[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 7, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9535-9537]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-01779]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2017-0051; Directorate Identifier 2016-CE-043-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; DG Flugzeugbau GmbH

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 DG 
Flugzeugbau GmbH Model DG-500MB gliders that are equipped with a Solo 
2625 02 engine modified with a fuel injection system following the 
instructions of Solo Kleinmotoren GmbH Service Bulletin (SB)/Technische 
Mitteilung (TM) 4600-3 ``Fuel Injection System'') and identified as 
Solo 2625 02i. 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 the 
potential of an in-flight shut-down and engine fire due to failure of 
the connecting stud for the two fuel injector mounts of the engine 
redundancy system on gliders equipped with a Solo 2625 02i engine. 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 24, 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 
Solo Kleinmotoren GmbH, Postfach 600152, 71050 Sindelfingen, Germany; 
telephone: +49 703 1301-0; fax: +49 703 1301-136; email: germany.com">aircraft@solo-germany.com; Internet: http://aircraft.solo-online.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-
0051; 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: Jim Rutherford, Aerospace Engineer, 
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-2017-0051; 
Directorate Identifier 2016-CE-043-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.: 2014-0269, dated December 11, 2014 (referred to after this as 
``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified 
products. The MCAI states:


[[Page 9536]]


    An occurrence was reported involving a failure of the connecting 
stud for the two fuel injector mounts of the engine redundancy 
system.
    This condition, if not corrected, could lead to an uncommanded 
in-flight engine shut-down and engine fire, possibly resulting in 
loss of control of the aeroplane.
    To address this unsafe condition, Solo Kleinmotoren GmbH issued 
SB/TM 4600-5 to provide instructions for reinforcement and securing 
of the injector mounts.
    For the reason described above, this AD requires modification of 
the engine redundancy system.
    Solo Kleinmotoren GmbH SB/TM 4600-3 (currently at issue 2, dated 
03 December 2012) will be revised to incorporate the modification 
required by SB/TM 4600-5 for future Solo 2625 02i engines.

    You may examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2017-
0051.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    Solo Kleinmotoren GmbH has issued Technische Mitteilung (English 
translation: Service Bulletin), Nr. 4600-5, Ausgabe 2 (English 
translation: Issue 2), dated December 12, 2014. The service information 
describes procedures for changing the fuel injector mounts of the 
engine redundancy system and securing the connection of the lower to 
the upper mount. 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 3 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 $67 per product.
    Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the proposed AD on 
U.S. operators to be $456, or $152 per product.

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:

DG Flugzeugbau GmbH: Docket No. FAA-2017-0051; Directorate 
Identifier 2016-CE-043-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by March 24, 2017.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to DG Flugzeugbau GmbH DG-500MB gliders, all 
serial numbers, that are:
    (1) Equipped with a Solo 2625 02 engine modified with a fuel 
injection system following the instructions of Solo Kleinmotoren 
GmbH Service Bulletin (SB)/Technische Mitteilung (TM) 4600-3 ``Fuel 
Injection System'') and identified as Solo 2625 02i; and
    (2) certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Code 72: Engine.

(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 failure of the 
connecting stud for the two fuel injector mounts of the engine 
redundancy system on gliders equipped with a Solo 2625 02i engine. 
We are issuing this AD to prevent such failure that could lead to 
the potential of an in-flight shut-down and engine fire and result 
in loss of control.

(f) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already done, within the next 60 days after the effective 
date of this AD, modify the engine redundancy system following the 
actions in Solo Kleinmotoren GmbH Technische Mitteilung (English 
translation: Service Bulletin), Nr. 4600-5, Ausgabe 2 (English 
translation: Issue 2), dated December 12, 2014.

    Note 1 to paragraph (f) of this AD: This service information 
contains German to English translation. The EASA used the English 
translation in referencing the document. For enforceability 
purposes, we will refer to the Solo Kleinmotoren service information 
as it appears on the document.

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

    This AD allows credit for modification of the engine redundancy 
system as required in

[[Page 9537]]

paragraph (f) of this AD if done before the effective date of this 
AD following Solo Kleinmotoren GmbH Technische Mitteilung (English 
translation: Service Bulletin), Nr. 4600-5, Ausgabe 1 (English 
translation: Issue 1), dated November 24, 2014.

(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: Jim Rutherford, Aerospace Engineer, 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.

(i) Related Information

    Refer to MCAI European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No.: 
2014-0269, dated December 11, 2014 for related information. You may 
examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2017-0051. For service 
information related to this AD, contact Solo Kleinmotoren GmbH, 
Postfach 600152, 71050 Sindelfingen, Germany; telephone: +49 703 
1301-0; fax: +49 703 1301-136; email: germany.com">aircraft@solo-germany.com; 
Internet: http://aircraft.solo-online.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 18, 2017.
Melvin Johnson,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-01779 Filed 2-6-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P