Proposed Revocation of the Sacramento, Mather AFB, CA, Class C and Class E Airspace Areas and Revision of the Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA, Class C Airspace Area and the Sacramento Executive Airport, CA, Class D Airspace Area

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

14 CFR Part 71

[Airspace Docket No. 93-AWA-10]

Proposed Revocation of the Sacramento, Mather AFB, CA, Class C

and Class E Airspace Areas and Revision of the Sacramento, McClellan

AFB, CA, Class C Airspace Area and the Sacramento Executive Airport,

CA, Class D Airspace Area

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: This proposed rule would revoke the Class C and Class E

airspace areas at Mather Air Force Base (AFB), Sacramento, CA, due to

the closure of Mather AFB on May 15, 1993. This proposed rule would

also alter the Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area to

encompass part of the airspace previously delegated to Mather AFB. This

proposal would alter the Sacramento Executive Airport, CA, Class D

airspace area designation by removing all references to the Sacramento

Mather AFB.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 28, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on the proposal in triplicate to:

Federal Aviation Administration,

Office of the Chief Counsel,

Attention: Rules Docket [AGC-200],

Airspace Docket NO. 93-AWA-10,

800 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20591.

The official docket may be examined in the Rules Docket, Office of

the Chief Counsel, room 916, weekdays, except Federal holidays, between

8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

An informal docket may also be examined during normal business

hours at the office of the Regional Air Traffic Division.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Norman W. Thomas, Airspace and

Obstruction Evaluation Branch (ATP-240), Airspace-Rules and

Aeronautical Information Division, Air Traffic Rules and Procedures

Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-9230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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 the airspace docket number and be

submitted in triplicate to the address listed above. Commenters wishing

the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments on this notice must

submit with those comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard on which

the following statement is made: ``Comments to Airspace Docket No. 93-

AWA-10.'' The postcard will be date/time stamped and returned to the

commenter. All communications received on or before the specified

closing date for comments will be considered before taking action on

the proposed rule. The proposal contained in this notice may be changed

in light of comments received. All comments submitted will be available

for examination in the Rules Docket both before and after the closing

date for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public contact

with FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed in the

docket.

Availability of NPRM's

Any person may obtain a copy of this notice of Proposed Rulemaking

(NPRM) by submitting a request to the Federal Aviation Administration,

Office of Public Affairs, Attention: Public Inquiry Center, APA-220,

800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591, or by calling (202)

267-3485. Communications must identify the notice number of this NPRM.

Persons interested in being placed on a mailing list for future NPRM's

should also request a copy of Advisory Circular No. 11-2A, which

describes the application procedure.

The Proposal

The FAA is considering an amendment to part 71 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 71) to revoke the Class C and Class E

airspace areas at Mather AFB, Sacramento, CA, due to the closure of

Mather AFB on May 15, 1993. This proposed rule would also alter the

Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area to encompass part

of the airspace previously delegated to Mather AFB. This proposal would

alter the Sacramento Executive Airport, CA, Class D airspace area

designation by removing all references to the Sacramento Mather AFB.

The coordinates for this airspace docket are based on North American

Datum 83. Class C, D, and E airspace designations are published in

paragraphs 4000, 5000, and 6003, respectively, of FAA Order 7400.9A

dated June 17, 1993, and effective September 16, 1993, which is

incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 (58 FR 36298; July 6, 1993).

The Class C, D, and E airspace designations listed in this document

would be subsequently removed or published, as appropriate, in the

Order.

Regulatory Evaluation Summary

The FAA has determined that this proposed rule is not a

``significant regulatory action'', as defined by Executive Order 12866

(Regulatory Planning and Review). The anticipated costs and benefits

associated with this proposed rule are summarized below.

This proposed rule would revoke the Mather Air Force Base (AFB)

Class C and Class E airspace areas at Sacramento, CA, due to the

closure of Mather AFB on May 15, 1993. In addition, this proposed rule

would accomplish two other objectives. First, it would alter the

Sacramento Executive Airport, CA, Class D airspace area designation, by

removing all references to the Sacramento Mather AFB. Second, it would

modify the McClellan AFB Class C airspace area, at Sacramento, CA, by

expanding the boundaries to the south. This modification would be

necessary to prevent a potential deterioration of safety that could

result from greater mixing of visual flight rules (VFR) operations and

instrument flight rules (IFR) operations once the Class C airspace area

at Mather AFB is revoked. The FAA has determined that the revocation of

the Class C airspace area at Mather AFB would reduce the Class C

airspace area and expose the arrival flow of air traffic to the

McClellan AFB to more potentially conflicting VFR traffic.

The Class C airspace area concept (like that for Class B airspace,

though to a lesser extent) was developed to reduce the likelihood of

midair collisions in the congested airspace surrounding large airports

in which large turbine-powered aircraft are mixing with smaller

aircraft of varying performance characteristics. In addition, VFR and

IFR aircraft are also mixing. As this complexity increases, so does the

potential for midair collisions. This type of condition warrants an

expansion of Class C airspace.

The primary benefit of this proposed rule is that it would ensure

that the current level of aviation safety remains intact. The

termination of the Mather AFB Class C airspace area would permit

transiting VFR aircraft to fly closer to McClellan AFB without entering

the Class C airspace area. In order to minimize potential conflicts

with traffic intending to land or take off from the airport, the FAA

has concluded that the Class C airspace area at McClellan AFB should be

expanded to the south.

This proposed rule would have a positive impact on operational

efficiency by allocating additional airspace to users who choose to

avoid the Class C airspace area. The revocation of the Class C airspace

area at Mather AFB would significantly contract the Class C airspace

area in the vicinity of McClellan AFB. Aircraft operators who

previously circumnavigated the Mather AFB Class C airspace area would

be able to fly in this airspace without contacting ATC or having to

satisfy associated avionics requirements. The planned expansion in the

McClellan AFB Class C airspace area would involve some of the airspace

that formerly belonged to the Mather Class C airspace area. Therefore,

no additional airspace would be converted into Class C airspace.

This proposed rule would not impose additional administrative cost

on the FAA for either personnel or equipment. The additional operations

workload the proposed rule is expected to generate can be handled with

current personnel and equipment resources in place at the McClellan

AFB, CA, Class C airspace area. Another potential cost to the FAA

associated with the proposed rule would be the revision of aeronautical

charts to reflect the change in airspace around McClellan AFB. The

change would be incorporated during the routine updating and printing

of the charts, however, so that all costs associated with printing

aeronautical charts are assumed to be a normal cost of doing business.

This proposed rule is not expected to impose any incremental costs

on users to the McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area. This

assessment is based on the fact that the proposed rule would only

modify the McClellan AFB, CA, Class C airspace area by expanding it to

the south of McClellan AFB. This additional airspace would be taken

from the Mather AFB Class C airspace area. Any users of this airspace

(i.e., pilot schools, air taxi operators, general aviation (GA)

operators) would be able to continue their flying practices in the same

manner as before. Thus, the proposed rule would not adversely affect

these airspace users.

This proposed rule would not impose any costs on either the FAA,

the aviation community, or society. Although the FAA concludes that

this proposed rule would not have an impact on safety other than to

ensure the maintenance of current levels, the rule proposed is expected

to promote the efficiency of operations. Thus, the FAA contends that

this proposed rule is cost-beneficial.

Regulatory Flexibility Determination

The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) was enacted to ensure

that small entities are not unnecessarily and disproportionately

burdened by Government regulations. The RFA requires agencies to review

rules that may have ``a significant economic impact on a substantial

number of small entities.'' The types of small entities that would be

potentially affected by the implementation of the proposed rule are air

taxi operators and pilot schools.

Neither air taxi operators nor pilot schools would be impacted by

this planned expansion. This assessment is based on the fact that this

expansion would capture some of the airspace that was previously

included in the Mather AFB Class C airspace area. Current users of this

airspace would be able to continue to do so in the same manner as

before. Thus, there would be no incremental cost impact on these

operators as a result of this proposed rule.

International Trade Impact Assessment

This proposed rule would not have an effect on the sale of foreign

aviation products or services in the United States, nor would it have

an effect on the sale of U.S. products or services in foreign countries

because the proposed rule would neither impose costs on aircraft

operators nor aircraft manufacturers (U.S. or foreign).

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--[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for part 71 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. app. 1348(a), 1354(a), 1510; E.O. 10854, 24

FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389; 49 U.S.C. 106(g); 14 CFR

11.69.

Sec. 71.1 [Amended]

2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of the Federal

Aviation Administration Order 7400.9A, Airspace Designations and

Reporting Points, dated June 16, 1993, and effective September 16,

1993, is amended as follows;

Paragraph 4000--Subpart C-Class C Airspace

* * * * *

AWP CA C Sacramento, Mather AFB, CA [Removed]

AWP CA C Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA [Revised]

Sacramento, McClellan AFB, CA

(lat. 38 deg.40'04''N., long. 121 deg.24'02''W.)

Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, CA

(lat. 38 deg.41'44''N., long. 121 deg.35'27''W.)

Rio Linda Airport, CA

(lat. 38 deg.40'34''N., long. 121 deg.26'44''W.)

That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including

4,100 feet MSL within a 5-mile radius of McClellan AFB, excluding

that airspace within an area bounded by a line beginning at a point

where the 321 deg. bearing from McClellan AFB intersects the 5-mile

radius of McClellan AFB; thence southeasterly via the 321 deg.

bearing to a point where it intersects the 007 deg. bearing from Rio

Linda Airport and thence direct to the point where the 187 deg.

bearing from the Rio Linda Airport intersects the 215 deg. bearing

from McClellan AFB and thence southwesterly via the 215 deg. bearing

to the 5-mile radius of McClellan AFB; and the airspace extending

upward from 1,600 feet MSL to 4,100 feet MSL within a 10-mile radius

of McClellan AFB to the points where the 10-mile radius intercepts

the 10-mile radius of the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, CA, Class

airspace area.

* * * * *

Paragraph 5000--Subpart D-Class D Airspace

* * * * *

AWP CA D Sacramento Executive Airport, CA [Revised]

Sacramento Executive Airport, CA

(lat. 38 deg.30'45''N., long. 121 deg.29'37''W.)

Sacramento VORTAC, CA

(lat. 38 deg.26'37''N., long. 121 deg.33'06''W.)

Sacramento McClellan AFB, CA

(lat. 38 deg.40'04''N., long. 121 deg.24'02''W.)

That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including

2,500 feet MSL within a 4.3-mile radius of Sacramento Executive

Airport and within 1.8 miles each side of the Sacramento VORTAC

032 deg. radial, extending from the 4.3-mile radius southwest of the

VORTAC, excluding that airspace within the Sacramento McClellan AFB,

CA, and the Sacramento Metropolitan Airport, CA, Class C airspace

areas.

* * * * *

Paragraph 6003--Subpart E-Class E airspace areas designated as

an extension to a Class C surface area

* * * * *

AWP CA E3 Sacramento, Mather AFB, CA [Removed]

* * * * *

Issued in Washington, DC, on January 27, 1994.

Willis C. Nelson,

Acting Manager, Airspace-Rules and Aeronautical Information Division.

BILLING CODE 4910-13-M

TP07FE94.000

[FR Doc. 94-2681 Filed 2-4-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-13-C