Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 33 / Wednesday, February 19, 1997 / Proposed Rules 7375

PART 39—AIRWORTHINESS

DIRECTIVES

1. The authority citation for part 39

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 49 USC 106(g), 40113, 44701.

§ 39.13 [Amended]

2. Section 39.13 is amended by

adding a new airworthiness directive

(AD) to read as follows:

Grob Luft-Und Raumfahrt, GMBH. (GROB):

Docket No. 96–CE–40–AD.

Applicability: Models G 109 and G 109B

sailplanes, all serial numbers, certificated in

any category.

Note 1: This AD applies to each sailplane

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

sailplanes that have been modified, altered,

or repaired so that the performance of the

requirements of this AD is affected, the

owner/operator must request approval for an

alternative method of compliance in

accordance with paragraph (e) of this AD.

The request should include an assessment of

the effect of the modification, alteration, or

repair on the unsafe condition addressed by

this AD; and, if the unsafe condition has not

been eliminated, the request should include

specific proposed actions to address it.

Compliance: Required as indicated in the

body of this AD, unless already

accomplished.

To prevent failure of the landing gear legs

and possible loss of the sailplane, accomplish

the following:

(a) Within the next 120 calendar days after

the effective date of this AD, inspect the

retaining bars chamfer on both landing gear

legs for a minimum of 3.0 millimeters (mm)

radius in accordance with the ‘‘Actions’’

section, paragraph A3 in Grob Service

Bulletin (SB) 817–39, dated January 4, 1994.

(1) If the chamfer radius is 3.0 mm or

greater, prior to further flight, glue a

reinforcing plastic strip (part number (P/N)

109–5000.07) to the retaining bar in

accordance with the ‘‘Actions’’ section,

paragraph A4 in Grob SB 817–39, dated

January 4, 1994.

(2) If the chamfer radius is less than 3.0

mm, prior to further flight, replace with a

new improved retaining bar (P/N 109–

5000.02), and install the plastic strip (P/N

109–5000.07) in accordance with the

‘‘Actions’’ section, paragraph A5 in Grob SB

817–39, dated January 1994.

(b) For sailplanes not equipped with

landing gear legs, P/N 109B–5001.01/1,

within the next 2,000 sailplane landings or

1,000 hours TIS after the effective date,

whichever occurs first, inspect the landing

gear legs for cracks (using the magnetic

particle or X-ray analysis method) in

accordance with the ‘‘Actions’’ section,

paragraph B9 in Grob SB 817–39, dated

January 4, 1994.

Note 2: Landing gear legs (P/N 109B–

5001.01/1) have a ‘‘0’’ stamped on the front

side of the leg for easy identification.

(1) If there are cracks less than or equal to

0.5 mm, prior to further flight, polish the

existing legs or replace the legs with P/N

109B–5001.01/1 in accordance with the

‘‘Actions’’ section, paragraph B10 in Grob SB

817–39, dated January 4, 1994.

(2) If the polished landing gear legs

measures less than 13.0 mm, prior to further

flight, replace the landing gear legs with P/

N 1090B–5001.01/1 in accordance with the

‘‘Actions’’ section, paragraph B10 in Grob SB

817–39, dated January 4, 1994.

(3) If no cracks are found, or the cracks are

less than 0.5 mm, and the thickness of the

landing gear legs is equal to or greater than

13.0 mm, repetitively inspect the landing

gear legs for cracks every 1,000 landings or

500 hours TIS, whichever occurs first, in

accordance with the ‘‘Actions’’ section,

paragraph B12 in Grob SB 817–39, dated

January 4, 1994.

(4) If during any of the repetitive

inspections, the legs have previously been

polished and new cracks are found, prior to

further flight, replace the legs with P/N

109B–5001.01/1 in accordance with the

‘‘Actions’’ section, paragraph B12 in Grob SB

817–39, dated January 4, 1994.

(c) Replacement of the landing gear legs

with P/N 109B–5000.01/1 terminates the

repetitive inspections required by this AD

and Grob SB 817–39, dated January 4, 1994.

(d) 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 sailplane

to a location where the requirements of this

AD can be accomplished.

(e) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the initial or repetitive

compliance times that provides an equivalent

level of safety may be approved by the

Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, 1201

Walnut, suite 900, Kansas City, Missouri

64106. The request shall be forwarded

through an appropriate FAA Maintenance

Inspector, who may add comments and then

send it to the Manager, Small Airplane

Directorate.

Note 3: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the Small Airplane

Directorate.

(f) All persons affected by this directive

may obtain copies of the documents referred

to herein upon request to Grob Luft-und

Raumfahrt, GmbH., D–8939, Mattsies-am

Flugplatz, Germany or may examine these

documents 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

February 10, 1997.

Henry A. Armstrong,

Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate,

Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 97–3961 Filed 2–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 96–CE–69–AD]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; The New

Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Formerly Piper

Aircraft Corporation) PA–31, PA–31P,

PA–31T, and PA–42 Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed

rulemaking (ANPRM).

SUMMARY: Recently, the Federal

Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a

notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)

that applied to The New Piper Aircraft,

Inc. (Piper) PA–31, PA–31P, and PA–

31T series airplanes. The NPRM would

have required incorporating a main

landing gear (MLG) inboard door hinge

and attachment angle assembly, part

number (P/N) 47529–32, as terminating

action for the repetitive inspection

requirement of Airworthiness Directive

(AD) 80–26–05. The Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) has received a

comment to the NPRM that specifies

fatigue cracking of the P/N 47529–32

MLG inboard door hinge and

attachment angle assembly on the

affected airplanes. The Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) reviewed

manufacturer’s service history and

service difficulty reports in the FAA

database associated with the P/N

47529–32 main landing gear hinge

assembly, and has determined that more

information and analysis are needed to

propose any AD action. The purpose of

this ANPRM is to seek comments from

interested persons regarding the service

history of P/N 47529–32 hinge

assemblies. All comments will be

evaluated by the FAA and the FAA will

research the situation to decide whether

additional rulemaking is needed.

DATES: Comments must be received by

May 16, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in

triplicate to the FAA, Central Region,

Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel,

Attention: Rules Docket No. 96–CE–69–

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Christina Marsh, Aerospace Engineer,

FAA, Atlanta Aircraft Certification

Office, Campus Building, 1701

Columbia Avenue, suite 2–160, College

Park, Georgia 30337–2748; telephone

(404) 305–7362; facsimile (404) 305–

7348.
7376 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 33 / Wednesday, February 19, 1997 / Proposed Rules

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

Interested persons are invited to

participate in the making of any

proposed rulemaking actions that may

occur as a result of this ANPRM by

submitting such written data or views 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 any

proposed rulemaking is initiated.

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 document 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. 96–CE–69–AD.’’ The

postcard will be date stamped and

returned to the commenter.

Availability of ANPRM

Any person may obtain a copy of this

ANPRM by submitting a request to the

FAA, Central Region, Office of the

Assistant Chief Counsel, Attention:

Rules Docket No. 96–CE–69–AD, Room

1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City,

Missouri 64106.

Discussion

A proposal to amend part 39 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR

part 39) to include an AD that would

apply to Piper Models PA–31, PA–31–

325, PA–31–350, PA–31P, PA–31T1,

and PA–31T airplanes was published in

the Federal Register as a notice of

proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on

December 7, 1995 (60 FR 62774). The

action proposed to supersede AD 80–

26–05, Amendment 39–3994, with a

new AD that would (1) retain the

requirement of repetitively inspecting

the MLG inboard door hinges and

attachment angles for cracks, and

replacing any cracked MLG inboard

door hinge or attachment angle; and (2)

require incorporating a MLG inboard

door hinge and attachment angle

assembly of improved design (part

number 47529–32) or FAA-approved

hinges and angles made of steel as

terminating action for the repetitive

inspection requirement.

Accomplishment of the proposed

inspections would be in accordance

with Piper Service Bulletin (SB) No.

682, dated July 24, 1980.

Explanation of Comments Received

The comment received on the NPRM

contained information that the

improved hinge assemblies, part

number (P/N) 47529–32, are also

susceptible to fatigue cracking, and that

installing this assembly should not

eliminate the need for the repetitive

inspections currently required by AD

80–26–05. The commenter states that its

airplane fleet has experienced three

failures and three incidents related to

fatigue cracking of the P/N 47529–32

hinge assemblies.

The FAA conducted a review of the

manufacturer’s service history and

service difficulty reports in the FAA

database associated with the P/N

47529–32 main landing gear hinge

assembly. Based on a review of this

information, including the information

received from the commenter, the FAA

has determined that more information

and analysis are needed before hinge

assembly replacements are mandated

through an AD as terminating action for

the repetitive inspections currently

required by AD 80–26–05.

FAA’s Determination of the Best Action

To Take

With the above information in mind,

the FAA is issuing an advance notice of

proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) to

provide an opportunity for the general

public to participate in the decision as

to what course of rulemaking the FAA

should take. Interested persons are

encouraged to provide information that

describes what they consider the best

action (if any) to be taken regarding the

P/N 47529–32 main landing gear hinge

assembly. The FAA is especially

interested in comments and viewpoints

on the following:

1. What is the Model designation of

your airplane, serial number, and total

hours time-in-service (TIS)?

2. What P/N MLG inboard door hinge

assemblies are installed in the airplane?

3. How many hours TIS are on the

MLG inboard door hinge assemblies?

4. Have you ever had to replace a P/

N 47529–32 MLG inboard door hinge

assembly on the airplane? If so, what

was the reason and approximately how

many hours TIS were on each replaced

assembly?

Additional Helpful Information

The following information shows the

part numbers (P/N) for MLG inboard

door hinge assembles that each Piper

PA–31, PA–31P, PA–31T, and PA–42

series airplane was equipped with at

manufacture:

Airplanes Equipped With Piper P/N

46653–00 (embossed forging

number 46652)

Models PA–31, PA–31–300, and PA–

31–325 airplanes, serial numbers

31–2 through 31–8012077;

Model PA–31–350 airplanes, serial

numbers 31–5001 through 31–

8052168;

Model PA–31P airplanes, serial

numbers 31P–3 through 31P–

7730012;

PA–31T airplanes, serial numbers

31T–7400002 through 31T–

8020076; and

PA–31T1 airplanes, serial numbers

31T–7804001 through 31T–

8004040.

Airplanes Equipped With Piper P/N

47529–32 (embossed forging

number 46652–2)

Models PA–31, PA–31–300, and PA–

31–325 airplanes, serial numbers

31–8012078 through 31–8312019;

Model PA–31–350 airplanes, serial

numbers 31–8052169 through 31–

8553002;

Model PA–31T airplanes, serial

numbers 31T–8020077 through

31T–8120104;

Model PA–31T1 airplanes, serial

numbers 31T–8004041 through

31T–8104073, 31T–8104101; 31T–

8304001 through 31T–8304003; and

31T–1104004 through 31T–

1104017;

Model PA–31T2 airplanes, serial

numbers 31T–8166001 through

31T–8166076, and 31T–1166001

through 31T–1166008;

Model PA–31T3 airplanes, serial

numbers 31T–8275001 through

31T–8475001, and 31T–5575001;

Model PA–31P–350 airplanes, serial

numbers 31P–8414050;

Models PA–42 and PA–42–720

airplanes, serial numbers 42–

7800001 through 42–8301002, and

42–5501003 through 42–5501060;

and

Model PA–42–1000 airplanes, serial

numbers 42–5527001 through 42–

5527040.

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on

February 11, 1997.

Henry A. Armstrong,

Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate,

Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 97–3959 Filed 2–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U