Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 11 / Wednesday, January 18, 1995 / Proposed Rules 3587

modified, altered, or repaired in the area

subject to the requirements of this AD. For

airplanes 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 (b) 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 airplane from

the applicability of this AD.

Compliance: Required as indicated, unless

accomplished previously.

To ensure that the ‘‘EXIT’’ signs for the

overwing emergency exit are clearly visible

during an evacuation, accomplish the

following:

(a) Within 8 months after the effective date

of this AD, install two additional ‘‘EXIT’’

signs, one above and between the left-hand

overwing emergency exits, and one above

and between the right-hand overwing

emergency exits, in accordance with Fokker

Service Bulletin SBF100–33–015, Revision 1,

dated March 21, 1994.

(b) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the compliance time that

provides an acceptable level of safety may be

used if approved by the Manager,

Standardization Branch, ANM–113, FAA,

Transport Airplane Directorate. Operators

shall submit their requests through an

appropriate FAA Principal Maintenance

Inspector, who may add comments and then

send it to the Manager, Standardization

Branch, ANM–113.

Note 2: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the Standardization Branch,

ANM–113.

(c) 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 airplane to

a location where the requirements of this AD

can be accomplished.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on January

11, 1995.

Darrell M. Pederson,

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 95–1133 Filed 1–17–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 92–CE–21–AD]

Airworthiness Directives; Glaser-Dirks

Flugzeugbau GmbH Model DG–100

Sailplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Supplemental notice of

proposed rulemaking (NPRM);

Reopening of the comment period.

SUMMARY: This document proposes to

revise an earlier proposed airworthiness

directive (AD), which would have

required inspecting (one-time) the

tailplane main fitting on Glaser-Dirks

Flugzeugbau GmbH (Glaser-Dirks)

Model DG–100 sailplanes to ensure the

part is accurately welded, and

modifying if not accurately welded. A

report of tailplane main fitting failure on

one of the affected sailplanes, where the

welding did not completely cover the

entire wall thickness of the fitting,

prompted the proposed action. The

previous notice was written against all

DG–100’s; however, if the sailplane is

equipped with a horizontal stabilizer

and an elevator instead of a L4 tailplane

main fitting (main L4 fitting of the all

flying tailplane), the proposed AD

should not apply. The proposed action

would require the same one-time

inspection of the tailplane main fitting,

but would exclude those sailplanes

equipped with a horizontal stabilizer

and an elevator. The proposed actions

are intended to prevent loss of control

of the sailplane because of tailplane

main fitting failure.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before March 27, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in

triplicate to the FAA, Central Region,

Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel,

Attention: Rules Docket No. 92–CE–21–

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

Glaser-Dirks Flugzeugbau GmbH, Im

Schollengarten 19–20, 7520 Buchsal 4,

Germany. This information also may be

examined at the Rules Docket at the

address above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Herman Belderok, Project Officer,

Sailplanes, Small Airplane Directorate,

Airplane 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. 92–CE–21–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. 92–CE–21–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 certain Glaser-Dirks Model DG–

100 sailplanes was published in the

Federal Register on April 22, 1993 (58

FR 21547). That action proposed to

require inspecting (one-time) the

tailplane main fitting to ensure the part

is accurately welded, and modifying if

not accurately welded. The inspections

and possible modifications were

proposed to be accomplished in

accordance with Enclosure to Technical

Note 301/15, which is a supplement to

Glaser-Dirks Technical Note 301/15,

dated July 7, 1989.

Interested persons have been afforded

an opportunity to participate in the

making of this amendment. One

comment was received on the content of

the proposed AD and no comments

were received concerning the FAA’s

determination of the cost upon the

public.

The commenter states that the

proposed AD would apply to all Model

DG–100 sailplanes. In actuality, the

proposal should not apply to those
3588 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 11 / Wednesday, January 18, 1995 / Proposed Rules

sailplanes equipped with a horizontal

stabilizer and elevator, and should only

be written against sailplanes equipped

with the ‘‘main L4 fitting of the all

flying tailplane’’ as specified in GlaserDirks Technical Note 301/15.

The FAA concurs and has changed

the Applicability section of the proposal

to include the following: ‘‘Model DG–

100 sailplanes equipped with the main

L4 fitting of the all flying tailplane.’’

Since sufficient time has elapsed

between the time the proposal was

issued and coordination of the comment

proposed above with the FAA, the

manufacturer, and foreign airworthiness

authority, the FAA has decided to

reopen the comment period to provide

additional time for public comment.

The FAA estimates that 16 sailplanes

in the U.S. registry would be affected by

the proposed AD, that it would take

approximately 1 workhour per sailplane

to accomplish the proposed inspection,

and that the average labor rate is

approximately $60 an hour. Based on

these figures, the total cost impact of the

proposed AD on U.S. operators is

estimated to be $960. This figure is

based on the assumption that no

affected owner/operator has

accomplished the proposed one-time

inspection. The FAA anticipates that

several owners/operators have already

accomplished this inspection, thus

reducing the proposed cost impact upon

the public.

The regulations proposed herein

would not have substantial direct effects

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. 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.

§ 39.13 [Amended]

2. Section 39.13 is amended by

adding a new AD to read as follows:

Glaser-Dirks Flugzeugbau GMBH: Docket

No. 92–CE–21–AD.

Applicability: Model DG–100 sailplanes

(all serial numbers) that are equipped with

the main L4 fitting of the all flying tailplane,

certificated in any category.

Compliance: Required within the next 100

hours time-in-service after the effective date

of this AD, unless already accomplished.

To prevent loss of control of the sailplane

caused by failure of the tailplane main fitting,

accomplish the following:

(a) Inspect the tailplane main fitting to

ensure that the welding covers the entire wall

thickness of the fitting in accordance with

the instructions in paragraph 3 of the

Enclosure to Technical Note (TN) 301/15,

which is a supplement to Glaser-Dirks TN

301/15, dated July 7, 1989.

(b) If the welding does not cover the entire

wall thickness of the fitting, prior to further

flight, modify the tailplane main fitting in

accordance with instructions in paragraph 4

of the Enclosure to TN 301/15, which is a

supplement to Glaser-Dirks TN 301/15, dated

July 7, 1989.

Note 1: The service information specifies

inspection and possible modification for the

Model DG–100 Elan sailplanes, as well as the

Model DG–100 sailplanes. Even though the

Model DG–100 Elan sailplanes are not

certificated for operation in the United States

under the provisions of section 21.29 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.29),

the actions in this AD are recommended for

any of these sailplanes certificated otherwise,

i.e., experimental category.

(c) 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 sailplanes to a

location where the requirements of this AD

can be accomplished.

(d) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the compliance times 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.

(e) All persons affected by this directive

may obtain copies of the documents referred

to herein upon request to Glaser-Dirks

Flugzeugbau GmbH, lm Schollengarten 19–

20, 7520 Buchsal 4, 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 January

10, 1995.

Barry D. Clements,

Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft

Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 95–1129 Filed 1–17–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 93–CE–59–AD]

Airworthiness Directives; Grob Luft

Und Raumfahrt Models G102 Astir CS,

Club Astir IIb, Twin Astir, Speed Astir,

Standard Astir II, and Speed Astir IIb

Sailplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking

(NPRM).

SUMMARY: This document proposes to

adopt a new airworthiness directive

(AD) that would apply to certain Grob

Luft Und Raumfahrt (Grob) Models

G102 Astir CS, Club Astir IIb, Twin

Astir, Speed Astir, Standard Astir II,

and Speed Astir IIb sailplanes. The

proposed action would require

inspecting all elevator and rudder

hinges for damage (delamination,

cracks, corrosion, or buckling), and

repairing any damaged parts. Several

occurrences of inner elevator hinges

separating during flight prompted the

proposed action. The actions specified

by the proposed AD are intended to

prevent these hinges from separating,

which could result in loss of control of

the sailplane.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before March 27, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in

triplicate to the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), Central Region,

Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel,

Attention: Rules Docket No. 93–CE–59–

AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street,

Kansas City, Missouri 64106. Comments

may be inspected at this location