2011-3943. Removal and Amendment of Class E Airspace, Oxford, CT

AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

This action removes Class E surface airspace as an extension to Class D airspace, and amends Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet at Oxford, CT. Decommissioning of the Waterbury Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) at the Waterbury-Oxford airport has made this action necessary for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

DATES:

Effective 0901 UTC, May 5, 2011. The Director of the Federal Register approves this incorporation by reference action under title 1, Code of Federal Regulations, part 51, subject to the annual revision of FAA order 7400.9 and publication of conforming amendments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Horrocks, Operations Support Group, Eastern Service Center, Federal Aviation Administration, P.O. Box 20636, Atlanta, Georgia 30320; telephone [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

History

On August 26, 2010, the FAA published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking to remove and amend Class E airspace at Waterbury-Oxford Airport, Oxford, CT (75 FR 52484). 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 6004 and 6005, respectively, of FAA order 7400.9U, signed August 18, 2010, and effective September 15, 2010, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The Class E airspace designations listed in this document will be published subsequently in the Order.

The Rule

This amendment to Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 71 removes the Class E surface airspace as an extension to Class D airspace and amends the description of the Class E airspace extending upward 700 feet above the surface at Oxford-Waterbury Airport, Oxford, CT. The Waterbury NDB has been decommissioned and reference to the navigation aid is being removed from the airspace description for the safety and management of IFR operations at Waterbury-Oxford Airport.

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 proposed rule, when promulgated, would 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 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 proposed 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 proposed regulation is within the scope of that authority as it would amend controlled airspace at Waterbury-Oxford Airport, Oxford, CT.

Lists of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 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 CLASS 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(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 Federal Aviation Administration Order 7400.9U, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, signed August 18, 2010, effective September 15, 2010, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6004 Class E Airspace Areas Designated as an Extension to a Class D Surface Area

* * * * *

ANE CT E4 Oxford, CT [REMOVED]

* * * * *

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

* * * * *

ANE CT E5 Oxford, CT [AMENDED]

Waterbury-Oxford Airport, CT

(Lat. 41°28′43″ N., long. 73°08′07″ W.)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within an 8-mile radius of the Waterbury-Oxford Airport.

Issued in College Park, Georgia, on February 11, 2011.

Mark D. Ward,

Manager, Operations Support Group, Eastern Service Center, Air Traffic Organization.