Document ID: FAA-2022-0288-0001
Agency: faa
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Airworthiness Directives: Alexander Schleicher GmbH and Co. Segelflugzeugbau Gliders
Posted Date: 2022-03-23T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 23, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16433-16435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05873]

 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 56 / Wednesday, March 23, 2022 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 16433]]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2022-0288; Project Identifier MCAI-2021-00913-G]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. 
Segelflugzeugbau Gliders

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) 
for all Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau Model ASW-15 
gliders. This proposed 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 identifies the unsafe condition as wing root 
damage. This proposed AD would require repetitively inspecting the wing 
root ribs for cracks, looseness, and damage and replacing any root rib 
with a crack, a loose rib or lift pin bushing, or any damage. The FAA 
is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by May 9, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://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: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    For service information identified in this NPRM, contact Alexander 
Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau, Alexander-Schleicher-Str. 1, 
Poppenhausen, Germany D-36163; phone: +49 (0) 06658 89-0; email: 
[email protected]; website: https://www.alexander-schleicher.de. You may view this service information at the FAA, 
Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 901 Locust, 
Kansas City, MO 64106. For information on the availability of this 
material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket at https://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2022-0288; or in person at 
Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this NPRM, the MCAI, 
any comments received, and other information. The street address for 
Docket Operations is listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Rutherford, Aviation Safety 
Engineer, General Aviation & Rotorcraft Section, International 
Validation Branch, FAA, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, MO 64106; 
phone: (816) 329-4165; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed 
under ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2022-0288; Project Identifier 
MCAI-2021-00913-G'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful 
comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain the 
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA 
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend 
this proposal because of those comments.
    Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in 
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to 
https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you 
provide. The agency will also post a report summarizing each 
substantive verbal contact received about this NPRM.

Confidential Business Information

    CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily 
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public 
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial 
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that 
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to 
this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted 
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing 
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as 
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public 
docket of this NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Jim 
Rutherford, Aviation Safety Engineer, General Aviation & Rotorcraft 
Section, International Validation Branch, FAA, 901 Locust, Room 301, 
Kansas City, MO 64106. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is 
not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket 
for this rulemaking.

Background

    The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the 
Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued 
EASA AD 2021-0187, dated August 9, 2021 (referred to after this as 
``the MCAI''), to address an unsafe condition on certain Alexander 
Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau Model ASW 15 gliders. The MCAI 
states:

    Occurrences were reported of finding wing root rib damage. 
Investigation is ongoing to determine the root cause of the damage.
    This condition, if not detected and corrected, could reduce the 
structural integrity of the wing assembly of the sailplane.
    To address this potential unsafe condition, Schleicher issued 
the TN [technical note] to provide inspection instructions.
    For the reasons described above, this [EASA] AD requires 
repetitive inspections of each affected part and, depending on 
findings, replacement. This [EASA] AD also introduces restrictions 
for installation of an affected part.

[[Page 16434]]

    You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2022-
0288.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau 
ASW 15 Technical Note No. 29, dated June 28, 2021. This service 
information specifies inspecting the root ribs at the wings.
    The FAA also reviewed Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. 
Segelflugzeugbau ASW 15 Repair instruction exchange of wing root ribs 
according to TN 29, dated June 28, 2021. This service information 
specifies procedures for replacing the root ribs.
    In addition, the FAA reviewed Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. 
Segelflugzeugbau ASW 15 Maintenance Instruction G, Issue 1, dated June 
28, 2021. This service information specifies procedures for inspecting 
the root ribs at the wings for damage.
    This service information is reasonably available because the 
interested parties have access to it through their normal course of 
business or by the means identified in ADDRESSES.

FAA's Determination

    This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another 
country and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to 
the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, it 
has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and 
service information referenced above. The FAA is issuing this NPRM 
after determining the unsafe condition described previously is likely 
to exist or develop on other products of the same type design.

Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM

    This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified 
in the service information already described.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would 
affect 20 gliders of U.S. registry.
    The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed 
AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Cost per      Cost on U.S.
              Action                      Labor cost             Parts cost           product        operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspect root ribs.................  1 work-hour x $85 per  Not Applicable.......             $85          $1,700
                                     hour = $85.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary 
replacements that would be required based on the results of the 
proposed inspection. The agency has no way of determining the number of 
gliders that might need these replacements:

                                               On-Condition Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Cost per
                    Action                                 Labor cost               Parts cost        product
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Replace all four root ribs....................  8 work-hours x $85 per hour =             $1,000          $1,680
                                                 $680.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.
    The FAA is 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

    The FAA 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) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
    (3) Would 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 airworthiness 
directive:

Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau: Docket No. FAA-
2022-0288; Project Identifier MCAI-2021-00913-G.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive 
(AD) by May 9, 2022.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

[[Page 16435]]

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. 
Segelflugzeugbau Model ASW-15 gliders, all serial numbers, 
certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) Code 5712, Wing, Rib/
Bulkhead.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    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 wing root rib 
damage. The FAA is issuing this AD to detect and correct damaged 
root ribs. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in 
reduced structural integrity of the wing assembly, which could lead 
to loss of control of the glider.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Action

    (1) Within 30 days after the effective date of this AD and 
thereafter at intervals not to exceed 12 months, inspect all wing 
root ribs (4 places) for cracks, looseness, and damage in accordance 
with the Action section in Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. 
Segelflugzeugbau ASW 15 Maintenance Instruction G, Issue 1, dated 
June 28, 2021. If there is a crack in any root rib, a loose rib or 
lift pin bushing, or any damage, before further flight, replace the 
root rib in accordance with Action paragraph (B) in Alexander 
Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau ASW 15 Technical Note No. 29, 
dated June 28, 2021, and steps 1 through 7 in Alexander Schleicher 
GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau ASW 15 Repair instruction exchange of 
wing root ribs according to TN 29, dated June 28, 2021.
    (2) Replacing all four wing root ribs is terminating action for 
the repetitive inspections required by this AD.

(h) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, International Validation Branch, FAA, has the 
authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the 
procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, 
send your request to your principal inspector or local Flight 
Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending information 
directly to the manager of the certification office, send it to the 
attention of the person identified in paragraph (i)(1) of this AD 
and email to: [email protected].
    (2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate 
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 
of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding 
district office.

(i) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Jim Rutherford, 
Aviation Safety Engineer, General Aviation & Rotorcraft Section, 
International Validation Branch, FAA, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas 
City, MO 64106; phone: (816) 329-4165; email: 
[email protected].
    (2) Refer to MCAI European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 
AD 2021-0187, dated August 9, 2021, for related information. You may 
examine the EASA AD in the AD docket at https://www.regulations.gov 
by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2022-0288.
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau, Alexander-
Schleicher-Str. 1, Poppenhausen, Germany D-36163 ; phone: +49 (0) 
06658 89-0; email: [email protected]; website: https://www.alexander-schleicher.de. You may view this service information 
at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety 
Branch, 901 Locust, Kansas City, MO 64106. For information on the 
availability of this material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110.

    Issued on March 15, 2022.
Lance T. Gant,
Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-05873 Filed 3-22-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P