[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 5, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 24502-24503]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-10578]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Parts 27 and 29

[Docket No. FAA-2009-0660; Notice No. 10-09]
RIN 2120-AJ52


Damage Tolerance and Fatigue Evaluation of Composite Rotorcraft 
Structures; Reopening of Comment Period

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

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

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[[Page 24503]]

SUMMARY: On January 6, 2010, the FAA published a NPRM proposing to 
revise airworthiness standards for type certification requirements of 
normal and transport category rotorcraft. The amendment would address 
advances in composite structures technology and provide internationally 
harmonized standards. The public was invited to comment for a 90-day 
period. The comment period closed on April 6, 2010; however, the FAA is 
reopening the comment period until July 16, 2010 in response to a 
request from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Reopening of 
the comment period would allow the rulemaking processes of the FAA and 
EASA to better align and facilitate achieving the objective of common 
international standards.

DATES: The comment period for the NPRM published on January 6, 2010 (75 
FR 793) closed April 6, 2010, and is reopened until July 16, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments identified by Docket Number FAA-2009-
0660 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 January 6, 2010, the FAA published in the Federal Register (75 
FR 793) Notice No. 09-12, entitled ``Damage Tolerance and Fatigue 
Evaluation of Composite Rotorcraft Structures'' that proposed to revise 
airworthiness standards for type certification requirements of normal 
and transport category rotorcraft. The comment period closed April 6, 
2010.
    By request dated March 22, 2010, 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 the NPRM and NPA processes 
are jointly dispositioned by technical experts from each aviation 
authority. EASA requested that the comment period be extended 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.

Reopening 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 to reopen 
the comment period to Notice No. 10-09. This petitioner has shown a 
substantive interest in the proposed rule and good cause for reopening 
the comment period. The FAA has determined that reopening the comment 
period will allow EASA and others additional time for a more thorough 
review of applicable issues and questions raised by the NPRM and 
drafting of responsive comments.
    To give all interested persons additional time to complete their 
comments, the FAA finds it is in the public interest to reopen the 
comment period until July 16, 2010.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2010.
Pamela Hamilton-Powell,
Director, Office of Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 2010-10578 Filed 5-4-10; 8:45 am]
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