Amendment to Class E Airspace; Mason City, IA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Airspace Docket No. 97-ACE-31]

Amendment to Class E Airspace; Mason City, IA

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Direct final rule; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This action amends the Class E airspace area at Mason City

Municipal Airport, Mason City, IA. The FAA has developed an Instrument

Landing System (ILS) Runway (RWY) 35 Standard Instrument Approach

Procedure (SIAP) to serve the Mason City Municipal Airport. The

enlarged Class E airspace area 700 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) will

contain the ILS RWY 35 SIAP in controlled airspace. The intended effect

of this rule is to provide additional controlled Class E airspace

extending upward from 700 feet AGL to accommodate this SIAP.

DATES: Effective date: 0901 UTC, June 18, 1998.

Comment date: Comments for inclusion in the Rules Docket must be

received on or before April 25, 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-31, 601 East 12th Street, 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, MO

64106; telephone: (816) 426-3408.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has developed an ILS RWY 35 SIAP at

Mason City Municipal Airport, Mason City, IA. The amendment to Class E

airspace area at Mason City Municipal Airport will provide additional

controlled airspace in order to contain the SIAP within controlled

airspace, and thereby facilitate separation of aircraft operating under

IFR. The area will be depicted on appropriate aeronautical charts.

Class E airspace areas extending upward 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

[[Page 7061]]

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-31.'' 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) if promulgated, 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 IA E5 Mason City, IA [Revised]

Mason City Municipal Airport, IA

(Lat. 43 deg.09'28''N., long. 93 deg.19'53''W.)

Mason City VORTAC

(Lat. 43 deg.05'41''N., long. 93 deg.19'47''W.)

That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface

within a 6.7-mile radius of Mason City Municipal Airport; and within

3 miles each side of the 002 deg. radial of the Mason City VORTAC

extending from the 6.7-mile radius to 21 miles north of the VORTAC;

and within 3 miles each side of the 182 deg. radial of the Mason

City VORTAC extending from the 6.7-mile radius to 18.5 miles south

of the VORTAC.

* * * * *

Issued in Kansas City, MO, on December 23, 1997.

Christopher R. Blum,

Acting Manager, Air Traffic Division, Central Region.

[FR Doc. 98-3576 Filed 2-11-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-13-M