2021-24279. Proposed Amendment of United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Route T-215; Central United States

AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

SUMMARY:

This action proposes to amend United States Area Navigation (RNAV) route T-215 in the central United States due to the decommissioning of the Holston Mountain, TN, (HMV) VHF Omnidirectional Range Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC), and the Hazard, KY, (AZQ) Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) in support of the VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Minimum Operational Network (MON) program. Additionally, this action would extend T-215 to the north and south of its current limits to expand the availability of RNAV in the National Airspace System (NAS).

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before December 23, 2021.

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: [phone] or [phone]. You must identify FAA Docket No. FAA-2021-0919; Airspace Docket No. 21-ASO-32 at the beginning of your comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.

FAA Order JO 7400.11F, 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: [phone]. FAA Order JO 7400.11F is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of FAA Order JO 7400.11F at NARA, email: [e-mail] or go to https://www.archives.gov/​federal-register/​cfr/​ibr-locations.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul Gallant, Rules and Regulations Group, Office of Policy, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; 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 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 expand the availability of RNAV routes in the NAS, increase airspace capacity, and reduce complexity in high air traffic volume areas.

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-2021-0919; Airspace Docket No. 21-ASO-32 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-2021-0919; Airspace Docket No. 21-ASO-32.” 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. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed in the docket.

Availability of NPRM's

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 Eastern Service Center, Federal Aviation Administration, Room 210, 1701 Columbia Ave., College Park, GA 30337.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

This document amends FAA Order JO 7400.11F, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 10, 2021 and effective September 15, 2021. FAA Order JO 7400.11F is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order JO 7400.11F lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points.

The Proposal

The FAA is proposing an amendment to 14 CFR part 71 to amend RNAV route T-215 by extending the route further to the north and southeast in the central United States. This action is necessary due to the planned decommissioning of the Holston Mountain, TN, (HMV) VORTAC, and the Hazard, KY, (AZQ) DME.

T-215: T-215 currently extends between the Holston Mountain, TN, VORTAC, and the GAMKE, IN, waypoint (WP). The proposed amendment would include replacing the Holston Mountain, TN, VORTAC with the HORAL, TN, WP, and replacing the Hazard, KY, DME with the DACEL, KY, WP. The route would be extended south of the HORAL WP to the BURGG, SC, WP. Additionally, the route would be extended to the north of the GAMKE, IN, WP ending at the CPTON, IL, WP, which is approximately 15 nautical miles east of the Bradford, IL, (BDF) VORTAC. The HILTO, VA, Fix; FLENR, VA, WP; and RISTE, KY, WP, are not needed for defining the track of T-215 so they would be removed from the route legal description. In addition, the HUGEN, KY, Fix would be removed from the route because it does not denote a route turn point. Because a VOR is not a required component for navigating on T-215, removal of the Holston Mountain VORTAC would not affect the alignment or navigation along T-215.

As amended, T-215 would extend between the BURGG, SC, WP, and the CPTON, IL, WP. The full route legal description is listed in “The Proposed Amendment” section, below.

These changes would expand the availability of RNAV to reduce the NAS dependency on ground based navigational systems and assist with the transition to a more efficient Performance Based Navigation route structure.

United States Area Navigation routes are published in paragraph 6011 of FAA Order JO 7400.11F, dated August 10, 2021, and effective September 15, 2021, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The RNAV route listed in this document would be subsequently published in FAA Order JO 7400.11.

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 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

1. The authority citation for 14 CFR 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 7400.11F, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 10, 2021 and effective September 15, 2021, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6011 United States Area Navigation Routes.

* * * * *

T-215 BURGG, SC to CPTON, IL [Amended]
BURGG, SC	WP	(Lat. 35°02′00.55″ N, long. 081°55′36.86″ W)
GENOD, NC	FIX	(Lat. 35°33′06.04″ N, long. 081°56′57.05″ W)
HORAL, TN	WP	(Lat. 36°26′13.99″ N, long. 082°07′46.48″ W)
DACEL, KY	WP	(Lat. 37°23′10.68″ N, long. 083°14′52.13″ W)
Lexington, KY (HYK)	VOR/DME	(Lat. 37°57′58.86″ N, long. 084°28′21.06″ W)
GAMKE, IN	WP	(Lat. 38°46′12.99″ N, long. 085°14′35.37″ W)
MILAN, IN	WP	(Lat. 39°21′21.98″ N, long. 085°19′00.63″ W)
DEEKS, IN	WP	(Lat. 40°12′38.37″ N, long. 085°58′05.38″ W)
BONOY, IN	FIX	(Lat. 40°30′24.11″ N, long. 086°01′16.88″ W)
CLEFT, IN	WP	(Lat. 41°04′51.95″ N, long. 086°02′29.28″ W)
MAPPS, IN	WP	(Lat. 41°10′53.94″ N, long. 086°56′32.63″ W)
CPTON, IL	WP	(Lat. 41°06′51.57″ N, long. 089°11′58.93″ W)

* * * * *

Issued in Washington, DC, on October 27, 2021.

Michael R. Beckles,

Acting Manager, Rules and Regulations Group.