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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 6, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25753-25755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10308]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2014-0292; Directorate Identifier 2014-CE-011-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; GROB-WERKE GMBH & CO KG and BURKHART 
GROB LUFT- UND RAUMFAHRT GmbH & CO KG Gliders

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
GROB-WERKE GMBH & CO KG Models G102 STANDARD ASTIR III, G102 CLUB ASTIR 
III, and G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIb gliders and BURKHART GROB LUFT-UND 
RAUMFAHRT GmbH & CO KG Models G103 TWIN II, G103A TWIN II ACRO, G103C 
TWIN III ACRO, and G 103 C Twin III SL gliders. This proposed AD 
results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) 
originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and 
correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes 
the unsafe condition as plastic control cable pulleys developing cracks 
due to aging. We are issuing this proposed AD to require actions to 
address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by June 20, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
     Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact 
Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG, Steige 3, D-88487 
Walpertshofen, Germany; telephone: +49 (0) 7353/22 43; fax: +49 (0) 
7353/30 96; email: /Lindner.com">Lindner.com">info@LTB-Lindner.com; Web site: http://www.ltb-lindner.com/home.104.html. You may review this referenced service 
information at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas 
City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this 
material at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2014-
0292; or in person at the Docket Management Facility between 9 a.m. and 
5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket 
contains this proposed AD, the regulatory evaluation, any comments 
received, and other information. The street address for the Docket 
Office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is in the ADDRESSES section. Comments 
will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Rutherford, Aerospace Engineer, 
FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4165; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: 
jim.rutherford@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited

    We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address 
listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2014-0292; 
Directorate Identifier 2014-CE-011-AD'' at the beginning of your 
comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, 
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this proposed AD. We 
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend 
this proposed AD because of those comments.
    We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We 
will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we 
receive about this proposed AD.

Discussion

    The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical 
Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued AD 
No.: 2014-0067, dated March 18, 2014 (referred to after this as ``the 
MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified products. The 
MCAI states:

    Control cable pulleys made from plastic (white or brown 
material) in the rudder control unit were reported to develop cracks 
due to aging. In one case, jamming of the rudder control unit was 
reported.
    This condition, if not detected and corrected, could cause cable 
pulleys to break, potentially jamming the rudder control unit and 
resulting in loss of control of the sailplane.
    To address this potential unsafe condition, Fiberglas-Technik 
issued Technische Mitteilung/Service Bulletin TM-G05/SB-G05 and 
Anweisung/Instructions A/I-G05 (one document) to provide 
instructions for the replacement of plastic cable pulleys with 
pulleys made from aluminium.
    For the reason described above, this AD requires identification 
and replacement of plastic cable pulleys in the rudder control unit.

[[Page 25754]]

    Plastic cable pulleys may also be installed in the cable 
circuits of pedal adjustment and/or tow hook actuation, their 
replacement is not required by this AD.

You may examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov 
by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2014-0292.

Relevant Service Information

    Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG has issued Service 
Bulletin SB-G05, dated January 17, 2014; and Instructions A/I-G05, 
dated January 17, 2014. The actions described in this service 
information are intended to correct the unsafe condition identified in 
the MCAI.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of the Proposed AD

    This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another 
country, and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant 
to our bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, they 
have notified us of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and 
service information referenced above. We are proposing this AD because 
we evaluated all information and determined the unsafe condition exists 
and is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type 
design.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this proposed AD will affect 118 products of U.S. 
registry. We also estimate that it would take about .5 work-hour per 
product to comply with the basic requirements of this proposed AD. The 
average labor rate is $85 per work-hour.
    Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the proposed AD on 
U.S. operators to be $5,015, or $42.50 per product.
    In addition, we estimate that any necessary follow-on actions would 
take about 2 work-hours and require parts costing $244, for a cost of 
$414 per product. We have no way of determining the number of products 
that may need these actions.

Authority for This Rulemaking

    Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to 
issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the 
authority of the FAA Administrator. ``Subtitle VII: Aviation 
Programs,'' describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's 
authority.
    We are issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in 
``Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General 
requirements.'' Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with 
promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing 
regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator 
finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within 
the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition 
that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this 
rulemaking action.

Regulatory Findings

    We 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.
    For the reasons discussed above, I certify this proposed 
regulation:
    (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),
    (3) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
    (4) 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 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

The Proposed Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.

Sec.  39.13  [Amended]

0
2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new AD:

GROB-WERKE GMBH & CO KG and BURKHART GROB LUFT-UND RAUMFAHRT GmbH & 
CO KG: Docket No. FAA-2014-0292; Directorate Identifier 2014-CE-011-
AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by June 20, 2014.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to GROB-WERKE GMBH & CO KG Models G102 STANDARD 
ASTIR III, G102 CLUB ASTIR III, and G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIb gliders and 
BURKHART GROB LUFT-UND RAUMFAHRT GmbH & CO KG Models G103 TWIN II, 
G103A TWIN II ACRO, G103C TWIN III ACRO and Model G 103 C Twin III 
SL gliders with the following serial numbers (S/N), certificated in 
any category.
    (1) G102 STANDARD ASTIR III, S/N 5501 through 5652.
    (2) G102 CLUB ASTIR III, S/N 5501 through 5652.
    (3) G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIb, S/N 5501 through 5652.
    (4) G103 TWIN II, S/N 3730 through 34078.
    (5) G103A TWIN II ACRO, S/N 3730 through 34078.
    (6) G103C TWIN III ACRO, S/N 34101 through 34203.
    (7) G 103 C Twin III SL, S/N 35002 through 35051.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Code 27: Flight 
Controls.

(e) Reason

    This AD was prompted by mandatory continuing airworthiness 
information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another 
country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation 
product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as plastic control 
cable pulleys developing cracks due to aging. We are issuing this 
proposed AD to detect and correct plastic control cable pulleys in 
the rudder control unit, which could lead to breaking of the pulley 
and potentially jamming the rudder control unit, possibly resulting 
in loss of control of the glider.

(f) Actions and Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified in 
paragraphs (f)(1) through (f)(3) of this AD, unless already done.
    (1) For all Models G103C TWIN III ACRO and G 103 C Twin III SL 
gliders: Within 3 months after the effective date of this AD, 
inspect the rudder control unit for installation of plastic cable 
pulleys. If plastic cable pulleys are installed, before further 
flight, replace the plastic cable pulleys with aluminum cable 
pulleys following the actions and instructions of Fiberglas-Technik 
Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Service Bulletin SB-G05 and Fiberglas-
Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Instructions A/I-G05, both 
dated January 17, 2014.
    (2) For all Models G102 STANDARD ASTIR III, G102 CLUB ASTIR III, 
G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIb, G103 TWIN II, and G103A TWIN II ACRO gliders: 
Within 1 month after the effective date of this AD, inspect the 
rudder control unit for installation of plastic cable pulleys. If 
plastic cable pulleys are installed, before further flight, replace 
the plastic cable pulleys with aluminum cable pulleys following the 
actions and instructions of

[[Page 25755]]

Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Service Bulletin SB-
G05 and Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Instructions 
A/I-G05, both dated January 17, 2014.
    (3) As of the effective date of this AD, do not install any 
plastic control cable pulley in the rudder control unit of any 
glider identified in paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(7) of this AD.
    (g) Other FAA AD Provisions
    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, 
Standards Office, FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this 
AD, if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. Send 
information to ATTN: Jim Rutherford, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small 
Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106; telephone: (816) 329-4165; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: 
jim.rutherford@faa.gov. Before using any approved AMOC on any 
airplane to which the AMOC applies, notify your appropriate 
principal inspector (PI) in the FAA Flight Standards District Office 
(FSDO), or lacking a PI, your local FSDO.
    (2) Airworthy Product: For any requirement in this AD to obtain 
corrective actions from a manufacturer or other source, use these 
actions if they are FAA-approved. Corrective actions are considered 
FAA-approved if they are approved by the State of Design Authority 
(or their delegated agent). You are required to assure the product 
is airworthy before it is returned to service.

(h) Related Information

    Refer to European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No.: 2014-
0067, dated March 18, 2014, for related information. You may examine 
the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching 
for and locating Docket No. FAA-2014-0292. For service information 
related to this AD, contact Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & 
Co. KG, Steige 3, D-88487 Walpertshofen, Germany; telephone: +49 (0) 
7353/22 43; fax: +49 (0) 7353/30 96; email: /Lindner.com">Lindner.com">info@LTB-Lindner.com; 
Web site: http://www.ltb-lindner.com/home.104.html. You may review 
this referenced service information at the FAA, Small Airplane 
Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For 
information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 
(816) 329-4148.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 30, 2014.
Earl Lawrence,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-10308 Filed 5-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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