[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 9, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 21082-21084]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-08188]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2013-0315; Directorate Identifier 2013-CE-006-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; GROB-WERKE Airplanes

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 Model G 115E airplanes. 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 incorrect cable routing causing electrical 
shorting behind the left-hand (LH) cockpit instrument panel. 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 May 24, 2013.

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 
Grob Aircraft AG, Customer Service, Lettenbachstrasse 9, 86874 
Tussenhausen-Mattsies, Germany, telephone: + 49 (0) 8268-998-105; fax; 
+ 49 (0) 8268-998-200; email: aircraft.com">productsupport@grob-aircraft.com; 
Internet: grob-aircraft.com. You may review copies of the 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; 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: Taylor Martin, Aerospace Engineer, 
FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4138; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: 
[email protected].

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-2013-0315; 
Directorate Identifier 2013-CE-006-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.: 2013-0017, dated January 17, 2013 (referred to after this as ``the 
MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified products. The 
MCAI states:

    Occurrences were reported of finding an electrical shorting of 
main cable loom behind the left-hand (LH) instrument panel of some 
Grob G115E aeroplanes. In one case, the main cable loom arcing 
caused an Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator failure. During 
the fleet checks, additional cases of main cable loom routing and 
consequent rubbing with Omni Bearing Selector behind the cockpit 
instrument panel were identified, while the cable routing was not in 
conformity with the approved type design.
    The investigation results concluded that the instrument panels 
of affected aeroplanes were removed and subsequently re-installed, 
in service, during embodiment of various optional modifications.
    This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to 
smoke in the cockpit and/or functional loss of navigation equipment 
and instruments.
    To address this potential unsafe condition, Grob Aircraft AG 
published Mandatory Service Bulletin (MSB) MSB1078-191/1, providing 
instructions to inspect and correct the cable routing behind the 
cockpit instrument panel.
    For the reason described above, this AD requires accomplishment 
of a one- time inspection to verify correct cable routing behind the 
LH cockpit instrument panel and, depending on findings, correction 
and replacement of damaged parts.

You may obtain further information by examining the MCAI in the AD 
docket.

Relevant Service Information

    GROB-WERKE has issued Service Bulletin No. MSB1078-191/1, dated 
January 15, 2013. 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 0 products of U.S. 
registry. We also estimate that it would take about 1 work-hour per 
product to comply with the basic requirements of this proposed AD. The 
average labor rate is $85 per work-hour. Required parts would cost 
about $10 per product.

[[Page 21083]]

    Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the proposed AD on 
U.S. operators to be $0 per product.
    In addition, we estimate that any necessary follow-on actions would 
take about 8 work-hours and require parts costing $100, for a cost of 
$780 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: Docket No. FAA-2013-0315; Directorate Identifier 2013-
CE-006-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by May 24, 2013.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to GROB-WERKE Model G 115E airplanes, serial 
numbers 82086/E through 82184/E, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Code 31: Instruments.

(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 incorrect cable 
routing causing electrical shorting behind the left-hand (LH) 
cockpit instrument panel. We are issuing this proposed AD to detect 
and correct incorrect cable routing, which could result in smoke in 
the cockpit and/or functional loss of navigation equipment and 
instruments.

(f) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already done, do the following actions:
    (1) Within the next 25 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the 
effective date of this AD or within the next 30 days after the 
effective date of this AD, whichever occurs first, inspect the main 
cable routing behind the LH instrument panel following the 
Accomplishment Instructions section of GROB Aircraft Service 
Bulletin No. MSB1078-191/1, dated January 15, 2013.
    (2) If incorrect cable loom routing is detected during the 
inspection required by paragraph (f)(1) of this AD, before further 
flight, correct the cable loom routing following the Accomplishment 
Instructions section of GROB Aircraft Service Bulletin No. MSB1078-
191/1, dated January 15, 2013.
    (3) If damaged (by fretting or burns) cables or instruments are 
detected during the inspection required by paragraph (f)(1) of this 
AD, before further flight, replace the damaged cables or 
instruments, as applicable, with serviceable parts following the 
Accomplishment Instructions section of GROB Aircraft Service 
Bulletin No. MSB1078-191/1, dated January 15, 2013.

(g) Credit for Actions Accomplished in Accordance With Previous Service 
Information

    This paragraph provides credit for the actions required in 
paragraphs (f)(1), (f)(2), and (f)(3) of this AD if already done 
before the effective date of this AD following the Accomplishment 
Instructions section of GROB Aircraft Service Bulletin No. MSB1078-
191, dated December 6, 2012.

(h) 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: Taylor Martin, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small 
Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106; telephone: (816) 329-4138; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: 
[email protected]. 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.
    (3) Reporting Requirements: For any reporting requirement in 
this AD, a federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person 
is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a 
penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information 
subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless 
that collection of information displays a current valid OMB Control 
Number. The OMB Control Number for this information collection is 
2120-0056. Public reporting for this collection of information is 
estimated to be approximately 5 minutes per response, including the 
time for reviewing instructions, completing and reviewing the 
collection of information. All responses to this collection of 
information are mandatory. Comments concerning the accuracy of this 
burden and suggestions for reducing the burden should be directed to 
the FAA at: 800 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20591, Attn: 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, AES-200.

(i) Related Information

    Refer to MCAI European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No.: 
2013-0017, dated January 17, 2013; GROB Aircraft Service Bulletin 
No. MSB1078-191/1, dated January 15, 2013; and GROB Aircraft Service 
Bulletin No. MSB1078-191, dated December 6, 2012, for related 
information. For service information related to this AD, contact 
Grob

[[Page 21084]]

Aircraft AG, Customer Service, Lettenbachstrasse 9, 86874 
Tussenhausen-Mattsies, Germany, telephone: + 49 (0) 8268-998-105; 
fax; + 49 (0) 8268-998-200; email: aircraft.com">productsupport@grob-aircraft.com; 
Internet: grob-aircraft.com. You may review copies of the 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 2, 2013.
Earl Lawrence,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-08188 Filed 4-8-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P