[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 151 (Monday, August 6, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 38253-38255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16679]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2018-0137; Airspace Docket No. 18-ACE-2]
RIN-2120-AA66


Amendment and Establishment of Class E Airspace; Columbus, NE

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This action modifies Class E airspace designated as a surface 
area and makes the airspace full-time and removes the airspace part-
time status and language from the airspace legal description, amends 
Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface, and 
establishes Class E airspace designated as an extension to the Class E 
surface area at Columbus Municipal Airport, Columbus, NE. This action 
is at the request of Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center 
(ARTCC) and the result of an FAA airspace review. Additionally, the 
geographic coordinates of the airport are updated to coincide with the 
FAA's aeronautical database. This action is necessary for the safety 
and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at this 
airport.

DATES: Effective 0901 UTC, November 8, 2018. The Director of the 
Federal Register approves this incorporation by reference action under 
Title 1, Code of Federal Regulations, part 51, subject to the annual 
revision of FAA Order 7400.11 and publication of conforming amendments.

ADDRESSES: FAA Order 7400.11B, Airspace Designations and Reporting 
Points, and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/. For further information, you can 
contact the Airspace Policy Group, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-
8783. The Order is also available for inspection at the National 
Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the 
availability of FAA Order 7400.11B at NARA, call (202) 741-6030, or go 
to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.
    FAA Order 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, is 
published yearly and effective on September 15.

[[Page 38254]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Claypool, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Operations Support Group, Central Service Center, 10101 
Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5711.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority for This Rulemaking

    The FAA's authority to issue rules regarding 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 Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart I, Section 40103. Under that section, 
the FAA is charged with prescribing regulations to assign the use of 
airspace necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft and the efficient 
use of airspace. This regulation is within the scope of that authority 
as it amends Class E airspace designated as a surface area, amends 
Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface, and 
establishes Class E airspace designated as an extension to the Class E 
surface area at Columbus Municipal Airport, Columbus, NE to support IFR 
operations at the airport.

History

    The FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the 
Federal Register (83 FR 13438; March 29, 2018) for Docket No. FAA-2018-
0137 to amend Class E airspace designated as a surface area and make 
the airspace full-time and remove the airspace part-time status and 
language from the airspace legal description, amend Class E airspace 
extending upward from 700 feet above the surface, and establish Class E 
airspace designated as an extension to the Class E surface area at 
Columbus Municipal Airport, Columbus, NE. Interested parties were 
invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written 
comments on the proposal to the FAA. No comments were received.
    Subsequent to publication, the FAA discovered the following 
typographical errors: In the Class E airspace designated as a surface 
area airspace legal description, the airspace radius should be 4.2 vice 
4.7; and the geographic coordinates for Columbus Municipal Airport in 
the classes of airspace shown should be (lat. 41[deg]26'55'' N, long. 
97[deg]20'27'' W) vice (lat. 41[deg]26'55'' N, long. 97[deg]20'34'' W). 
These errors are corrected with this action.
    Class E airspace designations are published in paragraph 6002, 
6004, and 6005, respectively, of FAA Order 7400.11B, dated August 3, 
2017, and effective September 15, 2017, which is incorporated by 
reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The Class E airspace designations listed in 
this document will be published subsequently in the Order.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

    This document amends FAA Order 7400.11B, Airspace Designations and 
Reporting Points, dated August 3, 2017, and effective September 15, 
2017. FAA Order 7400.11B is publicly available as listed in the 
ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11B lists Class A, 
B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and 
reporting points.

The Rule

    The FAA amends Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 
71 by: Amending the Class E airspace designated as a surface area to 
within a 4.2-mile radius (reduced from a 4.7-mile radius) at Columbus 
Municipal Airport, Columbus, NE; removing the Columbus VOR/DME and the 
extensions to the southeast and northwest of the airport as they are no 
longer needed to define this boundary; making the airspace full-time 
and removing the part-time status and language from the airspace legal 
description; and updating the geographic coordinates of the airport to 
coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database;
    Establishing Class E airspace designated as an extension to the 
Class E surface area at Columbus Municipal Airport within 2.4 miles 
each side of the Columbus VOR/DME 150[deg] radial from the 4.2-mile 
radius of the airport to 7.0 miles southeast of the airport, and within 
2.4 miles each side of the Columbus VOR/DME 309[deg] radial from the 
4.2-mile radius of the airport to 7.7 miles northwest of the airport; 
and
    Amending Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the 
surface to within a 6.7-mile radius (reduced from a 7.7-mile radius) of 
Columbus Municipal Airport; removing the Columbus Municipal ILS 
Localizer, Platte Center NDB, and the associated northwest extension; 
amending the extension to the southeast to within 2.4 miles (increased 
from 1.6 miles) each side of the Columbus VOR/DME 150[deg] (previously 
157[deg]) radial from the 6.7-mile radius to 7.0 miles (decreased from 
11 miles) southeast of the airport; adding an extension 2.4 miles each 
side of the Columbus VOR/DME 309[deg] radial extending from the 6.7-
mile radius to 7.7 miles northeast of the airport; and updating the 
geographic coordinates of the airport to coincide with the FAA's 
aeronautical database.
    The NPRM incorrectly stated the geographic coordinates of the 
airport noted in the classes of airspace and are corrected in this rule 
to (lat. 41[deg]26'55'' N, long. 97[deg]20'27'' W).
    Airspace reconfiguration is necessary due to a request from 
Minneapolis ARTCC, to bring the airspace into compliance with FAA Order 
7400.2L, Procedures for Handling Airspace, and to support the safety 
and management of IFR operations at the airport.

Regulatory Notices and Analyses

    The FAA has determined that this regulation only involves an 
established body of technical regulations for which frequent and 
routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current, is 
non-controversial and unlikely to result in adverse or negative 
comments. It, therefore: (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' 
under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a ``significant rule'' under 
DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034; February 26, 
1979); and (3) does not warrant preparation of a regulatory evaluation 
as the anticipated impact is so minimal. Since this is a routine matter 
that only affects air traffic procedures and air navigation, it is 
certified that this rule, when promulgated, does not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the 
criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Environmental Review

    The FAA has determined that this action qualifies for categorical 
exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act in accordance 
with FAA Order 1050.1F, ``Environmental Impacts: Policies and 
Procedures,'' paragraph 5-6.5.a. This airspace action is not expected 
to cause any potentially significant environmental impacts, and no 
extraordinary circumstances exist that warrant preparation of an 
environmental assessment.

Lists of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71

    Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air).

Adoption of the Amendment

    In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation 
Administration amends 14 CFR part 71 as follows:

[[Page 38255]]

PART 71--DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR 
TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS

0
1. The authority citation for part 71 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g); 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O. 
10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389.


Sec.  71.1  [Amended]

0
2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order 7400.11B, 
Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 3, 2017, and 
effective September 15, 2017, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6002 Class E Airspace Areas Designated as Surface Areas.

* * * * *

ACE NE E2 Columbus, NE [Amended]

Columbus Municipal Airport, NE
    (Lat. 41[deg]26'55'' N, long. 97[deg]20'27'' W)

    Within a 4.2 mile radius of Columbus Municipal Airport.

Paragraph 6004 Class E Airspace Areas Designated as an Extension to 
a Class D or Class E Surface Area.

* * * * *

ACE MO E4 Columbus, NE [New]

Columbus Municipal Airport, NE
    (Lat. 41[deg]26'55'' N, long. 97[deg]20'27'' W)
Columbus VOR/DME
    (Lat. 41[deg]27'00'' N, long. 97[deg]20'27'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface within 2.4 miles 
each side of the Columbus VOR/DME 150[deg] radial extending from the 
4.2-mile radius of Columbus Municipal Airport to 7.0 miles southeast 
of the airport, and within 2.4 miles each side of the Columbus VOR/
DME 309[deg] radial extending from the 4.2-mile radius of Columbus 
Municipal Airport to 7.7 miles northwest of the airport.

Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward From 700 
Feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth.

* * * * *

ACE NE E5 Columbus, NE [Amended]

Columbus Municipal Airport, NE
    (Lat. 41[deg]26'55'' N, long. 97[deg]20'27'' W)
Columbus VOR/DME
    (Lat. 41[deg]27'00'' N, long. 97[deg]20'27'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within a 6.7-mile radius of Columbus Municipal Airport and within 
2.4 miles each side of the Columbus VOR/DME 150[deg] radial 
extending from the 6.7-mile radius to 7.0 miles southeast of the 
airport and within 2.4 miles each side of the Columbus VOR/DME 
309[deg] radial extending from the 6.7-mile radius to 7.7 miles 
northwest of the airport.

    Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 17, 2018.
Walter Tweedy,
Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, ATO Central Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2018-16679 Filed 8-3-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P