[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 227 (Monday, November 25, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 64795-64797]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25293]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 71
[Docket No. FAA-2019-0799; Airspace Docket No. 19-AGL-13]
RIN 2120-AA66
Proposed Amendment of VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal
Airway V-71 and Area Navigation Route T-285 Due to the Decommissioning
of the Winner, SD, VOR
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR)
Federal airway V-71 and area navigation (RNAV) route T-285. The FAA is
proposing this action due to the planned decommissioning of the Winner,
SD (ISD), VOR navigation aid (NAVAID). The Winner VOR is being
decommissioned in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network
(MON) program.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 9, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of
Transportation, Docket Operations, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590; telephone: 1
(800) 647-5527, or (202) 366-9826. You must identify FAA Docket No.
FAA-2019-0799; Airspace Docket No. 19-AGL-13 at the beginning of your
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and
subsequent amendments can be viewed online at https://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 7400.11D at NARA, email:
[email protected] or go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colby Abbott, Airspace Policy Group,
Office of Airspace Services, Federal
[[Page 64796]]
Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20591; telephone: (202) 267-8783.
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
the 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 would modify the National Airspace System as necessary
to preserve the safe and efficient flow of air traffic.
Comments Invited
Interested parties are invited to participate in this proposed
rulemaking by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as they
may desire. Comments that provide the factual basis supporting the
views and suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing
reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are
specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic,
environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal.
Communications should identify both docket numbers (FAA Docket No.
FAA-2019-0799; Airspace Docket No. 19-AGL-13) and be submitted in
triplicate to the Docket Management Facility (see ADDRESSES section for
address and phone number). You may also submit comments through the
internet at http://www.regulations.gov.
Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments
on this action must submit with those comments a self-addressed,
stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: ``Comments
to FAA Docket No. FAA-2019-0799; Airspace Docket No. 19-AGL-13.'' The
postcard will be date/time stamped and returned to the commenter.
All communications received on or before the specified comment
closing date will be considered before taking action on the proposed
rule. The proposal contained in this action may be changed in light of
comments received. All comments submitted will be available for
examination in the public docket both before and after the comment
closing date. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with
FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed in the
docket.
Availability of NPRMs
An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded through the
internet at http://www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/airspace_amendments/.
You may review the public docket containing the proposal, any
comments received and any final disposition in person in the Dockets
Office (see ADDRESSES section for address and phone number) between
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal
holidays. An informal docket may also be examined during normal
business hours at the office of the Operations Support Group, Central
Service Center, Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood Blvd.,
Fort Worth, TX 76177.
Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference
This document proposes to amend FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace
Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 8, 2019, and effective
September 15, 2019. FAA Order 7400.11D is publicly available as listed
in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11D lists
Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and
reporting points.
Background
The FAA is planning to decommission the Winner, SD (ISD), VOR in
May 2020. The Winner VOR was one of the candidate VORs identified for
discontinuance by the FAA's VOR MON program and listed in the Final
policy statement notice, ``Provision of Navigation Services for the
Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) Transition to
Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) (Plan for Establishing a VOR Minimum
Operational Network),'' published in the Federal Register of July 26,
2016 (81 FR 48694), Docket No. FAA-2011-1082. The ATS routes effected
by the Winner VOR decommissioning are VOR Federal airway V-71 and RNAV
route T-285.
With the planned decommissioning of the Winner VOR, the remaining
ground-based NAVAID coverage in the area is insufficient to enable the
continuity of V-71 within the affected area. As such, the proposed
modification to V-71 would result in a gap in the airway with the
airway segments between the O'Neill, NE, VOR/Tactical Air Navigation
(VORTAC) and the Pierre, SD, VORTAC NAVAIDs being removed.
To overcome the removal of the V-71 airway segments, the FAA plans
to retain the current fixes located along those airway segments to
assist pilots and air traffic controllers already familiar with them,
for point-to-point navigation or radar vector purposes. Additionally, a
new waypoint (LESNR) is being established overhead the Winner VOR
location (within 60 feet) to retain that route point for navigation and
radar vector purposes as well.
Further, the FAA proposes to retain T-285 as it is charted today by
replacing the Winner VOR route point with the new LESNR waypoint. The
minor adjustment of the LESNR waypoint overhead the Winner VOR location
(within 60 feet) is expected to be transparent to pilots flying the
RNAV route and not change the charted depiction of T-285.
Instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic could use the retained T-285
RNAV route, file point-to-point using the fixes and new LESNR waypoint
that will remain in place, or receive air traffic control (ATC) radar
vectors to continue operating through the affected area. Visual flight
rules (VFR) pilots who elect to navigate via the airways through the
affected area could also take advantage of the air traffic services
previously listed.
A number of minor editorial corrections to the T-285 legal
description are also proposed to comply with RNAV route description
policy guidance. The editorial corrections do not change the route's
structure, operational use, or charted depiction.
The Proposal
The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal
Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 to amend VOR Federal airway V-71 and RNAV
route T-285 due to the planned decommissioning of the Winner, SD, VOR.
The proposed air traffic service (ATS) route actions are described
below.
V-71: V-71 currently extends between the Fighting Tiger, LA, VORTAC
and the Williston, ND, VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME)
NAVAIDs. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment between the
O'Neill, NE, VORTAC and the Pierre, SD, VORTAC. The unaffected portions
of the existing airway would remain as charted.
T-285: T-285 currently extends between the North Platte, NE, VORTAC
[[Page 64797]]
and the Huron, SD, VORTAC NAVAIDs. The FAA proposes to retain the route
by replacing the Winner, SD, VOR route point with the new LESNR
waypoint being established overhead the Winner VOR location.
Additionally, the Rapid City VORTAC ``RAP'' identifier and Huron VORTAC
``HON'' identifier are added to the first line of the route description
and the geographic coordinates of each route point are updated to be
expressed in degrees, minutes, seconds, and hundredths of a second. The
existing route would remain as charted.
The NAVAID radials listed in the V-71 airway description below are
unchanged and stated in True degrees.
VOR Federal airways are published in paragraph 6010(a) and RNAV T-
routes are published in paragraph 6011 of FAA Order 7400.11D dated
August 8, 2019, and effective September 15, 2019, which is incorporated
by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The ATS routes listed in this document
would be subsequently published in the Order.
FAA Order 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, is
published yearly and effective on September 15.
Regulatory Notices and Analyses
The FAA has determined that this proposed regulation only involves
an established body of technical regulations for which frequent and
routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current.
It, therefore: (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under
Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a ``significant rule'' under
Department of Transportation (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 will only affect air traffic
procedures and air navigation, it is certified that this proposed rule,
when promulgated, will not have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act.
Environmental Review
This proposal will be subject to an environmental analysis in
accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, ``Environmental Impacts: Policies
and Procedures'' prior to any FAA final regulatory action.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71
Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air).
The Proposed Amendment
In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation
Administration proposes to amend 14 CFR part 71 as follows:
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 7400.11D,
Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 8, 2019, and
effective September 15, 2019, is amended as follows:
Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal Airways.
* * * * *
V-71
From Fighting Tiger, LA; Natchez, MS; Monroe, LA; El Dorado, AR;
Hot Springs, AR; INT Hot Springs 358[deg] and Harrison, AR, 176[deg]
radials; Harrison; Springfield, MO; Butler, MO; Topeka, KS; Pawnee
City, NE; INT Pawnee City 334[deg] and Lincoln, NE, 146[deg]
radials; Lincoln; Columbus, NE; to O'Neill, NE. From Pierre, SD;
Bismarck, ND; to Williston, ND.
* * * * *
Paragraph 6011 United States Area Navigation Routes.
* * * * *
T-285 North Platte, NE (LBF) to Huron, SD (HON)
North Platte, NE (LBF) VORTAC (Lat. 41[deg]02'55.34'' N, long. 100[deg]44'49.55'' W)
Thedford, NE (TDD) VOR/DME (Lat. 41[deg]58'53.99'' N, long. 100[deg]43'08.55'' W)
MARSS, NE Fix (Lat. 42[deg]27'48.92'' N, long. 100[deg]36'15.32'' W)
Valentine, NE (VTN) NDB (Lat. 42[deg]51'41.85'' N, long. 100[deg]32'58.73'' W)
LKOTA, SD WP (Lat. 43[deg]15'28.00'' N, long. 100[deg]03'14.00'' W)
LESNR, SD WP (Lat. 43[deg]29'16.06'' N, long. 99[deg]45'41.55'' W)
Huron, SD (HON) VORTAC (Lat. 44[deg]26'24.30'' N, long. 98[deg]18'39.89'' W)
* * * * *
Issued in Washington, DC, on November 18, 2019.
Rodger A. Dean Jr.,
Acting Manager, Airspace Policy Group.
[FR Doc. 2019-25293 Filed 11-22-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P