[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 18, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 5456-5458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00658]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2017-0019; Directorate Identifier 2016-CE-038-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; GROB Aircraft AG 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 Aircraft AG Models GROB G 109 and GROB G 109B 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 broken pivots of the tail wheel 
mounting bracket resulting from corrosion and damage due to wear. 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 March 6, 2017.

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, Product Support, Lettenbachstrasse 9, D-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 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-2017-
0019; or in person at the Docket Management Facility between 9 a.m.

[[Page 5457]]

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: 
[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-2017-0019; 
Directorate Identifier 2016-CE-038-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 EASA 
AD No.: 2016-0228, dated November 14, 2016 (referred to after this as 
``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified 
products. The MCAI states:

    Occurrences were reported of broken pivots of the tail wheel 
mounting bracket. Subsequent investigation attributed these events 
to corrosion and damage due to wear.
    This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to 
loss of rudder control, resulting in reduced control of the powered 
sailplane.
    To address this potentially unsafe condition, Grob Aircraft AG 
issued Mandatory Service Bulletin (MSB) 817-70 (hereafter referred 
to as `the MSB' in this AD) to provide inspection and repair 
instructions.
    For the reasons described above, this AD requires repetitive 
inspections of the tail wheel mounting bracket and, depending on 
findings, accomplishment of applicable corrective action(s).

    You may examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2017-
0019.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    GROB Aircraft AG has issued Service Bulletin No. MSB817-70, dated 
September 28, 2016, and GROB Aircraft AG Repair Instruction RI 817-015, 
dated September 16, 2016. In combination, this service information 
describes procedures for inspection of the tail mounting bracket and 
instructions for any necessary repair. 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 
the ADDRESSES section of this NPRM.

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 57 products of U.S. 
registry. We also estimate that it would take about 3 work-hours 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 $50 per product.
    Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the proposed AD on 
U.S. operators to be $17,385, or $305 per product.
    In addition, we estimate that any necessary follow-on actions would 
take about 5 work-hours and require parts costing $100, for a cost of 
$525 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 Aircraft AG: Docket No. FAA-2017-0019; Directorate Identifier 
2016-CE-038-AD.

[[Page 5458]]

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by March 6, 2017.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to GROB Aircraft AG Models GROB G 109 and GROB G 
109B gliders, all serial numbers, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Code 32: Landing 
Gear.

(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 broken pivots of 
the tail wheel mounting bracket resulting from corrosion and damage 
due to wear. We are issuing this proposed AD to detect and correct 
if necessary any corrosion or damage to the tail wheel mounting 
bracket, which could cause loss of rudder control and result in 
reduced control.

(f) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already done, do the following actions:
    (1) Within the next 3 months after the effective date of this AD 
or 100 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the effective date of this 
AD, whichever occurs first, and repetitively thereafter at intervals 
not to exceed every 100 hours TIS or 12 months, whichever occurs 
first, inspect the tail wheel mounting bracket following the 
Accomplishment Instructions in section 1.8 of GROB Aircraft AG 
Service Bulletin (SB) No. MSB817-70, dated September 28, 2016.
    (2) If any damage is found during any inspection required in 
paragraph (f)(1) of this AD, before further flight, repair following 
GROB Aircraft AG Repair Instruction RI 817-015, dated September 16, 
2016.

    Note 1 to paragraph (f)(2) of this AD: The bolt in Figure 1, 
Pos. 10 of GROB Aircraft AG Repair Instruction RI 817-015, dated 
September 16, 2016, is welded into place onto the steel base plate. 
Therefore, in order to facilitate the removal of the bolt, the 
welding seams may be carefully ground off using caution to not 
damage the steel base plate, instead of completely cutting off the 
bolt head.

    (3) Repairs made as required by paragraph (f)(2) of this AD do 
not qualify as terminating action for the repetitive inspections 
required in paragraph (f)(1) 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: 
[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.

(h) Related Information

    Refer to MCAI European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No.: 
2016-0228, dated November 14, 2016, for related information. You may 
examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2017-0019. For service 
information related to this AD, contact GROB Aircraft AG, Product 
Support, Lettenbachstrasse 9, D-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 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 January 6, 2017.
Melvin Johnson,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-00658 Filed 1-17-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P