[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 8 (Monday, January 13, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 2088]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00383]



[[Page 2088]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Parts 91, 121, and 125

[Docket No.: FAA-2013-0579; Amendment Nos. 91-329, 121-364 and 125-62]
RIN 2120-AK27


Flight Data Recorder Airplane Parameter Specification Omissions 
and Corrections

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; disposition of comments.

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SUMMARY: On December 31, 2012, the FAA published a final rule with a 
request for comments amending the operating regulations for flight data 
recorders by correcting errors in recording rates in three different 
appendices. These errors created requirements that could not be met by 
certain airplanes without extensive modification, which was not 
intended when the requirements were adopted. The corrected recording 
rates are as intended when the applicable flight data recorder 
parameter requirements were adopted, but which had been omitted from 
the then current publication of the regulatory text.

DATES: January 13, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may review the public docket for this rulemaking (Docket 
No. FAA-2012-1333) at the Docket Management Facility in Room W12-140 of 
the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC, 20590-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. You may also review the public docket 
on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical questions concerning 
this action contact Chris Parfitt, Flight Standards Service, Aircraft 
Maintenance Division-Avionics Maintenance Branch, AFS-360, Federal 
Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20591; telephone (202) 385-6398; email [email protected].
    For legal questions concerning this action contact Karen Petronis, 
International Law, Legislation and Regulations Division (AGC-200), 
Office of the Chief Counsel, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267-
3073, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The final rule amended three appendices in 14 CFR related to flight 
data recorder (FDR) requirements:
     First, Appendix E to part 91 was amended to correct a 
typographical error introduced when the rule was published. For the 
altitude parameter, the sampling rate per second was listed as 11. The 
correct rate had always been 1 sample per second.
     The second and third corrections concerned identical 
standards in Appendix M to part 121 and Appendix E to part 125. When 
footnote 5 was added in 1999 to each Appendix, the sampling interval 
was left off for certain airplanes. The correction put the sampling 
interval of once per second back in the footnote for the affected 
airplanes.
    None of these changes required action by airplane owners, operators 
or manufacturers as the affected airplanes already complied with the 
requirements of the originally adopted rules and the corrections 
adopted. Since these requirements were intended in the original rules, 
there was no new impact on safety.

Discussion of Comments

    The FAA received no comments on the final rule.

Conclusion

    Since no comments were submitted in response to the final rule, the 
FAA has determined that no revisions to the rule are warranted.

    Issued under authority of 49 U.S.C. 106(f) and 44701(a)(5) in 
Washington, DC.
Lirio Liu,
Director, Office of Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 2014-00383 Filed 1-10-14; 8:45 am]
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