[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 52 (Tuesday, March 18, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 12882-12883]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6511]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 121

[Docket No. FAA-2002-14081; Notice No. 03-02]
RIN 2120-AH67


Transponder Continuous Operation; 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 an NPRM that was 
published on January 14, 2003. In that document, the FAA proposed to 
revise the instrument and equipment requirements for airplanes operated 
in domestic, flag, and supplemental operations to require affected 
airplanes to have the capability to help assure immediate activation of 
the designated air traffic control (ATC) hijack alert code, and 
continuous transmission of that code to ATC during a hijack situation. 
This extension is a result of a request from the Air Transport 
Association to extend the comment period to the proposal.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 18, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this document should be mailed or delivered, in 
duplicate, to: U.S. Department of Transportation Dockets, Docket No. 
FAA-2002-14081, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room Plaza 401, Washington, DC 
20590. Comments may be filed and examined in Room Plaza 401 between 10 
a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, except Federal holidays. Comments also may be 
sent electronically to the Dockets Management System (DMS) at the 
following Internet address: http://dms.dot.gov at any time. Commenters 
who wish to file comments electronically, should follow the 
instructions on the DMS Web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard E. Jennings, Aircraft 
Certification Service, Aircraft Engineering Division, AIR-130, Federal 
Aviation Administration, c/o Atlanta ACO, 1895 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 
450, Atlanta, GA 30349; telephone (770) 703-6090; facsimile (770) 703-
6055, e-mail [email protected].

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. We ask that you send us two copies of written 
comments.
    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. The docket is available for public 
inspection before and after the comment closing date. If you wish to 
review the docket in person, go to the address in the ADDRESSES section 
of this preamble between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. You may also review the docket using the 
Internet at the web address in the ADDRESSES section.
    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78) or you may visit 
http://dms.dot.gov.
    Before acting on this proposal, we will consider all comments we 
receive on or before the closing date for comments. We will consider 
comments

[[Page 12883]]

filed late if it is possible to do so without incurring expense or 
delay. We may change this proposal in light of the comments we receive.
    If you want the FAA to acknowledge receipt of your comments on this 
proposal, include with your comments a pre-addressed, stamped postcard 
on which the docket number appears. We will stamp the date on the 
postcard and mail it to you.

Background

    On January 8, 2003, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
issued Notice No. 03-02, Transponder Continuous Operation (68 FR 1942, 
January 14, 2003). Comments to that document were to be received on or 
before March 17, 2003.
    By letter dated March 11, 2003, the Air Transport Association 
requested that the FAA extend the comment period for Notice No. 03-02 
for 30 days. ATA stated that after publication of the NPRM, the FAA 
issued a Notice of Proposed Policy regarding Proposed Policy Statement 
No. ANM-03-111-12 (the Policy). The Policy proposed technical guidance 
material for compliance with the technical requirements of the NPRM. In 
order to ensure ATA's comments to the NPRM take into consideration the 
complex technical and compliance issues raised in the Policy and the 
NPRM, ATA requested an extension of the NPRM comment period.

Extension of Comment Period

    In accordance with Sec.  11.47(c) of Title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations, the FAA has reviewed the petitions made by ATA for 
extension of the comment period to Notice No. 03-02. ATA has shown a 
substantive interest in the proposed rule and good cause for the 
extension. The FAA also 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. 03-02 is extended 
until April 18, 2003.

    Issued in Washington, DC on March 13, 2003.
Ronald T. Wojnar,
Acting Director, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 03-6511 Filed 3-14-03; 11:44 am]
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