2023-00495. Amendment of Class E Airspace; Mount Sterling and Pittsfield, IL

AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

This action amends the Class E airspace at Mount Sterling and Pittsfield, IL. This action is due to airspace reviews conducted as part of the decommissioning of the Quincy very high frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range (VOR) as part of the VOR Minimal Operational Network (MON) Program. The geographic coordinates of Pittsfield Penstone Municipal Airport, Pittsfield, IL, are also being updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database.

DATES:

Effective 0901 UTC, April 20, 2023. The Director of the Federal Register approves this incorporation by reference action under 1 CFR part 51, subject to the annual revision of FAA Order JO 7400.11 and publication of conforming amendments.

ADDRESSES:

FAA Order JO 7400.11G, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and subsequent amendments can be viewed online at 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: [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jeffrey Claypool, Federal Aviation Administration, Operations Support Group, Central Service Center, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone [phone].

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 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 amends the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Mount Sterling Municipal Airport, Mount Sterling, IL, and Pittsfield Penstone Municipal Airport, Pittsfield, IL, to support instrument flight rule operations at these airports.

History

The FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register (87 FR 66632; November 4, 2022) for Docket No. FAA-2022-1318 to amend the Class E airspace at Mount Sterling and Pittsfield, IL. Interested parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. No comments were received.

Class E airspace designations are published in paragraph 6005 of FAA Order JO 7400.11G, dated August 19, 2022, and effective September 15, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The Class E airspace designations listed in this document will be published subsequently in FAA Order JO 7400.11.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

This document amends FAA Order JO 7400.11G, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 19, 2022, and effective September 15, 2022. FAA Order JO 7400.11G is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order JO 7400.11G lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points.

The Rule

This amendment to 14 CFR part 71:

Amends the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface to within a 7.3-mile (increased from a 6.6-mile) radius of Mount Sterling Municipal Airport, Mount Sterling, IL;

And amends the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface to within a 6.4-mile (decreased from a 7-mile) radius of Pittsfield Penstone Municipal Airport, Pittsfield, IL; and updates the geographic coordinates of the airport to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database.

This action is due to airspace reviews conducted as part of the decommissioning of the Quincy VOR, which provided navigation information for the instrument procedures at these airports, as part of the VOR MON Program.

FAA Order JO 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 regulation only involves an established body of technical regulations for which frequent and routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current, is non-controversial and unlikely to result in adverse or negative comments. 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 only affects air traffic procedures and air navigation, it is certified that this rule, when promulgated, does not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Environmental Review

The FAA has determined that this action qualifies for categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act in accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, “Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures,” paragraph 5-6.5.a. This airspace action is not expected to cause any potentially significant environmental impacts, and no extraordinary circumstances exist that warrant preparation of an environmental assessment.

Lists of Subjects in 14 CFR 71

• Airspace
• Incorporation by reference
• Navigation (air)

Adoption of the Amendment

In consideration of the foregoing, the Federal Aviation Administration amends 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

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.

71.1

[Amended]

2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order JO 7400.11G, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 19, 2022, and effective September 15, 2022, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward From 700 Feet or More Above the Surface of the Earth.

* * * * *

AGL IL E5 Mount Sterling, IL [Amended]

Mount Sterling Municipal Airport, IL

(Lat. 39°59′07″ N, long. 90°48′15″ W)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within a 7.3-mile radius of Mount Sterling Municipal Airport.

* * * * *

AGL IL E5 Pittsfield, IL [Amended]

Pittsfield Penstone Municipal Airport, IL

(Lat. 39°38′20″ N, long. 90°46′43″ W)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within a 6.4-mile radius of the Pittsfield Penstone Airport.

Issued in Fort Worth, Texas, on January 9, 2023.

Martin A. Skinner,

Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, ATO Central Service Center.