[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 215 (Monday, November 8, 2004)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 64695-64697]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-24819]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2004-19442; Directorate Identifier 2004-CE-31-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Gippsland Aeronautics Pty. Ltd. Model 
GA8 Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) 
for certain Gippsland Aeronautics Pty. Ltd. Model GA8 airplanes. This 
proposed AD would require you to inspect the pilot and co-pilot control 
column wheels and aileron cable operating arm shafts for damage and, if 
damage is found, to repair the shafts or to replace the steel shafts 
with bronze shafts. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing 
airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority 
for Australia. We are issuing this proposed AD to detect and correct 
damage of the pilot and co-pilot control wheels and aileron cable 
operating arm shafts. This damage could result in the aileron controls 
becoming stiff or locking, which could lead to loss of control of the 
airplane.

DATES: We must receive any comments on this proposed AD by December 15, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following to submit comments on this proposed 
AD:
    <bullet> DOT Docket Web site: Go to http://dms.dot.gov and follow 
the instructions for sending your comments electronically.
    <bullet> Government-wide rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
    <bullet> Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590-001.
    <bullet> Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the 
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    To get the service information identified in this proposed AD, 
contact Gippsland Aeronautics Pty. Ltd., Latrobe Regional Airport, P.O. 
Box 881, Morwell, Victoria 3840, Australia; telephone: 61 (0) 3 5172 
1200; facsimile: 61 (0) 3 5172 1201.
    To view the comments to this proposed AD, go to http://dms.dot.gov. 
This is docket number FAA-2004-19442.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, 
Small Airplane Directorate, ACE-112, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106; telephone: 816-329-4059; facsimile: 816-329-4090.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    How do I comment on this proposed AD? We invite you to submit any 
written relevant data, views, or arguments regarding this proposal. 
Send your comments to an address listed under ADDRESSES. Include the 
docket number, ``FAA-2004-19442; Directorate Identifier 2004-CE-31-AD'' 
at the beginning of your comments. We will post all comments we 
receive, without change, to http://dms.dot.gov, including any personal 
information you provide. We will also post a report summarizing each 
substantive verbal contact with FAA personnel concerning this proposed 
rulemaking. Using the search function of our docket web site, anyone 
can find and read the comments received into any of our dockets, 
including the name of the individual who sent the comment (or signed 
the comment on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
This is docket number FAA-2004-19442. You may review the DOT's complete 
Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.
    Are there any specific portions of this proposed AD I should pay 
attention to? We specifically invite comments on the overall 
regulatory, economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this 
proposed AD. If you contact us through a nonwritten communication and 
that contact relates to a substantive part of this proposed AD, we will 
summarize the contact and place the summary in the docket. We will 
consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend this 
proposed AD in light of those comments and contacts.

Docket Information

    Where can I go to view the docket information? You may view the AD 
docket that contains the proposal, any comments received, and any final 
disposition in person at the DMS Docket Offices between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m. (eastern standard time), Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The Docket Office (telephone 1-800-647-5227) is located on 
the plaza level of the Department of Transportation NASSIF Building at 
the street address stated in ADDRESSES. You may also view the AD docket 
on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The comments will be available 
in the AD docket shortly after the DMS receives them.

Discussion

    What events have caused this proposed AD? The Civil Aviation Safety 
Authority (CASA), which is the airworthiness authority for Australia, 
recently notified FAA that an unsafe condition may exist on certain 
Gippsland Aeronautics Pty. Ltd. Model GA8 airplanes. CASA reports three 
occurrences of aileron control stiffness and one occurrence of aileron 
control locking during taxi. Rubbing between the control wheel shaft 
and the bush in the control column may cause wear or damage to the 
control wheel shaft where the shaft connects to the control column. 
This damage may lead to the

[[Page 64696]]

aileron control becoming stiff or locking.
    What is the potential impact if FAA took no action? Damage of the 
pilot and co-pilot control wheels and aileron cable operating arm 
shafts could result in the aileron controls becoming stiff or locking, 
which could lead to loss of control of the airplane.
    Is there service information that applies to this subject? 
Gippsland Aeronautics Pty. Ltd. has issued Service Bulletin SB-GA8-
2004-11, dated August 25, 2004.
    What are the provisions of this service information? The service 
bulletin includes procedures for:

--Inspecting control wheel and aileron cable operating arm shafts for 
damage;
--Repairing damage; and
--Replacing damaged shafts with the bronze shafts.

    What action did the CASA take? The CASA classified this service 
bulletin as mandatory and issued Australian AD Number AD/GA8/2, dated 
September 17, 2004, to ensure the continued airworthiness of these 
airplanes in Australia.
    Did the CASA inform the United States under the bilateral 
airworthiness agreement? These Gippsland GA8 airplanes are manufactured 
in Australia and are 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.
    Under this bilateral airworthiness agreement, Australia has kept us 
informed of the situation described above.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of This Proposed AD

    What has FAA decided? We have examined the CASA's findings, 
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 the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist 
or develop on other Gippsland Aeronautics GA8 airplanes of the same 
type design that are registered in the United States, we are proposing 
AD action to detect and correct damage of the pilot and co-pilot 
control wheels and aileron cable operating arm shafts that could result 
in the aileron controls becoming stiff or locking, which could lead to 
loss of control of the airplane.
    What would this proposed AD require? This proposed AD would require 
you to inspect the pilot and co-pilot control wheels and aileron cable 
operating arm shafts for damage and, if damage is found, to repair the 
shafts or to replace the steel shafts with bronze shafts.
    How does the revision to 14 CFR part 39 affect this proposed AD? On 
July 10, 2002, we published a new version of 14 CFR part 39 (67 FR 
47997, July 22, 2002), which governs FAA's AD system. This regulation 
now includes material that relates to altered products, special flight 
permits, and alternative methods of compliance. This material 
previously was included in each individual AD. Since this material is 
included in 14 CFR part 39, we will not include it in future AD 
actions.

Costs of Compliance

    How many airplanes would this proposed AD impact? We estimate that 
this proposed AD affects 5 airplanes in the U.S. registry.
    What would be the cost impact of this proposed AD on owners/
operators of the affected airplanes? We estimate the following costs to 
accomplish this proposed inspection:

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                                                                                                  Total cost  on
                           Labor cost                               Parts cost      Total cost         U.S.
                                                                                   per  airplane     operators
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2 work hours x $65 per hour = $130..............................            N/A            $130            $650
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    We estimate the following costs to accomplish any necessary 
replacements that would be required based on the results of this 
proposed inspection. We have no way of determining the number of 
airplanes that may need this repair/replacement:

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               Labor cost                          Parts cost                   Total cost per airplane
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Labor cost per side (either pilot or co-  Warranty...................  Per side = $520.
 pilot) - 8 work hours x $65 per hour =                                For both sides = $1,040.
 $520.
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Regulatory Findings

    Would this proposed AD impact various entities? We have determined 
that this proposed AD would not have federalism implications under 
Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would not have a substantial 
direct effect 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.
    Would this proposed AD involve a significant rule or regulatory 
action? For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this proposed 
AD:
    1. Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 
12866;
    2. Is not a ``significant rule'' under the 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.
    We prepared a summary of the costs to comply with this proposed AD 
and placed it in the AD Docket. You may get a copy of this summary by 
sending a request to us at the address listed under ADDRESSES. Include 
``AD Docket FAA-2004-19442; Directorate Identifier 2004-CE-31-AD'' in 
your request.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Safety.

The Proposed Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration proposes to amend 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. 106(g), 40113, 44701.

[[Page 64697]]

Sec.  39.13  [Amended]

    2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new 
airworthiness directive (AD):

Gippsland Aeronautics Pty. Ltd.: Docket No. FAA-2004-19442; 
Directorate Identifier 2004-CE-31-AD.

When Is the Last Date I Can Submit Comments on This Proposed AD?

    (a) We must receive comments on this proposed airworthiness 
directive (AD) by December 15, 2004.

What Other ADs Are Affected by This Action?

    (b) None.

What Airplanes Are Affected by This AD?

    (c) This AD affects model GA8 airplanes, serial numbers GA8-00-
004 through GA8-04-056, that are certificated in any category.

What Is the Unsafe Condition Presented in This AD?

    (d) This AD is the result of rubbing between the control wheel 
shaft and the bush in the control column, which may cause wear or 
damage to the control wheel shaft where the shaft connects to the 
control column. This damage may lead to the aileron control becoming 
stiff or locking. The actions specified in this AD are intended to 
detect and correct damage of the pilot and co-pilot control wheels 
and aileron cable operating arm shafts that could result in the 
aileron controls becoming stiff or locking, which could lead to loss 
of control of the airplane.

What Must I Do To Address This Problem?

    (e) To address this problem, you must do the following:

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             Actions                  Compliance          Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Inspect the pilot and co-     Perform the         Follow Gippsland
 pilot control column wheel and    initial             Aeronautics Pty.
 aileron cable operating arm       inspection within   Ltd. Service
 shafts for damage.                50 hours time-in-   Bulletin SB-GA8-
                                   service (TIS)       2004-11, Issue 2,
                                   after the           dated August 25,
                                   effective date of   2004.
                                   this AD.
(2) If no damage is found,        Perform repetitive  Follow Gippsland
 continue repetitive inspections.  inspections every   Aeronautics Pty.
                                   300 hours TIS       Ltd. Service
                                   until steel         Bulletin SB-GA8-
                                   operating arm       2004-11, Issue 2,
                                   shafts are          dated August 25,
                                   replaced with       2004.
                                   bronze operating
                                   arm shafts.
                                   Replacement of
                                   steel operating
                                   arm shafts with
                                   bronze operating
                                   arm shafts is
                                   terminating
                                   action for this
                                   AD on the side
                                   that was
                                   replaced. If one
                                   steel shaft
                                   requires
                                   replacement, all
                                   of the shafts on
                                   that side (pilot
                                   or co-pilot) must
                                   be replaced with
                                   bronze shafts. If
                                   only one side
                                   (pilot or co-
                                   pilot) is
                                   replaced,
                                   repetitive
                                   inspections are
                                   still required
                                   for the side that
                                   was not replaced.
(3) For airplanes where damage    If damage is        Follow Gippsland
 is found:                         found, repair or    Aeronautics Pty.
(i) If damage can be repaired by   replace operating   Ltd. Service
 polishing out marks or            arm shafts prior    Bulletin SB-GA8-
 scratches so that material        to further          2004-11, Issue 2,
 removed does not exceed 0.005     flight. If          dated August 25,
 inches, repair the shaft. You     airplane is         2004.
 can not repair by polishing out   repaired,
 marks or scratches more than      repetitively
 one time..                        inspect every 300
(ii) If damage can not be          hours TIS after
 repaired by polishing out marks   repair until
 or scratches so that material     replacement of
 removed does not exceed 0.005     the operating arm
 inches or you have already        shafts.
 repaired the damage by            Replacement of
 polishing out the marks or        the steel
 scratches previously, the         operating arm
 damaged steel operating arm       shafts with
 shaft must be replaced with a     bronze operating
 bronze operating arm shaft.       arm shafts is
 When a shaft (pilot or co-        terminating
 pilot) requires replacement,      action for this
 you must install new bronze       AD. If only one
 shafts in all areas of the        side (pilot or co-
 affected side..                   pilot) is
                                   replaced with
                                   bronze shafts,
                                   you must still
                                   repetitively
                                   inspect the other
                                   side that was not
                                   replaced.
(4) As of the effective date of   As of the           Follow Gippsland
 this AD, do not install shafts    effective date of   Aeronautics Pty.
 that are not bronze on any        this AD.            Ltd. Service
 affected Model GA8 airplane.                          Bulletin SB-GA8-
                                                       2004-11, Issue 2,
                                                       dated August 25,
                                                       2004.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

May I Request an Alternative Method of Compliance?

    (f) You may request a different method of compliance or a 
different compliance time for this AD by following the procedures in 
14 CFR 39.19. Unless FAA authorizes otherwise, send your request to 
your principal inspector. The principal inspector may add comments 
and will send your request to the Manager, Standards Office, Small 
Airplane Directorate, FAA. For information on any already approved 
alternative methods of compliance, contact Doug Rudolph, Aerospace 
Engineer, Small Airplane Directorate, ACE-112, 901 Locust, Room 301, 
Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: 816-329-4059; facsimile: 
816-329-4090.

Is There Other Information That Relates to This Subject?

    (g) Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority Airworthiness 
Directive AD/GA8/2, dated September 17, 2004, and Gippsland 
Aeronautics Pty., Ltd., Service Bulletin SB-GA8-2004-11, dated 
August 25, 2004, also address the subject of this AD.

May I Get Copies of the Documents Referenced in This AD?

    (h) To get copies of the documents referenced in this AD, 
contact Gippsland Aeronautics Pty. Ltd., Latrobe Regional Airport, 
P.O. Box 881, Morwell, Victoria 3840, Australia; telephone: 61 (0) 3 
5172 1200; facsimile: 61 (0) 3 5172 1201. To view the AD docket, go 
to the Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-
401, Washington, DC, or on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. This 
is docket number FAA-2004-19442.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 2, 2004.
James E. Jackson,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 04-24819 Filed 11-5-04; 8:45 am]
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