Amendment of Class E Airspace; Connersville and Richmond, IN

AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

This action modifies Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Mettel Field Airport, Connersville, IN, and Richmond Municipal Airport, Richmond, IN. This action is due to an airspace review caused by the decommissioning of the Richmond VHF omnidirectional range (VOR), which provided navigation information to the instrument procedures at these airports, as part of the VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program. The geographic coordinates of the airports are also being updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautic database. Airspace redesign is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at these airports.

DATES:

Effective 0901 UTC, August 15, 2019. 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 7400.11C, 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: (202) 267-8783. The Order is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of FAA Order 7400.11C at NARA, call (202) 741-6030, 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:

Jeffrey Claypool, Federal Aviation Administration, Operations Support Group, Central Service Center, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177; telephone (817) 222-5711.

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 E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Mettel Field Airport, Connersville, IN, and Richmond Municipal Airport, Richmond, IN, to support IFR operations at these airports.

History

The FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register (84 FR 5014; February 20, 2019) for Docket No. FAA-2019-0039 to amend Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Mettel Field Airport, Connersville, IN, and Richmond Municipal Airport, Richmond, IN. Interested parties were invited to participate in this rulemaking effort by submitting written comments on the proposal to the FAA. One comment was received, and the FAA provides the following response.

Class E airspace extending from 700 feet above the surface of an airport is provided for transition to and from the terminal or en route environment within the National Airspace System. The size and design of this airspace is determined by FAA Order 7400.2M, Procedures for Handling Airspace Matters, and takes both instrument and visual flight rules approach and departure procedures at the airports into consideration. The design of the airspace provides the transitional airspace required without absorbing more of the Class G airspace than is required. In the cases of Mettel Field Airport, Connersville, IN, and Richmond Municipal Airport, Richmond, IN, Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface already exists at both airports and no additional airspace is included in the proposal. The airspace radius at these airports is being reduced by 1 mile and 0.5 miles, respectively, due to changes at the airports and in the approach and departure procedures at each airport in compliance with FAA Order 7400.2M while taking the approach and departure procedures at each airport into consideration.

The comment regarding problems in scheduling landings at these airports is not an issue that can be addressed by airspace design but with airport management, and should be addressed with the appropriate airport authority.

Additionally, subsequent to publication, the FAA discovered a typographic error in the geographic coordinates for Reid Municipal Heliport contained within the Richmond, IN, airspace legal description. That error is corrected in this action.

Class E airspace designations are published in paragraph 6005 of FAA Order 7400.11C, dated August 13, 2018, and effective September 15, 2018, 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.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

This document amends FAA Order 7400.11C, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 13, 2018, and effective September 15, 2018. FAA Order 7400.11C is publicly available as listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11C 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) part 71 by:

Modifying the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface to within a 6.6-mile radius (reduced from a 7.6-mile radius) of Mettel Field Airport, Connersville, IN; updating the geographic coordinates of the airport to coincide with the FAA's aeronautic database; and removing the city from the airport name and the exclusion verbiage to comply with FAA Order 7400.2M, Procedures for Handling Airspace Matters; and

Modifying the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface to within a 6.5-mile radius (reduced from a 7-mile radius) of Richmond Municipal Airport, Richmond, IN; updating the geographic coordinates of Richmond Municipal Airport and Reid Hospital Heliport, Richmond, IN, to coincide with the FAA's aeronautic database; and correcting the typographic error for the geographic coordinates for Reid Hospital Heliport.

This action is the result of an airspace review caused by the decommissioning of the Richmond VOR, which provided navigation information for the instrument procedures at these airports, as part of the VOR MON Program.

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 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.

2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order 7400.11C, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 13, 2018, and effective September 15, 2018, is amended as follows:

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

AGL IN E5 Connersville, IN [Amended]

Mettel Field Airport, IN

(Lat. 39°41′54″ N, long. 85°07′52″ W)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within a 6.6-mile radius of the Mettel Field Airport.

AGL IN E5 Richmond, IN [Amended]

Richmond Municipal Airport, IN

(Lat. 39°45′22″ N, long. 84°50′34″ W)

Reid Hospital Heliport, IN, Point In Space Coordinates

(Lat. 39°51′51″ N, long. 84°52′58″ W)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface within a 6.5-mile radius of Richmond Municipal Airport, and within a 6-mile radius of the Point in Space serving Reid Hospital Heliport.