Proposed Revision of Class E Airspace; Ketchikan, AK

AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice of proposed rulemaking.

SUMMARY:

This action proposes to revise Class E airspace at Ketchikan, AK. Seven Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs), two Standard Instrument Departure Procedures (SIDs) and a textual Obstacle Departure Procedure (ODP) are either being drafted or amended for the Ketchikan International Airport at Ketchikan, AK. Three of the SIAPs and one SID are Special procedures for private use and are funded privately. Adoption of this proposal would result in revision of Class E airspace upward from 700 feet (ft.) and 1,200 ft. above the surface at the Ketchikan International Airport, Ketchikan, AK.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before December 1, 2008.

ADDRESSES:

Send comments on the proposal to the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001. You must identify the docket number FAA-2008-0998/Airspace Docket No. 08-AAL-29, at the beginning of your comments. You may also submit comments on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. You may review the public docket containing the proposal, any comments received, and any final disposition in person in the Dockets Office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The Docket Office (telephone 1-800-647-5527) is on the plaza level of the Department of Transportation NASSIF Building at the above address.

An informal docket may also be examined during normal business hours at the office of the Manager, Safety, Alaska Flight Service Operations, Federal Aviation Administration, 222 West 7th Avenue, Box 14, Anchorage, AK 99513-7587.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gary Rolf, Federal Aviation Administration, 222 West 7th Avenue, Box 14, Anchorage, AK 99513-7587; telephone number (907) 271-5898; fax: (907) 271-2850; e-mail: gary.ctr.rolf@faa.gov. Internet address: http://www.alaska.faa.gov/at.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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 and be submitted in triplicate to the address listed above. Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments on this notice must submit with those comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: “Comments to Docket No. FAA-2008-0998/Airspace Docket No. 08-AAL-29.” The postcard will be date/time stamped and returned to the commenter.

All communications received on or before the specified closing date for comments will be considered before taking action on the proposed rule. The proposal contained in this notice 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 closing date for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed in the docket.

Availability of Notice of Proposed Rulemakings (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 or the Superintendent of Document's Web page at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html.

Additionally, any person may obtain a copy of this notice by submitting a request to the Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Air Traffic Airspace Management, ATA-400, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591 or by calling (202) 267-8783. Communications must identify both docket numbers for this notice. Persons interested in being placed on a mailing list for future NPRMs should contact the FAA's Office of Rulemaking, (202) 267-9677, to request a copy of Advisory Circular No. 11-2A, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Distribution System, which describes the application procedure.

The Proposal

The FAA is considering an amendment to the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR Part 71), which would revise Class E airspace at the Ketchikan International Airport, in Ketchikan, AK. The intended effect of this proposal is to revise Class E airspace upward from from 700 ft. and 1,200 ft. above the surface to contain Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the Ketchikan International Airport, Ketchikan, AK.

The FAA Instrument Flight Procedures Production and Maintenance Branch has amended seven SIAPs, two SIDs and a DP for the Ketchikan International Airport. The Special procedures are identified below. The approaches are (1) the Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) B, Original (Orig), (2) the RNAV (GPS) C, Amendment (Amdt) 1 (Special), (3) the RNAV (GPS) Runway (RWY) 11, Orig, (4) the Localizer (LOC)/Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) X RWY 11, Orig, (5) the Instrument Landing System (ILS) or LOC/DME Y RWY 11, Amdt 7, (6) the ILS or LOC/DME Z RWY 11, Amdt 7 (Special), and (7) the Very High Frequency Omni-directional Range (VOR)/DME A, Amdt 1 (Special). The SIDs are (1) the COBSU TWO RNAV SID (Special) and (2) the Ketchikan 4 SID. The Textual ODP is unnamed and will be published in the front of the U.S. Terminal Procedures for Alaska. Class E controlled airspace extending upward from 700 ft. and 1,200 ft. above the surface in the Ketchikan International Airport area would be revised by this action. There is no proposed change to the present Class E2 surface area currently charted. The proposed airspace is sufficient in size to contain aircraft executing the instrument procedures at the Ketchikan International Airport, Ketchikan, AK.

The area would be depicted on aeronautical charts for pilot reference. The coordinates for this airspace docket are based on North American Datum 83. The Class E airspace areas designated as 700/1200 foot transition areas are published in paragraph 6005 in FAA Order 7400.9R, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, signed August 15, 2007, and effective September 15, 2007, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The Class E airspace designations listed in this document would be published subsequently in the Order.

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 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 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.

The FAA's authority to issue rules regarding aviation safety is found in Title 49 of the United States Code. Subtitle 1, 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 1, Section 40103, Sovereignty and use of airspace. Under that section, the FAA is charged with prescribing regulations to ensure the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace. This regulation is within the scope of that authority because it proposes to create Class E airspace sufficient in size to contain aircraft executing instrument procedures at the Ketchikan International Airport, AK, and represents the FAA's continuing effort to safely and efficiently use the navigable airspace.

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, CLASS B, CLASS C, CLASS D, AND CLASS E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIRWAYS; ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS

1. The authority citation for 14 CFR part 71 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O. 10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389.