[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 61 (Thursday, March 30, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16395-16396]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7787]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. 94-CE-32-AD]
Airworthiness Directives; Stemme S10 Gliders
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: This document proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive
(AD) that would apply to certain Stemme S10 gliders. The proposed
action would require modifying the rudder control cable system. Rupture
of a turnbuckle eye bolt in the rudder control cable system on one of
the affected gliders prompted the proposed action. The actions
specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent rudder control
cable system failure caused by rupture of the turnbuckle eye bolt,
which, if not detected and corrected, could result in loss of rudder
control.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 16, 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-32-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 Stemme GmbH & Co. KG, Flugplatz Gebaude 47, D-15344 Staussberg,
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, Gliders, 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-32-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-32-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 Stemme S10 gliders. The LBA reports that the rudder control
cable turnbuckle eye bolt ruptured on one of the affected gliders,
which resulted in loss of rudder control. Under the current
configuration, the rudder control cables from the right and left pedals
meet at the turnbuckle in the tailboom in a way that subjects the
turnbuckle eye bolt to resistant forces (tensile and bending) that
could pull the bolt from the rudder assembly. If not detected and
corrected, rudder control cable turnbuckle eye bolt rupture could
result in rudder control cable system failure and subsequent loss of
rudder control.
Stemme has issued Service Bulletin (SB) A31-10-018, dated June 3,
1994, which specifies procedures for modifying the rudder control cable
system on these S10 gliders. Pages 1-3 of this service bulletin are
written in German and pages 4-6 are English translations. The LBA
classified this service bulletin as mandatory and issued LBA AD 94-260,
dated August 25, 1994, 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
section 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 Stemme S10 gliders of the same type design,
the proposed AD would require modifying the rudder control cable
system. The proposed action would be accomplished in accordance with
the instructions to Stemme SB A31-10-018 (pages 4-6), dated June 3,
1994.
The FAA estimates that 3 gliders in the U.S. registry would be
affected by the proposed AD, that it would take approximately 4
workhours per glider to accomplish the proposed action, and that the
average labor rate is approximately $60 an hour. Parts cost
approximately $56 per glider. Based on these figures, the total cost
impact of the proposed AD on U.S. operators is estimated to be $888
($296 per airplane). This figure is based on the assumption that no
affected owner/operator of the affected gliders has incorporated the
proposed modification.
The regulations proposed herein would not have substantial direct
effects on the States, on the relationship [[Page 16396]] 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:
Stemme: Docket No. 94-CE-32-AD.
Applicability: S10 gliders (serial numbers 10-03 through 10-58),
certificated in any category.
Note 1: This AD applies to each glider identified in the
preceding applicability provision, regardless of whether it has been
modified, altered, or repaired in the area subject to the
requirements of this AD. For gliders that have been modified,
altered, or repaired so that the performance of the requirements of
this AD is affected, the owner/operator must use the authority
provided in paragraph (c) of this AD to request approval from the
FAA. This approval may address either no action, if the current
configuration eliminates the unsafe condition, or different actions
necessary to address the unsafe condition described in this AD. Such
a request should include an assessment of the effect of the changed
configuration on the unsafe condition addressed by this AD. In no
case does the presence of any modification, alteration, or repair
remove any glider from the applicability of this AD.
Compliance: Required upon the accumulation of 150 hours time-in-
service (TIS) or within the next 20 hours TIS after the effective
date of this AD, whichever occurs later, unless already
accomplished.
To prevent rudder control cable system failure caused by rupture
of the turnbuckle eye bolt, which, if not detected and corrected,
could result in loss of rudder control, accomplish the following:
(a) Modify the rudder control cable system in accordance with
the instructions in Stemme Service Bulletin A31-10-018 (pages 4-6),
dated June 3, 1994.
(b) Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with
sections 21.197 and 21.199 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14
CFR 21.197 and 21.199) to operate the glider 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 2: 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 Stemme GmbH & Co.
KG, Flugplatz Gebaude 47, D-15344 Staussberg, 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 March 24, 1995.
Dwight A. Young,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 95-7787 Filed 3-29-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-U
