Proposed Amendment of Multiple Air Traffic Service (ATS) Routes; Western United States

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 237 (Tuesday, December 11, 2018)

Federal Register Volume 83, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 11, 2018)

Proposed Rules

Pages 63603-63604

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2018-26679

Page 63603

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

Docket No. FAA-2018-0850; Airspace Docket No. 18-AWP-17

RIN 2120-AA66

Proposed Amendment of Multiple Air Traffic Service (ATS) Routes; Western United States

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend three domestic Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways (V-113, V-137, and V-485) in the western United States. The modifications are necessary due to the planned decommissioning of Priest, CA, VOR navigation aid (NAVAID), which provides navigation guidance for portions of the affected air traffic service (ATS) routes. The Priest, CA, VOR is being decommissioned as part of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 25, 2019.

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-2018-0850; Airspace Docket No. 18-AWP-17 at the beginning of your comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at http://www.regulations.gov.

FAA Order 7400.11C, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at http://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 7400.11C at NARA, call (202) 741-6030, or go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

FAA Order 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, is published yearly and effective on September 15.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Ready, Airspace Policy Group, Office of Airspace Services, 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 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-2018-0850; Airspace Docket No. 18-AWP-17) 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-2018-0850; Airspace Docket No. 18-AWP-17.'' 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 http://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 Western Service Center, Operations Support Group, Federal Aviation Administration, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

This document proposes to amend FAA Order 7400.11C, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 13, 2018, and effective September 15, 2018. FAA Order 7400.11C is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11C 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 Priest, CA, VOR in 2019 as 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 impacted by the Priest

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VOR are VOR Federal airways V-113, V-137, V-485.

With the planned decommissioning of the Priest VOR, the remaining ground-based NAVAID coverage in the area is insufficient to enable the continuity of the affected airways. As such, proposed modifications to V-113, V-137, and V-485 would result in gaps in the route structures.

To overcome the gap in V-113, instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic could use adjacent VOR Federal airways V-248 and V-107 between the Paso Robles, CA, VORTAC and the Panoche, CA, VORTAC.

V-137 is proposed to terminate at the Avenal, CA, VOR/DME instead of the Salinas, CA, VORTAC (current route termination point). Alternate course to reach the Salinas, CA, VORTAC is to file V-248.

V- 485 is proposed to terminate at the Fellows, CA, VOR/DME instead of the San Jose, CA, VOR/DME (current route termination point). Alternate course to reach San Jose, CA, VOR/DME is to file V-25. Additionally, ATS route T-333 is proposed to be extended as part of another rulemaking action that will mitigate the loss of V-485.

Lastly, IFR traffic could file point to point through the affected area using fixes that will remain in place, 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.

The Proposal

The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 to modify Domestic VOR Federal Airways (V-

113, V-137 and V-485). The proposed route changes are outlined below.

V-113: V-113 currently extends between the Morro Bay, CA, VORTAC to the Lewistown, MT, VOR/DME. The FAA plans to delete the segment between the Paso Robles, CA, VORTAC and the Panoche, CA, VORTAC causing a gap in the route. The new route will stop at the Paso Robles, CA, VORTAC and resume at the Panoche, CA, VORTAC. The unaffected portion of the existing route will remain as charted.

V-137: V-137 currently extends between Mexicali, Mexico via the Imperial, CA, VORTAC to the Salinas, CA, VORTAC. The FAA plans to delete the segment between the Avenal, CA, VOR/DME and the Salinas, CA, VORTAC. The new route will end at the Avenal, CA, VOR/DME. The unaffected portion of the existing route will remain as charted.

V-485: V-485 currently extends between the Ventura, CA, VOR/DME to the San Jose, CA, VOR/DME. The FAA plans to delete the segment between the Fellows, CA, VOR/DME and the San Jose, CA, VOR/DME. The new route will end at the Fellows, CA, VOR/DME. The unaffected portion of the existing route will remain as charted.

Domestic VOR Federal Airways in paragraph 6010 of FAA Order 7400.11C dated August 13, 2018, and effective September 15, 2018, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The Domestic VOR Federal Airways listed in this document will be subsequently published in the Order.

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

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2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order 7400.11C, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 13, 2018 and effective September 15, 2018, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6010(a) Domestic VOR Federal Airways

V-113 (Amended)

From Morro Bay, CA; to Paso Robles, CA. From Panoche, CA; to Linden, CA; INT Linden 046deg(T) 029deg(M) and Mustang, NV, 208deg(T) 192deg(M) radials; Mustang; 42 miles, 24 miles, 115 MSL, 95 MSL, Sod House, NV; 67 miles, 95 MSL, 85 MSL, Rome, OR; 61 miles, 85 MSL, Boise, ID; Salmon, ID; Coppertown, MT; Helena, MT; to Lewistown, MT.

* * * * *

V-137 (Amended)

From Mexicali, Mexico; via Imperial, CA; INT Imperial 350deg(T) 336deg(M) and Thermal, CA 144deg(T) 131deg(M) radials; Palm Springs, CA; Palmdale, CA; Gorman, CA; Avenal, CA. The airspace within Mexico is excluded.

* * * * *

V-485 (Amended)

From Ventura, CA; to Fellows, CA. The airspace within W-289 and R-2519 more than three (3) statute miles west of the airway centerline and the airspace within R-2519 below 5,000 feet MSL is excluded.

Issued in Washington, DC, on December 3, 2018.

Rodger A. Dean Jr.,

Manager, Airspace Policy Group.

FR Doc. 2018-26679 Filed 12-10-18; 8:45 am

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