2018-14664. Amendment of Class D Airspace and Class E Airspace; Aberdeen, MD

AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

This amends Class D airspace, Class E airspace designated as an extension to a Class D surface area, and Class E airspace area extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface at Phillips Army Air Field (AAF), Aberdeen, MD. This action accommodates airspace reconfiguration due to the decommissioning of Aberdeen non-directional radio beacon (NDB), and cancellation of the NDB approaches. Controlled airspace is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at this airport. This action also updates the geographic coordinates of the airport, and replaces the outdated term Airport/Facility Directory with the term Chart Supplement in the legal descriptions of associated Class D and E airspace.

DATES:

Effective 0901 UTC, September 13, 2018. 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 7400.11 and publication of conforming amendments.

ADDRESSES:

FAA Order 7400.11B, 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: [phone]. The Order is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of FAA Order 7400.11B at NARA, call [phone], 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:

John Fornito, Operations Support Group, Eastern Service Center, Federal Aviation Administration, 1701 Columbia Ave., College Park, GA 30337; 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 Class D and Class E airspace at Phillips AAF, Aberdeen, MD, to support IFR operations at the airport.

History

The FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register (83 FR 16259, April 16, 2018) for Docket No. FAA-2018-0128 to amend Class D airspace, Class E airspace designated as an extension to a Class D surface area, and Class E airspace area extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface at Phillips Army Air Field, Aberdeen, MD.

Interested parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. No comments were received.

Subsequent to publication, the FAA found the geographic coordinates for Phillips AAF were incorrect. This action corrects that error.

Class D and E airspace designations are published in paragraph 5000, 6004, and 6005, respectively, of FAA Order 7400.11B dated August 3, 2017, and effective September 15, 2017, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR part 71.1. The Class D and E airspace designations listed in this document will be published subsequently in the Order.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

This document amends FAA Order 7400.11B, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 3, 2017, and effective September 15, 2017. FAA Order 7400.11B is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11B lists Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and reporting points.

The Rule

This amendment to Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) amends part 71 by:

Amending Class D airspace at Phillips AAF, Aberdeen, MD, by updating the geographic coordinates of the airfield; and

Amending Class E airspace designated as an extension to a Class D surface area to within a 4.4-mile radius of Phillips AAF, and within 2 miles each side of the 028° bearing from Phillips AAF, extending from the 4.4-mile radius to 9 miles northeast of the airport. The northeast extension from the Aberdeen NDB is removed due to the decommissioning of the navigation aid and cancelation of the NDB approach.

The geographic coordinates of Phillips AAF are adjusted in the associated airspace areas to be in concert with the FAA's aeronautical database. These changes enhance the safety and management of IFR operations at the airport.

An editorial change is made removing the city from the airport name to comply with a change to FAA Order 7400.2L, Procedures for Handling Airspace Matters, in the Class E airspace areas.

Also, an editorial change is made replacing the outdated term Airport/Facility Directory with the term Chart Supplement in the associated Class D and E airspace legal descriptions.

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. 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 5-6.5a. 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 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 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 Federal Aviation Administration Order 7400.11B, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 3, 2017, and effective September 15, 2017, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 5000 Class D Airspace.

* * * * *

AEA MD D Aberdeen, MD [Amended]

Phillips AAF, MD

(Lat. 39°27′56″ N, long. 76°10′06″ W)

That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including 2,600 feet MSL within a 4.4-mile radius of Phillips AAF; excluding that airspace in Restricted Area R-4001A when it is in effect. This Class D airspace area is effective during the specific dates and times established in advance by a Notice to Airmen. The specific date and time will thereafter be continuously published in the Chart Supplement.

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

* * * * *

AEA MD E4 Aberdeen, MD [Amended]

Phillips AAF, MD

(Lat. 39°27′56″ N, long. 76°10′06″ W)

That airspace extending upward from the surface within 2 miles each side of the 028° bearing from Phillips AAF, extending from the 4.4-mile radius of the airport to 9 miles northeast of the airport; excluding that airspace in Restricted Area R-4001A when it is in effect. This Class E airspace area is effective during the specific dates and times established in advance by a Notice to Airmen. The specific date and time will thereafter be continuously published in the Chart Supplement.

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

* * * * *

AEA MD E5 Aberdeen, MD

Phillips AAF, MD

(Lat. 39°27′56″ N, long. 76°10′06″ W)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within a 6.7-mile radius of Phillips AAF and within an 8.3-mile radius of Phillips AAF extending clockwise from the 260° bearing to the 030° bearing from the airport, excluding the airspace in Restricted Areas R-4001A and R-4001B when they are in effect.

Issued in College Park, Georgia, on July 2, 2018.

Ryan W. Almasy,

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