[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 10, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 2555-2556]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-519]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. 94-CE-30-AD]
Airworthiness Directives; B. Grob Flugzeugbau Model G109B Gliders
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: This notice proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive
(AD) that would apply to B. Grob Flugzeugbau (Grob) Model G109B
gliders. The proposed action would require replacing the elevator inner
hinges with hinges of improved design. Two occurrences where the
elevator inner hinges separated from the elevator prompted the proposed
action. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to
prevent failure of these hinges because of delamination or corrosion,
which, if not detected and corrected, could lead to loss of control of
the glider.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 14, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments in triplicate to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Central Region, Office of the Assistant Chief
Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket No. 94-CE-30-AD, Room 1558, 601 E.
12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. Comments may be inspected at
this location between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
holidays excepted.
Service information that applies to the proposed AD may be obtained
from B. Grob Flugzeugbau, D-8939 Mattsies, Germany. This information
also may be examined at the Rules Docket at the address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Herman C. Belderok, Project
Officer, Sailplanes, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service, FAA, 1201 Walnut, suite 900, Kansas City, Missouri 64106;
telephone (816) 426-6932; facsimile (816) 426-2169.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
Interested persons are invited to participate in the making of the
proposed 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 above. All
communications received on or before the closing date for comments,
specified above, will be considered before taking action on the
proposed rule. The proposals contained in this notice may be changed in
light of the comments received.
Comments are specifically invited on the overall regulatory,
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of the proposed 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 proposal will be filed in the Rules Docket.
Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments
submitted in response to this notice must submit a self-addressed,
stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: ``Comments
to Docket No. 94-CE-30-AD.'' The postcard will be date stamped and
returned to the commenter.
Availability of NPRMs
Any person may obtain a copy of this NPRM by submitting a request
to the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel,
Attention: Rules Docket No. 94-CE-30-AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street,
Kansas City, Missouri 64106.
Discussion
The Luftfarht-Bundesant (LBA), which is the airworthiness authority
for Germany, recently notified the FAA that an unsafe condition may
exist on certain Grob Model G109B gliders. The LBA reports that
delamination and corrosion have caused the elevator inner hinges to
separate from the elevator on two of the affected gliders. Under the
original and current design, these hinges receive excessive stress on
the laminated attachment point on the stabilizer and elevator, which
causes the laminates to separate and moisture to become
[[Page 2556]] entrapped in this area (eventual corrosion). If not
detected and corrected, elevator inner hinge failure could lead to loss
of control of the glider.
Grob has issued Service Bulletin TM 817-25, dated November 9, 1987,
which includes Repair Instructions for replacing the elevator inner
hinges with hinges of improved design. The LBA classified this service
bulletin as mandatory and issued LBA AD 88-50, dated March 14, 1988, in
order to assure the continued airworthiness of these gliders in
Germany.
This glider model is manufactured in Germany and is type
certificated for operation in the United States under the provisions of
Sec. 21.29 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.29) and the
applicable bilateral airworthiness agreement. Pursuant to this
bilateral airworthiness agreement, the LBA has kept the FAA informed of
the situation described above. The FAA has examined the findings of the
LBA, reviewed all available information, and determined that AD action
is necessary for products of this type design that are certificated for
operation in the United States.
Since an unsafe condition has been identified that is likely to
exist or develop in other Grob Model G109B gliders of the same type
design, the proposed AD would require replacing the elevator inner
hinges with hinges of improved design. The proposed action would be
accomplished in accordance with Grob Repair Instructions No. 817-25 for
Service Bulletin TM 817-25, dated November 9, 1987.
The unsafe condition referenced in this proposed action is caused
by both stress loads and corrosion. Stress loads are a direct result of
airplane usage and corrosion can occur regardless of whether the
airplane is utilized in flight or is on the ground. With this in mind,
the FAA has determined that the compliance time of the proposed AD
should be in both calendar time and hours time-in-service (TIS).
The FAA estimates that 30 gliders in the U.S. registry would be
affected by the proposed AD, that it would take approximately 8
workhours per glider to accomplish the proposed action, and that the
average labor rate is approximately $60 an hour. Parts will be provided
by the manufacturer at no cost to the operator. Based on these figures,
the total cost impact of the proposed AD on U.S. operators is estimated
to be $14,400. This figure is based on the assumption that no affected
glider owner/operator has accomplished the proposed replacement of the
elevator inner hinges.
Grob has informed the FAA that approximately 20 of the affected
gliders already have the proposed replacement incorporated. With this
in mind, the cost impact upon the public of the proposed action would
be reduced from $14,400 to $5,280.
The regulations proposed herein would 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
proposal would not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant
the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.
For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this action (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) 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. A copy of the draft regulatory evaluation
prepared for this action has been placed in the Rules Docket. A copy of
it may be obtained by contacting the Rules Docket at the location
provided under the caption ADDRESSES.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Safety.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration proposes to amend
part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) as
follows:
PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
1. The authority citation for Part 39 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. App. 1354(a), 1421 and 1423; 49 U.S.C.
106(g); and 14 CFR 11.89.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
2. Section 39.13 is amended by adding a new AD to read as follows:
B. Grob Flugzeugrau: Docket No. 94-CE-30-AD.
Applicability: Model G109B gliders, serial numbers 6200 through
6445, certificated in any category.
Compliance: Required within the next 25 hours time-in-service
after the effective date of this AD or the next 6 calendar months
after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs first, unless
already accomplished.
To prevent failure of the elevator inner hinges because of
delamination or corrosion, which, if not detected and corrected,
could lead to loss of control of the glider, accomplish the
following:
(a) Replace the elevator inner hinges (2) with hinges of
improved design, part number 109B-3550, in accordance with Grob
Repair Instructions No. 817-25 for Service Bulletin TM 817-25, dated
November 9, 1987.
Note: The service instructions of this AD call for ``the
execution of the instructions to be certified in the log-book by an
authorized inspector class 3.'' This type of inspector is not
applicable in the United States and the person accomplishing the AD
is as outlined in part 43 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14
CFR part 43). This is not a change over normal AD procedures.
(b) Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with
Secs. 21.197 and 21.199 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR
21.197 and 21.199) to operate gliders to a location where the
requirements of this AD can be accomplished.
(c) An alternative method of compliance or adjustment of the
compliance time that provides an equivalent level of safety may be
approved by the Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, FAA, 1201
Walnut, suite 900, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. The request should
be forwarded through an appropriate FAA Maintenance Inspector, who
may add comments and then send it to the Manager, Small Airplane
Directorate.
Note: Information concerning the existence of approved
alternative methods of compliance with this AD, if any, may be
obtained from the Small Airplane Directorate.
(d) All persons affected by this directive may obtain copies of
the document referred to herein upon request to B. Grob Flugzeugbau,
D-8939 Mattsies, Germany; or may examine this document at the FAA,
Central Region, Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel, Room 1558,
601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on January 4, 1995.
Henry A. Armstrong,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 95-519 Filed 1-9-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-U
