to assign the use of 

airspace necessary to ensure the safety 

of aircraft and the efficient use of 

airspace, and 49 U.S.C. 44701(a)(5), 

which requires the Administrator to 

promulgate regulations and minimum 

standards for other practices, methods, 

and procedures necessary for safety in 

air commerce and national security. 

The Direct Final Rule Procedure 

The FAA is adopting this direct final 

rule without prior notice and prior 

public comment because this rule is not 

controversial, is not expected to result 

in the receipt of an adverse comment, 

and a notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM) is not necessary. The Category 

IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc operations definitions 

are outdated, unnecessary, and overly 

restrictive. The FAA does not believe 

we will receive an adverse comment 

because this rule will not affect any 

existing operator’s aircraft certification 

or operational approval. The Regulatory 

Policies and Procedures of the 

Department of Transportation (DOT) (44 

FR 1134) provide that to the maximum 

extent possible, operating 

administrations for the DOT should 

provide an opportunity for public 

comment on regulations issued without 

prior notice. Accordingly, the FAA 

invites interested persons to participate 

in this rulemaking by submitting written 

comments, data, or views. The agency 

also invites comments relating to the 

economic, environmental, energy, or 

federalism impacts that might result 

from adopting this final rule. 

Unless a written adverse or negative 

comment or a written notice of intent to 

submit an adverse or negative comment 

is received within the comment period, 

the regulation will become effective on 

the date specified above. After the close 

of the comment period, the FAA will 

publish a document in the Federal 

Register indicating that no adverse or 

negative comments were received and 

confirming the date on which the final 

rule will become effective. If the FAA 

does receive, within the comment 

period, an adverse or negative comment, 

or written notice of intent to submit 

such a comment, a document 

withdrawing the direct final rule will be 

published in the Federal Register, and 


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9164 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 32 / Thursday, February 16, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

1Category III operational approvals and 

instrument procedures are described in terms of 

RVR. RVR is an instrumentally derived value, given 

in feet, that reflects seeing conditions on a runway, 

and is dependent on the use of high intensity 

runway lighting. 

2Fail Operational means an airborne system with 

redundant operational capability down to 

touchdown and, if applicable, through rollout. Fail 

Passive means an automatic flight control system, 

which, upon occurrence of any single failure, 

should not cause: Significant displacement from the 

approach path, altitude loss, or significant out of 

trim condition. 

an NPRM may be published with a new 

comment period. 

See the ‘‘Additional Information’’ 

section for information on how to 

comment on this direct final rule and 

how the FAA will handle comments 

received. In addition, there is 

information on obtaining copies of 

rulemaking documents. 

I. Overview of Final Rule 

The FAA is removing the definitions 

of Category IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc operations. 

Category III aircraft operations are 

precision approach and landing 

operations using an Instrument Landing 

System (ILS) conducted in very low 

visibility conditions. Currently, any 

approach and landing with a runway 

visual range (RVR) below 1000 feet is 

considered a Category III operation.1

The Category IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc 

operations definitions divide the general 

regime of Category III operations into 

specific RVR (visibility) bands. The 

definitions are outdated because they 

are no longer used for aircraft 

certification or operational 

authorization. Removing the Category 

IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc operations definitions 

will have no effect on existing Category 

III operators. The general Category III 

operation definition remains in effect, 

and is fully described in FAA orders 

and advisory circulars. 

II. Discussion of the Direct Final Rule 

History 

The International Civil Aviation 

Organization (ICAO) established the 

general concepts and definition of 

Category III operations in 1966 in ICAO 

Annex 10, Aeronautical 

Communications and then added the 

definitions of Category IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc 

operations in 1967. These did not 

correspond exactly with current 

definitions, but the required RVR values 

are the same. The FAA issued the initial 

U.S. CAT IIIa criteria (Advisory Circular 

(AC) 120–28, Criteria for Approval of 

Category III Weather Minima for 

Takeoff, Landing, and Rollout) on 

September 5, 1969, to assist industry in 

developing a CAT IIIa (minimum RVR 

700 feet) approach capability. These 

criteria included the basic concepts and 

minimum airborne equipment design 

requirements necessary for Category III 

operations, including the Fail 

Operational and Fail Passive control 

system concepts.2 The first U.S. aircraft 

certification for CAT IIIa occurred in 

1971. This approval was based on the 

use of Fail Operational automatic 

landing systems. 

In December 1971, the FAA revised 

the CAT IIIa criteria (AC 120–28A) by 

establishing initial operational approval 

criteria. These criteria were based on a 

conservative approach for reducing 

operating minima. However, as industry 

gained operational experience, the FAA 

determined that the AC 120–28A 

criteria were unnecessarily stringent. In 

December 1976, the U.S. certificated the 

first airplane for Fail Passive CAT IIIa 

operations. This and following 

certifications were based on the use of 

Fail Operational or Fail Passive flight 

control systems, but some Aircraft 

Flight Manuals specified that the 

aircraft were suitable for Category IIIa 

operations. 

As operational experience and the 

capabilities of airborne equipment 

increased in CAT IIIa operations, the 

FAA and industry realized the need for 

CAT IIIb (RVR lower than 700 feet but 

no lower than 150 feet) criteria. The 

FAA issued the initial U.S. CAT IIIb 

criteria for RVR 600 operations in March 

1984 (AC 120–28C). Aircraft 

certifications and operational approvals 

continued to be based on the 

capabilities of the aircraft’s Fail 

Operational or Fail Passive flight control 

systems, but also continued to tie the 

certifications and approvals to the 

Category IIIa and IIIb definitions. CAT 

IIIc operations are conducted with RVR 

below 150 feet. The FAA has not 

developed the criteria for aircraft 

certification and operational approval 

for Category IIIc operations. Therefore, 

Category IIIc operations have not been 

authorized. 

The FAA codified the definitions of 

Category IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc operations in 

1996. ICAO adopted the same 

definitions in ICAO Annex 6, Operation 

of Aircraft, in 1998. These definitions 

described the operational concepts in 

use at that time, and reflected existing 

technological capabilities and 

operational requirements. The 

definitions were used in certification 

and authorization documents. However, 

advances in aircraft technology and 

changes in the framework of operational 

approval have rendered the definitions 

obsolete for those purposes. While still 

used for discussion and as a shorthand 

way to describe different levels of 

Category III operations, the Category 

IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc definitions are no 

longer used as a basis for aircraft 

certification or for issuance of 

operational authorizations. 

Domestic Practice 

While AC 120–28D, issued in October 

1999, references the definitions of 

Category IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc operations, 

the aircraft certification and operational 

approval documentation no longer uses 

these definitions. Under AC 120–28D, 

aircraft certifications are based solely on 

the demonstrated capabilities of the 

aircraft to land and rollout on the 

runway. For example, an aircraft with 

Fail Operational systems may be 

demonstrated to automatically land and 

rollout at RVR 150 feet, and this 

capability is stated in the Aircraft Flight 

Manual. The operational approvals will 

be based on that Manual without 

reference to the Category IIIa, IIIb, and 

IIIc definitions. 

International Practice 

An effort is underway to rationalize 

and standardize Category III approach 

minima internationally. Aircraft 

certification standards are essentially 

the same worldwide with regard to the 

use of Fail Operational or Fail Passive 

system criteria to describe landing 

capabilities. Operational approval 

criteria are also based on the aircraft 

system capabilities, as in the United 

States. However, the publication of 

Category III landing minima for use on 

the approach are still tied to the 

Category IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc definitions, 

both internationally and in the United 

States. The FAA is removing the CAT 

IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc definitions as a first 

step toward the universal description of 

Category III operations and certification 

in terms currently used. The FAA 

presented a Working Paper to the ICAO 

Operations Council in October, 2011 

requesting the deletion of the Category 

IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc definitions from the 

ICAO Annexes. The FAA also presented 

a similar paper to the European 

Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)/FAA 

All Weather Operations Harmonization 

Working Group in October, 2011. 

Landing Minima 

Category III approach charts depicting 

landing minima in terms of the Category 

IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc definitions are now 

unnecessary. The Category III landing 

minima at a particular runway are based 

on the demonstrated qualities and 

capabilities of the ILS installed on that 

runway. The FAA tests every installed 

ILS in accordance with ICAO criteria, 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 32 / Thursday, February 16, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 9165 

and the results are classified and 

published to define the allowable 

landing minima. These ILS 

classifications are used directly in the 

determination of landing minima. 

Once this rule is effective, the FAA 

will amend FAA Orders defining 

publication of Category III minima by 

removing references to Category IIIa, 

IIIb, and IIIc operations. The amended 

Orders will directly relate the ILS 

system classification to the allowable 

published minima. The approach charts 

will show only the lowest possible 

Category III landing minima on a 

runway. For example, the approach 

chart for a landing at an airport would 

only state that the RVR is 600 and will 

not make any reference to the CAT IIIb 

operations definition. Operators will use 

the published minima in conjunction 

with their Operations Specifications to 

determine the lowest landing minima 

allowed to them, as is currently done. 

Impact on Future Operations 

Future Category III operations may 

derive from new low visibility approach 

and landing technologies. The type of 

operations, landing minima and aircraft 

certification criteria for these future 

systems will not follow the Category 

IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc definitions. Thus, 

removing the Category IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc 

definitions will eliminate the need for 

future systems to comply with these 

outdated definitions. 

III. Regulatory Notices and Analyses 

A. Regulatory Evaluation 

Changes to Federal regulations must 

undergo several economic analyses. 

First, Executive Order 12866 and 

Executive Order 13563 direct that each 

Federal agency shall propose or adopt a 

regulation only upon a reasoned 

determination that the benefits of the 

intended regulation justify its costs. 

Second, the Regulatory Flexibility Act 

of 1980 (Pub. L. 96–354) requires 

agencies to analyze the economic 

impact of regulatory changes on small 

entities. Third, the Trade Agreements 

Act (Pub. L. 96–39) prohibits agencies 

from setting standards that create 

unnecessary obstacles to the foreign 

commerce of the United States. In 

developing U.S. standards, the Trade 

Act requires agencies to consider 

international standards and, where 

appropriate, that they be the basis of 

U.S. standards. Fourth, the Unfunded 

Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 

104–4) requires agencies to prepare a 

written assessment of the costs, benefits, 

and other effects of proposed or final 

rules that include a Federal mandate 

likely to result in the expenditure by 

State, local, or tribal governments, in the 

aggregate, or by the private sector, of 

$100 million or more annually (adjusted 

for inflation with base year of 1995). 

This portion of the preamble 

summarizes the FAA’s analysis of the 

economic impacts of this final rule. 

Department of Transportation Order 

DOT 2100.5 prescribes policies and 

procedures for simplification, analysis, 

and review of regulations. If the 

expected cost impact is so minimal that 

a proposed or final rule does not 

warrant a full evaluation, this order 

permits that a statement to that effect 

and the basis for it be included in the 

preamble if a full regulatory evaluation 

of the cost and benefits is not prepared. 

Such a determination has been made for 

this final rule. 

The FAA is removing the definitions 

of Category IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc operations. 

Since this final rule removes outdated 

and unnecessary definitions, the 

expected outcome will be a minimal 

impact with positive net benefits, and a 

regulatory evaluation was not prepared. 

The FAA requests comments with 

supporting justification about the FAA 

determination of minimal impact. 

The FAA has, therefore, determined 

that this final rule is not a ‘‘significant 

regulatory action’’ as defined in section 

3(f) of Executive Order 12866, and is not 

‘‘significant’’ as defined in DOT’s 

Regulatory Policies and Procedures. 

B. Regulatory Flexibility Determination 

The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 

(Pub. L. 96–354) (RFA) establishes ‘‘as a 

principle of regulatory issuance that 

agencies shall endeavor, consistent with 

the objectives of the rule and of 

applicable statutes, to fit regulatory and 

informational requirements to the scale 

of the businesses, organizations, and 

governmental jurisdictions subject to 

regulation. To achieve this principle, 

agencies are required to solicit and 

consider flexible regulatory proposals 

and to explain the rationale for their 

actions to assure that such proposals are 

given serious consideration.’’ The RFA 

covers a wide-range of small entities, 

including small businesses, not-forprofit organizations, and small 

governmental jurisdictions. 

Agencies must perform a review to 

determine whether a rule will have a 

significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. If 

the agency determines that it will, the 

agency must prepare a regulatory 

flexibility analysis as described in the 

RFA. However, if any agency 

determines that a rule is not expected to 

have a significant economic impact on 

a substantial number of entities, section 

605(b) of RFA provides that the head of 

the agency may so certify and a 

regulatory flexibility analysis is not 

required. The certification must include 

a statement providing the factual basis 

for this determination, and the 

reasoning should be clear. 

As noted above, the changes to § 1.1 

are cost relieving because the FAA is 

removing the definitions of Category 

IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc operations. The 

definitions are outdated and no longer 

used for aircraft certification or 

operational authorization. Therefore, as 

the FAA Acting Administrator, I certify 

that this rule will not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities. 

C. International Trade Impact 

Assessment 

The Trade Agreements Act of 1979 

(Pub. L. 96–39), as amended by the 

Uruguay Round Agreements Act (Pub. 

L. 103–465), prohibits Federal agencies 

from establishing standards or engaging 

in related activities that create 

unnecessary obstacles to the foreign 

commerce of the United States. 

Pursuant to these Acts, the 

establishment of standards is not 

considered an unnecessary obstacle to 

the foreign commerce of the United 

States, so long as the standard has a 

legitimate domestic objective, such as 

the protection of safety, and does not 

operate in a manner that excludes 

imports that meet this objective. The 

statute also requires consideration of 

international standards and, where 

appropriate, that they be the basis for 

U.S. standards. The FAA has assessed 

the potential effect of this final rule and 

determined that it is neither considered 

an unnecessary obstacle nor a 

promotion to international trade and 

therefore it will have no impact on 

international trade. 

D. Unfunded Mandates Assessment 

Title II of the Unfunded Mandates 

Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–4) 

requires each Federal agency to prepare 

a written statement assessing the effects 

of any Federal mandate in a proposed or 

final agency rule that may result in an 

expenditure of $100 million or more (in 

1995 dollars) in any one year by State, 

local, and tribal governments, in the 

aggregate, or by the private sector; such 

a mandate is deemed to be a ‘‘significant 

regulatory action.’’ The FAA currently 

uses an inflation-adjusted value of 

$143.1 million in lieu of $100 million. 

This final rule does not contain such a 

mandate; therefore, the requirements of 

Title II of the Act do not apply. 


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9166 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 32 / Thursday, February 16, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

E. Paperwork Reduction Act 

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(44 U.S.C. 3507(d)) requires that the 

FAA consider the impact of paperwork 

and other information collection 

burdens imposed on the public. The 

FAA has determined that there is no 

new requirement for information 

collection associated with this direct 

final rule. 

F. International Compatibility 

In keeping with U.S. obligations 

under the Convention on International 

Civil Aviation, it is FAA policy to 

conform to ICAO Standards and 

Recommended Practices to the 

maximum extent practicable. The FAA 

has reviewed the corresponding ICAO 

Standards and Recommended Practices 

and has identified the following 

difference. Once this rule is effective, 

the FAA’s regulations will no longer 

include the definitions of Category IIIa, 

IIIb, and IIIc operations. This differs 

from ICAO Standards and 

Recommended Practices because ICAO’s 

Annex 6 and Annex 10 include the 

Category IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc definitions. 

Until such time ICAO removes these 

definitions from its annexes, the FAA 

will be required to file a Difference with 

ICAO. 

G. Environmental Analysis 

FAA Order 1050.1E identifies FAA 

actions that are categorically excluded 

from preparation of an environmental 

assessment or environmental impact 

statement under the National 

Environmental Policy Act in the 

absence of extraordinary circumstances. 

The FAA has determined this 

rulemaking action qualifies for the 

categorical exclusion identified in 

paragraph 312f and involves no 

extraordinary circumstances. 

IV. Executive Order Determinations 

A. Executive Order 13132, Federalism 

The FAA has analyzed this final rule 

under the principles and criteria of 

Executive Order 13132, Federalism. The 

agency determined that this action will 

not have a substantial direct effect on 

the States, or the relationship between 

the Federal Government and the States, 

or on the distribution of power and 

responsibilities among the various 

levels of government, and, therefore, 

does not have Federalism implications. 

B. Executive Order 13211, Regulations 

That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 

Distribution, or Use 

The FAA analyzed this final rule 

under Executive Order 13211, Actions 

Concerning Regulations that 

Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 

Distribution, or Use (May 18, 2001). The 

agency has determined that it is not a 

‘‘significant energy action’’ under the 

executive order and it is not likely to 

have a significant adverse effect on the 

supply, distribution, or use of energy. 

V. Additional Information 

A. Comments Invited 

The FAA invites interested persons to 

participate in this rulemaking by 

submitting written comments, data, or 

views. The agency also invites 

comments relating to the economic, 

environmental, energy, or federalism 

impacts that might result from adopting 

the rulemaking action in this document. 

The most helpful comments reference a 

specific portion of the rulemaking 

action, explain the reason for any 

recommended change, and include 

supporting data. To ensure the docket 

does not contain duplicate comments, 

commenters should send only one copy 

of written comments, or if comments are 

filed electronically, commenters should 

submit only one time. 

The FAA will file in the docket all 

comments it receives, as well as a report 

summarizing each substantive public 

contact with FAA personnel concerning 

this rulemaking. Before acting on this 

rulemaking action, the FAA will 

consider all comments it receives on or 

before the closing date for comments. 

The FAA will consider comments filed 

after the comment period has closed if 

it is possible to do so without incurring 

expense or delay. The agency may 

change this rulemaking action in light of 

the comments it receives. 

B. Availability of Rulemaking 

Documents 

An electronic copy of rulemaking 

documents may be obtained from the 

Internet by— 

1. Searching the Federal eRulemaking 

Portal (http://www.regulations.gov); 

2. Visiting the FAA’s Regulations and 

Policies Web page at http:// 

www.faa.gov/regulations_policies; or 

3. Accessing the Government Printing 

Office’s Web page at http:// 

www.fdsys.gov. 

Copies may also be obtained by 

sending a request to the Federal 

Aviation Administration, Office of 

Rulemaking, ARM–1, 800 Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591, or 

by calling (202) 267–9680. Commenters 

must identify the docket or amendment 

number of this rulemaking. 

All documents the FAA considered in 

developing this rulemaking action, 

including economic analyses and 

technical reports, may be accessed from 

the Internet through the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal referenced in item 

(1) above. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 1 

Air transportation. 

The Amendment 

In consideration of the foregoing, the 

Federal Aviation Administration 

amends chapter I of title 14, Code of 

Federal Regulations as follows: 

PART 1—DEFINITIONS AND 

ABBREVIATIONS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 1 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701. 

■ 2. Amend § 1.1 by removing the 

definitions of ‘‘Category IIIa 

operations,’’ ‘‘Category IIIb operations,’’ 

and ‘‘Category IIIc operations.’’ 

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 7, 

2012. 

Michael P. Huerta, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3692 Filed 2–15–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–0107; Directorate 

Identifier 2012–NM–018–AD; Amendment 

39–16955; AD 2012–03–51] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Airplanes 

Originally Manufactured by Lockheed 

for the Military as P2V Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

airplanes originally manufactured by 

Lockheed for the military as P2V 

airplanes. This emergency AD was sent 

previously to all known U.S. owners 

and operators of these airplanes. This 

AD requires cleaning of the forward 

lower spar cap between wing stations 40 

and 84.5 (right and left), and doing a 

detailed inspection for cracks, working 

fasteners, and other anomalies, 

including surface damage in the form of 

a nick, gouge, or corrosion; and 

repairing if necessary. This AD was 

prompted by a report of a significant 

crack in the principle wing structure. 

We are issuing this AD to detect and 


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