U.S. Department 

of Transporta tion 

Federal Aviation 

Administration 

fEB 2 4 2015 

Christian Klix 

Paci fie AeroSport. LLC 

I 7705 49th Drive NE 

Arlington, WA 98223 

Small Airplane Directorate 

901 Locust, Room 301 

Kansas City. Missouri 64110 

Subject: Global Alternative Method of Compliance (AMOC) request for Airworthiness 

Directive (AD) 20 12- 10-1 I, Docket No. F AA-20 I 2-0324; Directorate ldenti fier 20 12-CE-008-

AD for the Burkhart GROB Luft- und Raumfahrt GmbH Models GROB G I 09 and GROB G 

I 098 Powered Sailplanes. 

Dear Mr. Klix: 

This is in response to your letter, dated February I 9, 20 15, to Mr. Jim Ruthe rford, Aerospace 

Engineer, FAA Small Airplane Directorate, requesting a new AMOC for use of newly released 

service information to accomplish the requirements of paragraph (f)( I )(iii) of AD 20 12-10-I I for 

Burkhart GROB Luft - und Raumfahrt GmbH Models GROB G 109 and GROB G I 098 

powered sailplanes. Since the newly released service information is applicable to all affected G 

I 09 and G I 09B powered sailplanes, this AMOC would be allowed for use by all operators. 

Paragraph (f)(l)(iii) of AD 2012-10-11 requires use of an access panel hole. installed per 

paragraph (f)(l )(ii) of the same AD, to accomplish an inspection, from below, of the vertical 

stabilizer nose plate for corrosion and flaking following Part B of the Accomplishment 

Instructions in Grob Aircraft Service Bulletin (SIB) No. MSB8 I 7-58, dated November 24, 20 I I. 

Thereafter, the inspection is to be repeated at intervals not to exceed 12 months. 

You state that some of the affected sailplanes have the nose plate encapsulated in fiberglass 

laminates. When this occurs, it is inferred that the Part B Accomplishment Instructions from the 

service information are not adequate in addressing how to proceed. You therefore. request to 

perform the inspection defined in paragraph (f)(l)(iii) in accordance with Part B ofthe 

Accomplishment Instructions in the newly released Grob Aircraft S/8 No. MSB817-58/l, dated 

February 17, 2015. 

This new service information replaces Grob Aircraft S/B No. MSB817-58, dated November 24, 

20 I I and provides additional information in Part B of the Accomplishment Instructions. The 

new revision adds the ability to use other suitable means, such as a digital camera or a borescope. 

to accomplish the internal inspection of the nose plate, and it also provides instructions on how 

to determine if corrosion is present on the nose plates covered by composite laminates. 

The FAA has reviewed your formal AMOC request and the latest company service infom1ation. 

Based on previous conversations with you on this issue, the FAA had already shared this concern 

with the European A vi at ion Safety Agency (EASA), who is the state of design authority for these 
aircraft. EASA had then coordinated the request with the TC Holder. Grob Aircraft AG. 

Subsequently, Grob Aircraft made the decision to revise the service information to add more 

clarification and this was approved under their privileges as an EASA Design Organization 

(DOA). 

The FAA notes that AD 2012-10-11 , also requires the use ofGrob Aircraft S/8 No. MSB817-58. 

dated November 24. 20 I I, to accomplish an external inspection of the nose plate in paragraph 

(f)( l )(i) and to specify the part replacement instructions in paragraph (!)(2). The newly released 

S/8 does not change the instructions re lated to these actions. 

After further consideration, the FAA approves the use of Grob Aircraft S/8 No. MSB817-58/ I, 

dated February 17, 2015, in place of Grob Aircraft S/8 No. MS8817-58, dated November 24, 

20 I I, as an alternative method of compliance to accomplish the requirements of paragraphs 

(t)(l)(i), (f)(l )(iii), and (f)(2) of AD 2012-10-1 I. 

Before using this AMOC, operators are to notify their appropriate principal inspector (PI). or 

lacking a principal inspector. the manager of the local flight standards district office/certificate 

holding district office. This approval is subject to the fo llowing conditions: 

1. The Small Airplane Directorate will revoke this AMOC, if we later determine that this 

AMOC does not provide an acceptable level of safety. 

2. All provisions of AD 2012-10-11 that are not specifically referenced above remain fully 

applicable and must be complied with accordingly. 

3. A copy of this letter is kept with the aircraft logbook. 

If all the above conditions are met, this AMOC is granted for all affected GR08 G 109 and 

GROB G I 09B powered sailplanes. certificated in any category. 

This AMOC is transferable. 

If you have any questions or require additional infonnation, please contact Mr. Jim Rutherford 

by tel ephone at 816-329-4165, by fax at 81-329-4090, or by email at jim.ruthcrfordr£/faa.uo\'. 

Sincere ly, 

Mana

~?E: ger, Project Support Branch 

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cc: 

Mr. Ullrich Kopp 

Luftfahrt-Bundesamt 

T321 Segelflugzeuge und Motorsegler 

Hermann-Bienk-Strasse 26 

D-381 08 Braunschweig 

Germany 

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