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

the Superintendent of Documents. Prices of

new books are listed in the first FEDERAL

REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

8155

Vol. 62, No. 36

Monday, February 24, 1997

NATIONAL CREDIT UNION

ADMINISTRATION

12 CFR Parts 790 and 792

Description of NCUA; Requests for

Agency Action and Requests for

Information Under the Freedom of

Information Act and Privacy Act, and

by Subpoena; Security Procedures for

Classified Information

AGENCY: National Credit Union

Administration (NCUA)

ACTION: Final rule

SUMMARY: Due to changes in the credit

union environment, in October of 1996,

the NCUA authorized a change in the

mission and a corresponding name

change of the Asset Liquidation and

Management Center (ALMC). The new

name is the Asset Management and

Assistance Center (AMAC). A

description of the new AMAC replaces

the description of the ALMC. In

addition, AMAC replaces ALMC in

another part of the regulations.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Effective February 24,

1997.

ADDRESSES: National Credit Union

Administration, 1775 Duke Street,

Alexandria, VA 22314–3428.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Hattie M. Ulan, Special Counsel to the

General Counsel at the above address or

telephone: 703–518–6540.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

NCUA Board established the Asset

Liquidation Management Center

(ALMC) in July 1988, to deal with an

emerging concentration of real estate

assets in a limited number of troubled

credit unions. The mission of the ALMC

was to minimize losses to the National

Credit Union Share Insurance Fund by

managing and disposing of real estate

assets acquired from troubled credit

unions. In February of 1990, the Board

added the agency’s liquidation activity

to the ALMC. Although the number of

liquidations are down, liquidations have

become increasingly complex. The

ALMC’s responsibilities have expanded

to include the review of large, complex

loan portfolios, assistance in uncovering

and developing bond claims and

complex record reconstruction. The

ALMC provides additional depth,

experience and resources in liquidation

related as well as other matters to

NCUA’s six regional offices.

The Board believed that the name

ALMC did not accurately reflect the

responsibilities the center was carrying

out. Therefore, in October 1996, the

Board officially changed the name to

Asset Management and Assistance

Center (AMAC). The Board is now

amending its regulation which describes

the duties of AMAC, formerly the

ALMC. The description of the office is

found in 12 CFR 790.2(b)(4). There is

also a reference to ALMC in 12 CFR

792.2(f). This paragraph describes

information centers for purposes of

requesting materials under the Freedom

of Information Act. The reference is

corrected to read AMAC. An additional

sentence is added to paragraph 792.2(f)

to indicate that the President of the

AMAC is responsible for the operation

of the information center maintained

there. This is a technical addition of a

responsibility already delegated to the

President of AMAC.

Regulatory Procedures

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Regulatory Flexibility Act

requires the NCUA to prepare an

analysis to describe any significant

economic impact any regulation may

have on a substantial number of small

credit unions. The changes made by this

rule are merely housekeeping changes.

Therefore, the NCUA Board has

determined and certifies that, under the

authority granted in 5 U.S.C. 605(b), this

final rule will not have a significant

economic impact on a substantial

number of small credit unions.

Accordingly, the Board has determined

that a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is

not required.

Paperwork Reduction Act

This final rule does not change any

paperwork requirements.

Executive Order 12612

Executive Order 12612 requires

NCUA to consider the effect of its

actions on state interests. Since these

are housekeeping changes only, there is

no effect on state interests.

List of Subjects in 12 CFR Parts 790 and

792

Credit Unions.

By the National Credit Union

Administration Board on February 13, 1997.

Becky Baker,

Secretary of the Board.

Accordingly, for the reasons set out in

the preamble, 12 CFR Ch. VII is

amended as set forth below.

PART 790—DESCRIPTION OF NCUA;

REQUESTS FOR AGENCY ACTION

1. The authority citation for part 790

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1766, 12 U.S.C. 1789,

12 U.S.C. 1795f.

2. Amend § 790.2 by revising

paragraph (b)(4) to read as follows:

§ 790.2 Central and regional office

organization.

* * * * *

(b) * * *

(4) Asset Management and Assistance

Center. The President of the Asset

Management and Assistance Center

(AMAC) is responsible for monitoring,

evaluating, disposing, and/or managing

major assets acquired by NCUA;

responsible for managing involuntary

liquidations for all federally insured

credit unions placed into involuntary

liquidation including the orderly

processing of payments of share

insurance, sale and/or collection of loan

portfolios, liquidation of other assets

and achieving other recoveries,

payments to creditors, and distributions

to any uninsured shareholders. The

President, AMAC, serves as a primary

consultant with the regional offices on

asset sales or purchases to restructure

problem case credit unions, as technical

expert to evaluate specific areas of

credit union operations, and as

instructor in training classes;

responsible to prepare and negotiate

bond claims; responsible to manage or

assist in the management of

conservatorships. The address of AMAC

is 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite

5100, Austin, Texas 78759–8490.

* * * * *
8156 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 36 / Monday, February 24, 1997 / Rules and Regulations

PART 792—REQUESTS FOR

INFORMATION UNDER THE FREEDOM

OF INFORMATION ACT AND PRIVACY

ACT, AND BY SUBPOENA; SECURITY

PROCEDURES FOR CLASSIFIED

INFORMATION

3. The authority citation for part 792

is revised to read as follows:

Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1766, 12 U.S.C. 1789,

12 U.S.C. 1795f; 5 U.S.C. 552, 5 U.S.C. 552b;

Executive Orders 12600 and 12356.

4. Amend § 792.2 by revising

paragraph (f) to read as follows:

§ 792.2 Information made available to the

public and requests for such information.

* * * * *

(f) Information Centers. The Central

Office, Regional Offices and the Asset

Management and Assistance Center are

the designated Information Centers for

the NCUA. The Freedom of Information

Officer of the Office of General Counsel

is responsible for the operation of the

Information Center maintained at the

Central Office. The Regional Directors

are responsible for the operation of the

Information Centers in their Regional

Offices. The President of the Asset

Management and Assistance Center is

responsible for the operation of the

Information Center maintained there.

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 97–4441 Filed 2–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7535–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 96–NM–38–AD; Amendment

39–9941; AD 97–04–16]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Fokker

Model F27 Series Airplanes Equipped

With Walter Kidde Nose Wheel

Steering System

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a

new airworthiness directive (AD),

applicable to certain Fokker Model F27

series airplanes, that requires increasing

the torque value of the bolt that

connects the gearbox housing assembly

of the steering unit to the pivot bracket

of the nose landing gear (NLG). This

amendment also requires that periodic

inspections of that torque value be

incorporated into the FAA-approved

maintenance program. This amendment

is prompted by several reports that the

dowel pins in the Walter Kidde nose

wheel steering system were found

broken and/or had elongated holes due

to a reduced torque value of the subject

bolt. The actions specified by this AD

are intended to prevent such a reduction

in the torque value, which could result

in failure of the dowel pins in the

Walter Kidde nose wheel steering

system; this situation could result in

reduced controllability of the airplane

or the collapse of the NLG during

landing.

DATES: Effective March 31, 1997.

The incorporation by reference of

certain publications listed in the

regulations is approved by the Director

of the Federal Register as of March 31,

1997.

ADDRESSES: The service information

referenced in this AD may be obtained

from Fokker Aircraft USA, Inc., 1199

North Fairfax Street, Alexandria,

Virginia 22314. This information may be

examined at the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), Transport

Airplane Directorate, Rules Docket,

1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton,

Washington; or at the Office of the

Federal Register, 800 North Capitol

Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ruth Harder, Aerospace Engineer,

Standardization Branch, ANM–113,

FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate,

1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton,

Washington 98055–4056; telephone

(206) 227–1721; fax (206) 227–1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A

proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to

include an airworthiness directive (AD)

that is applicable to certain Fokker

Model F27 series airplanes was

published in the Federal Register on

July 29, 1996 (61 FR 39366). That action

proposed to require increasing the

torque value of the bolt that connects

the gearbox housing assembly of the

steering unit to the pivot bracket of the

nose landing gear (NLG).

Interested persons have been afforded

an opportunity to participate in the

making of this amendment. Due

consideration has been given to the

comments received.

Support for the Proposal

One commenter supports the

proposed rule.

Request to Withdraw Proposal

One commenter, a U.S. operator,

requests that the proposal be withdrawn

because it is unnecessary. The

commenter points out that the proposed

requirements previously were issued by

Fokker both as a service bulletin and a

maintenance circular several years ago.

This commenter has already added the

inspections to its maintenance program,

far in advance of any requirement by AD

to do so. The commenter contends that

mandating the actions via an AD will

‘‘only add an administrative burden on

an industry already overburdened with

administrative tasks, many of which are

redundant.’’ Instead of issuing this AD,

the commenter recommends that the

proposed requirements be added to the

airlines’ Operations Specifications, or

merely have the Principal Maintenance

Inspectors for the affected airlines talk

to the operators about this issue. The

commenter maintains that handling the

proposed requirements in some other

way than by AD action would save the

affected operators a considerable

amount of time and money.

The FAA does not concur with the

commenter’s request to withdraw the

proposal. The FAA acknowledges that

the required actions specified in this AD

were contained in a manufacturer’s

service bulletin and maintenance

circular, both of which were released

some time ago. Prudent operators, such

as the commenter, may have

accomplished those actions already.

However, until an AD is issued, there is

no legal basis for requiring U.S.

operators to comply with those actions.

The AD is the vehicle for ensuring, by

law, that all affected operators perform

the necessary actions that will address

the identified unsafe condition. In light

of this, the FAA has determined that

this AD is appropriate and warranted.

Further, the FAA is not convinced

that issuance of this AD will add a

significant economic or administrative

burden on operators who have already

accomplished the required actions, as

the commenter suggests:

First, the FAA points out that there

are currently only 34 U.S.-registered

airplanes that are affected by the AD.

Second, the compliance provision of

the AD clearly states that compliance is

‘‘required as indicated, unless

accomplished previously.’’ Therefore,

operators who have already

accomplished the required actions need

only make a single entry in their

maintenance logs to indicate

compliance with the AD. Further, once

the maintenance program is changed to

include the required periodic

inspections, in accordance with

paragraph (b) of the AD, operators do

not need to make a maintenance log

entry to show compliance with the AD

every time those inspections are

accomplished thereafter. (A new Note 2

has been added to the final rule to

specify this.) Such procedures should