Amendment to Class E Airspace; St. Louis, MO

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. 97-ACE-22]

Amendment to Class E Airspace; St. Louis, MO

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Direct final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This action amends the Class E airspace area at Lambert-St.

Louis International Airport, St. Louis, MO. The FAA has developed an

Instrument Landing System (ILS) Runway (RWY) 6 Standard Instrument

Approach Procedure (SIAP) and a VHF Omnidirectional Range/Distance

Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) RWY 17 SIAP to serve the Lambert-St.

Louis International Airport. Additional controlled airspace extending

upward from 700 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) is needed to accommodate

these SIAPs. The Class E airspace for St. Louis Regional, St. Charles

County Smartt, and Spirit of St. Louis Airports are enlarged to conform

to requirements of FAA Order 7400.2D. The intended effect of this rule

is to provide Class E airspace for aircraft executing ILS RWY 6 and

VOR/DME RWY 17 SIAPs, and to conform with the requirements of FAA Order

7400.2D.

DATES: Effective date: 0901 UTC April 23, 1998.

Comment date: Comments must be received on or before January 15,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding the rule in triplicate to: Manager,

Airspace Branch, Air Traffic Division, ACE-520, Federal Aviation

Administration, Docket Number 97-ACE-22, 601 East 12th St., Kansas

City, MO 64106.

The official docket may be examined in the Office of the Regional

Counsel for the Central Region at the same address between 9:00 a.m.

and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

An informal docket may also be examined during normal business

hours in the Air Traffic Division at the same address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kathy Randolph, Air Traffic Division, Airspace Branch, ACE-520C,

Federal Aviation Administration, 601 East 12th Street, Kansas City,

Missouri 64106; telephone (816) 426-3408.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has developed ILS RWY 6 and VOR/

[[Page 64149]]

DME RWY 17 SIAPs at St. Louis, MO. Additional controlled Class E

airspace extending upward from 700 feet AGL is needed at Lambert-St.

Louis International Airport, MO, in order to contain the new SIAPs

within controlled airspace. A review of airspace for St. Louis

Regional, St. Charles County Smartt, and Spirit of St. Louis Airports

indicates they do not meet the criteria for 700 feet AGL Class E

airspace as specified in FAA Order 7400.2D. The criteria in FAA Order

7400.2D for an aircraft to reach 1200 feet AGL is based on a standard

climb gradient of 200 feet per mile, plus the distance from the ARP to

the end of the outermost runway. Any fractional part of a mile is

converted to the next higher tenth of a mile increment. The areas for

St. Louis Regional, St. Charles County Smartt, and Spirit of St. Louis

are enlarged and included in the description of the amended Class E

airspace for Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. The amended Class

E airspace for Lambert-St. Louis International Airport will contain the

new SIAPs in controlled airspace, comply with the requirements of FAA

Order 7400.2D, and thereby facilitate separation of aircraft under

Instrument Flight Rules. The area will be depicted on appropriate

aeronautical charts. Class E airspace areas extending from 700 feet or

more above the surface of the earth are published in paragraph 6005 of

FAA Order 7400.9E, dated September 10, 1997, and effective September

16, 1997, which is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The Class

E airspace designation listed in this document will be published

subsequently in the Order.

The Direct Final Rule Procedure

The FAA anticipates that this regulation will not result in adverse

or negative comment and, therefore, is issuing it as a direct final

rule. Previous actions of this nature have not been controversial and

have not resulted in adverse comments or objections. The amendment will

enhance safety for all flight operations by designating an area where

VFR pilots may anticipate the presence of IFR aircraft at lower

altitudes, especially during inclement weather conditions. A greater

degree of safety is achieved by depicting the area on aeronautical

charts. Unless a written adverse or negative comment, or a written

notice of intent to submit an adverse or negative comment is received

within the comment period, the regulation will become effective on the

date specified above. After the close of the comment period, the FAA

will publish a document in the Federal Register indicating that no

adverse or negative comments were received and confirming the date on

which the final rule will become effective. If the FAA does receive,

within the comment period, an adverse or negative comment, or written

notice of intent to submit such a comment, a document withdrawing the

direct final rule will be published in the Federal Register, and a

notice of proposed rulemaking may be published with a new comment

period.

Comments Invited

Although this action is in the form of a final rule and was not

preceded by a notice of proposed rulemaking, comments are invited on

this rule. Interested persons are invited to comment on this rule by

submitting such written data, views, or arguments as they may desire.

Communications should identify the Rules Docket number and be submitted

in triplicate to the address specified under the caption ADDRESSES. All

communications received on or before the closing date for comments will

be considered, and this rule may be amended or withdrawn in light of

the comments received. Factual information that supports the

commenter's ideas and suggestions is extremely helpful in evaluating

the effectiveness of this action and determining whether additional

rulemaking action would be needed.

Comments are specifically invited on the overall regulatory,

economic, environmental, and energy-related aspects of the rule that

might suggest a need to modify the rule. All comments submitted will be

available, both before and after the closing date for comments, in the

Rules Docket for examination by interested persons. A report that

summarizes each FAA-public contact concerned with the substance of this

action will be filed in the Rules Docket.

Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments

submitted in response to this rule must submit a self-addressed,

stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: ``Comments

to Docket No. 97-ACE-22.'' The postcard will be date stamped and

returned to the commenter.

Agency Findings

The regulations adopted herein will not have substantial direct

effects on the States, on the relationship between the national

government and the States, or on the distribution of power and

responsibilities among the various levels of government. Therefore, in

accordance with Executive Order 12612, it is determined that this final

rule does not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant the

preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

The FAA has determined that this regulation is noncontroversial and

unlikely to result in adverse or negative comments. For the reasons

discussed in the preamble, I certify that this regulation (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) will not have a significant economic impact, positive or

negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria

of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71

Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air).

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration amends 14 CFR part

71 as follows:

PART 71--DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, CLASS B, CLASS C, CLASS D, AND

CLASS E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIRWAYS; 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.

Sec. 71.1 [Amended]

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

Aviation Administration Order 7400.9E, Airspace Designations and

Reporting Points, dated September 10, 1997, and effective September 16,

1997, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 6005 Class E airspace areas extending upward from 700

feet or more above the surface of the earth.

* * * * *

ACE MO E5 St. Louis, MO [Revised]

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

(Lat. 38 deg.44'52''N, long. 90 deg.21'36''W)

Spirit of St. Louis Airport, MO

(Lat. 38 deg.39'43''N, long. 90 deg.39'00''W)

St. Louis Regional Airport, Alton, IL

(Lat. 38 deg.53'25''N, long. 90 deg.02'46''W)

St. Charles County Smartt Airport, St. Charles, MO

(Lat. 38 deg.55'47''N, long. 90 deg.25'48''W)

St. Louis VORTAC

(Lat. 38 deg.51'39''N, long. 90 deg.28'57''W)

Foristell VORTAC

(Lat. 38 deg.41'40''N, long. 90 deg.58'17''W)

ZUMAY LOM

(Lat. 38 deg.47'17''N, long. 90 deg.16'44''W)

OBLIO LOM

(Lat. 38 deg.48'01''N, long. 90 deg.28'29''W)

Civic Memorial NDB

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(Lat. 38 deg.53'32''N, long. 90 deg.03'23''W)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface

within a 7.1-mile radius of the Lambert-St. Louis International

Airport and within 4 miles southeast and 7 miles northwest of the

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport Runway 24 ILS localizer

course extending from the airport to 10.5 miles northeast of the

ZUMAY LOM and within 4 miles southwest and 7.9 miles northeast of

the Lambert-St. Louis Airport Runway 12R ILS Localizer course

extending from the airport to 10.5 miles northwest of the OBLIO LOM

and within 4 miles southwest and 7.9 miles northeast of the Lambert-

St. Louis Airport Runway 30L ILS localizer southeast course

extending from the airport to 8.7 miles southeast of the airport and

within a 6.8-mile radius of Spirit of St. Louis Airport and within

2.6 miles each side of the 098 deg. radial of the Foristell VORTAC

extending from the 6.8-mile radius area to 8.3 miles west of the

airport and within a 6.4-mile radius of St. Charles County Smartt

Airport, and within a 6.9-mile radius of St. Louis Regional Airport,

and within 4 miles each side of the 014 deg. bearing from the Civic

Memorial NDB extending from the 6.9-mile radius to 7 miles north of

the airport and within 4.4 miles each side of the 190 deg. radial of

the St. Louis VORTAC extending from 2 miles south of the VORTAC to

22.1 miles south of the VORTAC.

* * * * *

Issued in Kansas City, MO, on October 17, 1997.

Herman J. Lyons,

Manager, Air Traffic Division, Central Region.

[FR Doc. 97-31704 Filed 12-3-97; 8:45 am]

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