[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 4, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6115-6118]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-02015]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0049; Airspace Docket No. 19-AEA-11]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Revocation and Amendment of Multiple Air Traffic Service 
(ATS) Routes in the Vicinity of Bradford, PA, and Wellsville, NY

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend nine VHF Omnidirectional Range 
(VOR) Federal airways, V-33, V-116, V-119, V-126, V-164, V-170, V-265, 
V-270, and V-501, in the vicinity of Bradford, PA, and Wellsville, NY. 
The VOR Federal airway modifications are necessary due to the planned 
decommissioning of the VOR portions of the Bradford, PA, VOR/Distance 
Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) and the Wellsville, NY, VOR/Tactical Air 
Navigation (VORTAC) navigation aids (NAVAIDs). The NAVAIDs provide 
navigation guidance for portions of the affected airways. These VORs 
are being decommissioned as part of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational 
Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 20, 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: 
(800) 647-5527, or (202) 366-9826. You must identify FAA Docket No. 
FAA-2020-0049; Airspace Docket No. 19-AEA-11 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 
Rules and Regulations 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, Rules and Regulations 
Group, Office of Policy, Federal 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

[[Page 6116]]

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 
route structure as necessary to preserve the safe and efficient flow of 
air traffic within the National Airspace System.

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-2020-0049; Airspace Docket No. 19-AEA-11) 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 https://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-2020-0049; Airspace Docket No. 19-AEA-11.'' 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 https://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 decommissioning activities for the VOR portion 
of the Bradford, PA, VOR/DME and the Wellsville, NY, VORTAC in 
September, 2020. The VOR portion of the Bradford, PA, and Wellsville, 
NY, NAVAIDs are 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.
    Although the VOR portion of the Bradford, PA, and Wellsville, NY, 
NAVAIDs are planned for decommissioning, the co-located DME portions of 
the NAVAIDs are being retained.
    The ATS route dependencies to the Bradford VOR/DME are VOR Federal 
airways V-33, V-116, V-119, V-126, V-170, and V-265. Similarly, the ATS 
route dependencies to the Wellsville VORTAC are VOR Federal airways V-
119, V-164, V-270, and V-501.
    With the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the 
Bradford, PA, and Wellsville, NY, NAVAIDs, the remaining ground-based 
NAVAID coverage in the areas is insufficient to enable the continuity 
of the affected VOR Federal airways. As such, proposed modifications to 
the affected VOR Federal airways would result in gaps in the airways. 
To overcome the airway gaps, instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic 
could use adjacent ATS routes, including V-6/30, V-31, V-34, V-35, V-
36, V-147, V-226, and V-252, to circumnavigate the affected area. IFR 
traffic could also file point to point through the affected area using 
the existing airway fixes that will remain in place, as well as 
adjacent NAVAIDs, or receive air traffic control (ATC) radar vectors 
through the area. Visual flight rules pilots who elect to navigate via 
the airways through the affected area could also take advantage of the 
adjacent VOR Federal airways or ATC services listed previously.
    Additionally, the Keating VORTAC NAVAID listed in the V-265 
description is located in Keating, Pennsylvania. As such, the state 
abbreviation for the NAVAID listed in the description should reflect 
``PA'' instead of ``NY''. This editorial correction to the V-265 
description is also included in this proposed action.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 by modifying VOR Federal airways V-33, V-
116, V-119, V-126, V-164, V-170, V-265, V-270, and V-501. The planned 
decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Bradford, PA, VOR/DME and 
Wellsville, NY, VORTAC NAVAIDs has made this action necessary. The 
proposed VOR Federal airway changes are outlined below.
    V-33: V-33 currently extends between the Harcum, VA, VORTAC and the 
Nottingham, MD, VORTAC; and between the Baltimore, MD, VORTAC and the 
Buffalo, NY, VOR/DME. The airspace within R-4007A and R-4007B is 
excluded. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment overlying the 
Bradford, PA, VOR/DME between the Keating, PA, VORTAC and the Buffalo, 
NY, VOR/DME. Additional changes to other portions of the airway have 
been proposed in a separate NPRM. The unaffected portions of the 
existing airway would remain as charted.
    V-116: V-116 currently extends between the Erie, PA, VORTAC and the 
Sparta, NJ, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment 
overlying the Bradford, PA, VOR/DME between the Erie, PA, VORTAC and 
the Stonyfork, PA, VOR/DME. The unaffected portions of the existing 
airway would remain as charted.

[[Page 6117]]

    V-119: V-119 currently extends between the Newcombe, KY, VORTAC and 
the Rochester, NY, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment overlying the Bradford, PA, VOR/DME and the Wellsville, NY, 
VORTAC between the Clarion, PA, VORTAC and the Rochester, NY, VORTAC. 
The airway segment between the Clarion, PA, VORTAC and the Geneseo, NY, 
VOR/DME would be removed due to the VOR portion of the Bradford VOR/DME 
and the Wellsville VORTAC being decommissioned. The airway segment 
between the Geneseo, NY, VOR/DME and the Rochester, NY, VORTAC would be 
removed since it would leave a 17 nautical mile airway fragment to V-
119 if retained and it overlaps V-147 which will continue to provide 
enroute structure between the Geneseo VOR/DME and Rochester VORTAC. 
Additional changes to other portions of the airway are being proposed 
in a separate NPRM. The unaffected portions of the existing airway 
would remain as charted.
    V-126: V-126 currently extends between the intersection of the 
Peotone, IL, VORTAC 053[deg] and Knox, IN, VOR/DME 297[deg] radials and 
the intersection of the Goshen, IN, VORTAC 092[deg] and Fort Wayne, IN, 
VORTAC 016[deg] radials; and between the Erie, PA, VORTAC and the 
Stonyfork, PA, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment 
overlying the Wellsville, NY, VORTAC between the Erie, PA, VORTAC and 
the Stonyfork, PA, VOR/DME. The unaffected portions of the existing 
airway would remain as charted.
    V-164: V-164 currently extends between the Buffalo, NY, VOR/DME and 
the East Texas, PA, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment overlying the Wellsville, NY, VORTAC between the Buffalo, NY, 
VOR/DME and the Stonyfork, PA, VOR/DME. The unaffected portions of the 
existing airway would remain as charted.
    V-170: V-170 currently extends between the Devils Lake, ND, VOR/DME 
and the Worthington, MN, VOR/DME; between the Rochester, MN, VOR/DME 
and the Salem, MI, VORTAC; and between the Bradford, PA, VOR/DME and 
the intersection of the Andrews, MD, VORTAC 060[deg] and Baltimore, MD, 
VORTAC 165[deg] radials. The airspace within restricted area R-5802 is 
excluded when the restricted area is active. The FAA proposes to remove 
the airway segment overlying the Bradford, PA, VOR/DME between the 
Bradford, PA, VOR/DME and the Slate Run, PA, VORTAC. The unaffected 
portions of the existing airway would remain as charted.
    V-265: V-265 currently extends between the intersection of the 
Washington, DC, VOR/DME 043[deg] and Westminster, MD, VORTAC 179[deg] 
radials and the Jamestown, NY, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the 
airway segment overlying the Bradford, PA, VORTAC between the Keating, 
PA, VORTAC and the Jamestown, NY, VOR/DME. Additionally, an editorial 
correction is included to change the state abbreviation for the Keating 
VORTAC listed in the description from ``NY'' to ``PA''. The unaffected 
portions of the existing airway would remain as charted.
    V-270: V-270 currently extends between the Erie, PA, VORTAC and the 
Boston, MA, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment 
overlying the Wellsville, NY, VORTAC between the Jamestown, NY, VOR/DME 
and the Elmira, NY, VOR/DME. The unaffected portions of the existing 
airway would remain as charted.
    V-501: V-501 currently extends between the Martinsburg, WV, VORTAC 
and the Philipsburg, PA, VORTAC; and between the Wellsville, NY, VORTAC 
and the intersection of the Wellsville, NY, VORTAC 045[deg] and 
Geneseo, NY, VOR/DME 091[deg] radials. The FAA proposes to remove the 
airway segment overlying the Wellsville, NY, VORTAC between the 
Wellsville, NY, VORTAC and the intersection of the Wellsville, NY, 
VORTAC 045[deg] and Geneseo, NY, VOR/DME 091[deg] radials. The 
unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as charted.
    All radials listed in the VOR Federal airway descriptions below are 
unchanged and stated in True degrees.
    VOR Federal airways are published in paragraph 6010(a) 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-33 [Amended]

    From Harcum, VA; INT Harcum 003[deg] and Nottingham, MD, 
174[deg] radials; to Nottingham. From Baltimore, MD; INT Baltimore 
004[deg] and Harrisburg, PA, 147[deg] radials; Harrisburg; 
Philipsburg, PA; to Keating, PA. The airspace within R-4007A and R-
4007B is excluded.
* * * * *

V-116 [Amended]

    From Stonyfork, PA; INT Stonyfork 098[deg] and Wilkes-Barre, PA, 
310[deg] radials; Wilkes-Barre; INT Wilkes-Barre 084[deg] and 
Sparta, NJ, 300[deg] radials; to Sparta.
* * * * *

[[Page 6118]]

V-119 [Amended]

    From Newcombe, KY; Henderson, WV; Parkersburg, WV; INT 
Parkersburg 067[deg] and Indian Head, PA, 254[deg] radials; Indian 
Head; to Clarion, PA.
* * * * *

V-126 [Amended]

    From INT Peotone, IL, 053[deg] and Knox, IN, 297[deg] radials; 
INT Knox 297[deg] and Goshen, IN, 270[deg] radials; Goshen; to INT 
Goshen 092[deg] and Fort Wayne, IN, 016[deg] radials.
* * * * *

V-164 [Amended]

    From Stonyfork, PA; Williamsport, PA; INT Williamsport 129[deg] 
and East Texas, PA, 315[deg] radials; to East Texas.
* * * * *

V-170 [Amended]

    From Devils Lake, ND; INT Devils Lake 187[deg] and Jamestown, 
ND, 337[deg] radials; Jamestown; Aberdeen, SD; Sioux Falls, SD; to 
Worthington, MN. From Rochester, MN; Nodine, MN; Dells, WI; INT 
Dells 097[deg] and Badger, WI, 304[deg] radials; Badger; INT Badger 
121[deg] and Pullman, MI, 282[deg] radials; Pullman; to Salem, MI. 
From Slate Run, PA; Selinsgrove, PA; Ravine, PA; INT Ravine 125[deg] 
and Modena, PA, 318[deg] radials; Modena; Dupont, DE; INT Dupont 
223[deg] and Andrews, MD, 060[deg] radials; to INT Andrews 060[deg] 
and Baltimore, MD, 165[deg] radials. The airspace within R-5802 is 
excluded when active.
* * * * *

V-265 [Amended]

    From INT Washington, DC, 043[deg] and Westminster, MD, 179[deg] 
radials; Westminster; Harrisburg, PA; Philipsburg, PA; to Keating, 
PA.
* * * * *

V-270 [Amended]

    From Erie, PA; to Jamestown, NY. From Elmira, NY; Binghamton, 
NY; DeLancey, NY; Chester, MA; INT Chester 091[deg] and Boston, MA, 
262[deg] radials; to Boston.
* * * * *

V-501 [Amended]

    From Martinsburg, WV; Hagerstown, MD; St Thomas, PA; to 
Philipsburg, PA.
* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2020.
Scott M Rosenbloom,
Acting Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2020-02015 Filed 2-3-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P