[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 56 (Monday, March 23, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16287-16289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05858]



[[Page 16287]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0189; Airspace Docket No. 19-AGL-2]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of V-55, V-271, T-215, and T-265, and 
Revocation of V-215 and V-450 in the Vicinity of Muskegon, MI

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend two VHF Omnidirectional Range 
(VOR) Federal airways, V-55 and V-271; amend two low altitude Area 
Navigation (RNAV) routes, T-215 and T-265; and remove two VOR Federal 
airways, V-215 and V-450, in the vicinity of Muskegon, MI. The air 
traffic service (ATS) route modifications are necessary due to the 
planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Muskegon, MI, VOR/
Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) navigation aid (NAVAID). The NAVAID 
provides navigation guidance for portions of the affected ATS routes. 
This VOR is being decommissioned as part of the FAA's VOR Minimum 
Operational Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 7, 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-2020-0189; Airspace Docket No. 19-AGL-2 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 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-2020-0189; Airspace Docket No. 19-AGL-2) 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-2020-0189; Airspace Docket No. 19-AGL-2.'' 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 Muskegon, MI, VORTAC in September, 2020. The VOR portion of the 
Muskegon NAVAID is a candidate VOR 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

[[Page 16288]]

Register of July 26, 2016 (81 FR 48694), Docket No. FAA-2011-1082.
    Although the VOR portion of the Muskegon, MI, VORTAC is planned for 
decommissioning, the co-located DME portion of the NAVAID is being 
retained.
    The ATS route dependencies to the Muskegon VORTAC are VOR Federal 
airways V-55, V-215, V-271, and V-450. However, as result of the 
proposed amendments to those airways, this action also addresses 
proposed amendments to RNAV routes T-217 and T-265.
    With the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Muskegon 
VORTAC, the remaining ground-based NAVAID coverage in the area 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 two of the airways, V-55 and V-271, and 
revocation of the other two airways, V-215 and V-450. To overcome the 
airway gaps and revocations, instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic 
could use adjacent ATS routes, including V-26, V-30, V-133, V-193, V-
217, V-285, and V-420, to circumnavigate the affected area. IFR traffic 
could also file point to point through the affected area using 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.
    Further, the FAA proposes to extend RNAV routes T-217 and T-265 
through the affected area, with minor editorial amendments to the 
descriptions, to continue supporting enroute airspace users, as well as 
ongoing FAA NextGen efforts to transition the national airspace system 
to one of performance-based navigation. The editorial amendments to the 
existing T-217 and T-265 descriptions would not change the route 
structure, operational use, or charted depiction of the routes.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 to modify VOR Federal airways V-55 and V-
271, modify low altitude RNAV routes T-217 and T-265, and remove VOR 
Federal airways V-215 and V-450. The planned decommissioning of the VOR 
portion of the Muskegon, MI, VORTAC has made this action necessary. The 
proposed VOR Federal airway changes are outlined below.
    V-55: V-55 currently extends between the Dayton, OH, VOR/Distance 
Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) and the intersection of the Green Bay, 
WI, VORTAC 270[deg] and Oshkosh, WI, VORTAC 339[deg] radials (BIPID 
fix); between the Eau Claire, WI, VORTAC and the Siren, WI, VOR/DME; 
and between the Park Rapids, MN, VOR/DME and the Bismarck, ND, VOR/DME. 
The FAA proposes to remove the airway segment between the Pullman, MI, 
VOR/DME and the intersection of the Green Bay, WI, VORTAC 270[deg] and 
Oshkosh, WI, VORTAC 339[deg] radials (BIPID fix). 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-215: V-215 currently extends between the intersection of the 
Muskegon, MI, VORTAC 208[deg] and Pullman, MI, VOR/DME 261[deg] radials 
(JYBEE fix) and the Gaylord, MI, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove 
the airway in its entirety.
    V-271: V-271 currently extends between the Muskegon, MI, VORTAC and 
the Escanaba, MI, VOR/DME. The FAA proposes to remove the airway 
segment between the Muskegon, MI, VORTAC and the Manistee, MI, VOR/DME. 
The unaffected portions of the existing airway would remain as charted.
    V-450: V-450 currently extends between the Escanaba, MI, VOR/DME 
and the Flint, MI, VORTAC. The FAA proposes to remove the airway in its 
entirety.
    The proposed low altitude RNAV route changes are outlined below.
    T-217: T-217 currently extends between the Lexington, KY, VOR/DME 
and the BONEE, OH, fix. The FAA proposes to extend the route 
northwestward from the BONEE, OH, fix to the GAYLE, MI, waypoint. The 
extension of T-217 would replace the loss of a portion of V-450 west of 
the Muskegon VORTAC. Additionally, the type of NAVAID facility for the 
Lexington, KY, route point would be corrected from ``VORTAC'' to ``VOR/
DME'' and the geographic coordinates of each of the new route points 
would be expressed in degrees, minutes, seconds, and hundredths of a 
second.
    T-265: T-265 currently extends between the AHMED, IL, fix and the 
VEENA, WI, fix. The FAA proposes to amend the existing route and extend 
it eastward and northward so the route would begin at the JAYBE, WI, 
fix and end at the PINES, MI, waypoint. The extension of T-265 would 
establish enroute low altitude structure to overcome the loss of the V-
55 airway segment south of the Muskegon VORTAC and the loss of the V-
215 airway segments north of the Muskegon VORTAC. Additionally, the 
geographic coordinates of each route point would be expressed in 
degrees, minutes, seconds, and hundredths of a second.
    The radials listed in the VOR Federal airway V-55 description below 
are unchanged and stated in True degrees.
    VOR Federal airways are published in paragraph 6010(a) and low 
altitude 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:

[[Page 16289]]

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-55 [Amended]

    From Dayton, OH; Fort Wayne, IN; Goshen, IN; Gipper, MI; Keeler, 
MI; to Pullman, MI. From Eau Claire, WI; to Siren, WI. From Park 
Rapids, MN; Grand Forks, ND; INT Grand Forks 239[deg] and Bismarck, 
ND, 067[deg] radials; to Bismarck.
* * * * *

V-215 [Removed]

* * * * *

V-271 [Amended]

    From Manistee, MI; to Escanaba, MI.
* * * * *

V-450 [Removed]

* * * * *

6011. United States Area Navigation Routes

* * * * *

T-217 Lexington, KY (HYK) to
 GAYLE, MI [Amended]
 
Lexington, KY (HYK)              VOR/DME            (Lat. 37[deg]57'58.86'' N, long. 84[deg]28'21.06'' W)
BOSTR, OH                        FIX                (Lat. 38[deg]53'08.13'' N, long. 84[deg]04'58.02'' W)
HEDEN, OH                        FIX                (Lat. 39[deg]16'44.88'' N, long. 84[deg]02'02.37'' W)
PRUDE, OH                        FIX                (Lat. 39[deg]25'44.92'' N, long. 83[deg]56'58.60'' W)
Springfield, OH (SGH)            DME                (Lat. 39[deg]50'11.55'' N, long. 83[deg]50'41.84'' W)
BONEE, OH                        FIX                (Lat. 40[deg]03'08.85'' N, long. 83[deg]56'56.15'' W)
SJAAY, IN                        WP                 (Lat. 40[deg]58'44.05'' N, long. 85[deg]11'17.17'' W)
DERRF, IN                        WP                 (Lat. 41[deg]39'56.73'' N, long. 85[deg]23'58.59'' W)
GETCH, MI                        WP                 (Lat. 43[deg]10'07.15'' N, long. 86[deg]03'03.06'' W)
GAYLE, MI                        WP                 (Lat. 43[deg]29'37.62'' N, long. 87[deg]00'13.08'' W)
 

* * * * *

T-265 JAYBE, WI to PINES, MI
 [Amended]
 
JAYBE, WI                        FIX                (Lat. 42[deg]38'39.36'' N, long. 88[deg]38'19.60'' W)
GRIFT, IL                        WP                 (Lat. 42[deg]17'28.14'' N, long. 88[deg]53'41.42'' W)
START, IL                        WP                 (Lat. 41[deg]45'24.83'' N, long. 89[deg]00'21.81'' W)
MEITZ, IL                        FIX                (Lat. 41[deg]23'30.87'' N, long. 88[deg]38'53.19'' W)
COYAP, IL                        WP                 (Lat. 41[deg]13'26.93'' N, long. 87[deg]41'20.30'' W)
MAPPS, IN                        WP                 (Lat. 41[deg]10'53.94'' N, long. 86[deg]56'32.63'' W)
KLROY, IN                        WP                 (Lat. 41[deg]19'19.37'' N, long. 86[deg]38'57.44'' W)
SMUUV, MI                        WP                 (Lat. 42[deg]27'58.77'' N, long. 86[deg]07'38.37'' W)
GETCH, MI                        WP                 (Lat. 43[deg]10'07.15'' N, long. 86[deg]03'03.06'' W)
LADIN, MI                        WP                 (Lat. 44[deg]22'25.44'' N, long. 85[deg]09'38.61'' W)
CARGA, MI                        WP                 (Lat. 44[deg]38'28.29'' N, long. 84[deg]58'15.15'' W)
BUDHA, MI                        WP                 (Lat. 44[deg]58'24.33'' N, long. 84[deg]45'23.22'' W)
RONDO, MI                        WP                 (Lat. 45[deg]16'43.24'' N, long. 84[deg]31'06.32'' W)
PINES, MI                        WP                 (Lat. 46[deg]01'49.61'' N, long. 84[deg]29'12.25'' W)
 

* * * * *

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 11, 2020.
Scott M. Rosenbloom,
Acting Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.
[FR Doc. 2020-05858 Filed 3-20-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P