[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 5, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 24501-24502]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-10556]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 27

[Docket No. FAA-2009-0413; Notice No. 10-04]
RIN 2120-AJ51


Fatigue Tolerance Evaluation of Metallic Structures; Extension of 
Comment Period

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); extension of comment 
period.

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SUMMARY: This action extends the comment period for a NPRM that was

[[Page 24502]]

published on March 12, 2010. In that document, the FAA proposed to 
amend the airworthiness standards for fatigue tolerance evaluation 
(FTE) of transport category metallic rotorcraft structures. This notice 
responds to a request from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 
to extend the comment period to the proposal.

DATES: The comment period for the NPRM published on March 12, 2010 (75 
FR 11799) which was scheduled to close on June 10, 2010, is extended 
until July 30, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments identified by Docket Number FAA-2009-
0413 using any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
    <bullet> Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W12-
140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    <bullet> Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver 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.
    For more information on the rulemaking process, see the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
    Privacy: We will post all comments we receive, without change, to 
http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you 
provide. Using the search function of our docket web site, anyone can 
find and read the comments received into any of our dockets, including 
the name of the individual sending the comment (or signing the comment 
for an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or you may visit http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov.
    Docket: To read background documents or comments received, go to 
http://www.regulations.gov at any time or 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: Minh-Hai Tran-Lam, ARM-207, Office of 
Rulemaking, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 493-4963.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites interested persons to participate in this 
rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. We also 
invite comments relating to the economic, environmental, energy, or 
federalism impacts that might result from adopting the proposals in 
this document. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion 
of the proposal, explain the reason for any recommended change, and 
include supporting data. To ensure the docket does not contain 
duplicate comments, please send only one copy of written comments, or 
if you are filing comments electronically, please submit your comments 
only one time.
    We will file in the docket all comments we receive, as well as a 
report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel 
concerning this proposed rulemaking. Before acting on this proposal, we 
will consider all comments we receive on or before the closing date for 
comments. We will consider comments filed after the comment period has 
closed if it is possible to do so without incurring expense or delay. 
We may change this proposal in light of the comments we receive.

Availability of Rulemaking Documents

    You can get an electronic copy using the Internet by:
    (1) Searching the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov;
    (2) Visiting the Office of Rulemaking's web page at http://www.faa.gov/avr/arm/index.cfm; or
    (3) Accessing the Government Printing Office's web page at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.
    You can also get a copy 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. Make 
sure to identify the docket number or notice number of this rulemaking.

Background

    On March 7, 2010, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
published Notice No. 10-04, Fatigue Tolerance Evaluation of Metallic 
Structures (75 FR 11799, 3/12/2010). Comments to that document were to 
be received on or before June 10, 2010.
    By letter dated March 22, 2010, the European Aviation Safety Agency 
(EASA) addressed the joint interest in this rulemaking objective on the 
international level. EASA will be issuing an associated Notice of 
Proposed Amendment (NPA) with anticipated close of comment period in 
the July 2010 timeframe. EASA stated that in order to provide final 
rules that are harmonized as much as possible, it will be essential 
that technical cooperation is maintained and that comments arising from 
both the NPRM and NPA processes are jointly dispositioned by technical 
experts from each aviation authority. EASA requested that the FAA 
extend the comment period for Notice No. 10-04 to coincide with their 
NPA close of comment period, to allow the rulemaking processes of the 
FAA and EASA to better align and to facilitate achieving the objective 
of common international standards.

Extension of Comment Period

    In accordance with Sec.  11.47(c) of title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations, the FAA has reviewed the petition made by EASA for 
extension of the comment period to Notice No. 10-04. This petitioner 
has shown a substantive interest in the proposed rule and good cause 
for the extension. The FAA has determined that extension of the comment 
period is consistent with the public interest, and that good cause 
exists for taking this action.
    Accordingly, the comment period for Notice No. 10-04 is extended 
until July 30, 2010.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2010.
Pamela Hamilton-Powell,
Director, Office of Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 2010-10556 Filed 5-4-10; 8:45 am]
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