[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 160 (Thursday, August 21, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 40784-40786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15982]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2025-2260; Project Identifier MCAI-2025-00043-T]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Gulfstream Aerospace LP (Type
Certificate Previously Held by Israel Aircraft Industries, Ltd.)
Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD)
for all Gulfstream Aerospace LP Model Gulfstream 100, Astra SPX, and
1125 Westwind Astra airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a
determination that new airworthiness limitations are necessary. This
proposed AD would require revising the existing maintenance or
inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new airworthiness
limitations. 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 October 6,
2025.
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 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.
AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under
Docket No. FAA-2025-2260; 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 mandatory continuing airworthiness
information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The
street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
Material Incorporated by Reference:
For Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI) material
identified in this proposed AD, contact CAAI, P.O. Box 1101, Golan
Street, Airport City, 70100, Israel; telephone 972-3-9774665; fax 972-
3-9774592; email [email protected]. You may find this material on the CAAI
website at gov.il/en/pages/israeli-airworthiness-directives. It is also
available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2025-2260.
You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des
Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material at the
FAA, call 206-231-3195.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Trevor Carlton, Aviation Safety
Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590;
phone: 404-474-5597; 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 using a method listed
under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2025-2260;
Project Identifier MCAI-2025-00043-T'' 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
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
Trevor Carlton, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue,
Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 404-474-5597; email:
[email protected]. 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 CAAI, which is the aviation authority for Israel, has issued
CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7, dated January 13, 2025 (CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-
01-7) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an unsafe condition
for all Gulfstream Aerospace LP Model Gulfstream 100, Astra SPX, and
1125 Westwind Astra airplanes. The MCAI states an in-service failure of
the nose landing gear (NLG) actuator-to-strut attachment pin was
reported.
The FAA has determined that new airworthiness limitations are
necessary for NLG actuator-to-strut attachment pins, part numbers (P/
Ns) 2247.0500.007 and 2247.0500.008. The FAA is proposing this AD to
prevent failure of the NLG actuator-to-strut attachment pin. The unsafe
condition, if not addressed, could result in failure of the NLG to
retract and lock after take-off or extend and lock before landing. You
may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket
No. FAA-2025-2260.
Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51
The FAA reviewed CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7, which specifies new
airworthiness limitations for safe life limits of the NLG actuator-to-
strut attachment pins, P/Ns 2247.0500.007 and 2247.0500.008. This
material is reasonably available because the
[[Page 40785]]
interested parties have access to it through their normal course of
business or by the means identified in the ADDRESSES section.
FAA's Determination
These products have been approved by the civil aviation authority
of another country and are approved for operation in the United States.
Pursuant to the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design
Authority, that authority has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition
described in the MCAI referenced above. The FAA is issuing this NPRM
after determining that the unsafe condition described previously is
likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design.
Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM
This proposed AD would require revising the existing maintenance or
inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new airworthiness
limitations, which are specified in CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7 described
previously, as incorporated by reference. Any differences with CAAI AD
ISR I-32-25-01-7 are identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of
this proposed AD.
This proposed AD would require revisions to certain operator
maintenance documents to include new actions (e.g., inspections).
Compliance with these actions is required by 14 CFR 91.403(c). For
airplanes that have been previously modified, altered, or repaired in
the areas addressed by this proposed AD, the operator may not be able
to accomplish the actions described in the revisions. In this
situation, to comply with Sec. 91.403(c), the operator must request
approval for an alternative method of compliance (AMOC) according to
paragraph (j)(1) of this proposed AD.
Explanation of Required Compliance Information
In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD
process, the FAA developed a process to use some civil aviation
authority (CAA) ADs as the primary source of information for compliance
with requirements for corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has been
coordinating this process with manufacturers and CAAs. As a result, the
FAA proposes to incorporate CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7 by reference in
the FAA final rule. This proposed AD would, therefore, require
compliance with CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7 through that incorporation,
except for any differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory
text of this proposed AD. Material required by CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7
for compliance will be available at regulations.gov by searching for
and locating Docket No. FAA-2025-2260 after the FAA final rule is
published.
Airworthiness Limitation ADs Using the New Process
The FAA's process of incorporating by reference MCAI ADs as the
primary source of information for compliance with corresponding FAA ADs
has been limited to certain MCAI ADs (primarily those with service
bulletins as the primary source of information for accomplishing the
actions required by the FAA AD). However, the FAA is now expanding the
process to include MCAI ADs that require a change to airworthiness
limitation documents, such as airworthiness limitation sections.
For these ADs that incorporate by reference an MCAI AD that changes
airworthiness limitations, the FAA requirements are unchanged.
Operators must revise the existing maintenance or inspection program,
as applicable, to incorporate the information specified in the new
airworthiness limitation document. The airworthiness limitations must
be followed according to 14 CFR 91.403(c) and 91.409(e).
The previous format of the airworthiness limitation ADs included a
paragraph that specified that alternative actions (e.g., inspections)
or intervals may be used unless the actions and intervals are approved
as an AMOC in accordance with the procedures specified in the AMOC
paragraph under ``Additional AD Provisions.'' This new format includes
a ``Provisions for Alternative Actions and Intervals'' paragraph that
does not specifically refer to AMOCs, but operators may still request
an AMOC to use an alternative action or interval.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 86 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following
costs to comply with this proposed AD:
The FAA has determined that revising the existing maintenance or
inspection program takes an average of 90 work-hours per operator,
although the agency recognizes that this number may vary from operator
to operator. Since operators incorporate maintenance or inspection
program changes for their affected fleet(s), the FAA has determined
that a per-operator estimate is more accurate than a per-airplane
estimate. Therefore, the agency estimates the average total cost per
operator to be $7,650 (90 work-hours x $85 per work-hour).
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 has 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.
[[Page 40786]]
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
0
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness
directive:
Gulfstream Aerospace LP (Type Certificate Previously Held by Israel
Aircraft Industries, Ltd.): Docket No. FAA-2025-2260; Project
Identifier MCAI-2025-00043-T.
(a) Comments Due Date
The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive
(AD) by October 6, 2025.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to all Gulfstream Aerospace LP Model Gulfstream
100, Astra SPX, and 1125 Westwind Astra airplanes, certificated in
any category.
(d) Subject
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 32, Landing
gear.
(e) Unsafe Condition
This AD was prompted by a determination that new airworthiness
limitations are necessary. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent
failure of the nose landing gear (NLG) actuator-to-strut attachment
pin. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in failure
of the NLG to retract and lock after take-off or extend and lock
before landing.
(f) Compliance
Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified,
unless already done.
(g) Requirements
Except as specified in paragraph (h) of this AD: Comply with all
required actions and compliance times specified in, and in
accordance with, CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7, dated January 13, 2025
(CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7).
(h) Exceptions to CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7
(1) Where CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7 refers to its effective date,
this AD requires using the effective date of this AD.
(2) The initial compliance time for doing the tasks specified in
the Action paragraph of CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7 is at the
applicable discard interval specified in the material referenced in
the Action paragraph of CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7, or within 3 months
after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs later.
(3) Where the Action paragraph of CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7
specifies ``to incorporate AMM Revision 26'', this AD requires
replacing that text with ``revise the existing maintenance or
inspection program, as applicable, by incorporating the information
in the Nose Landing Gear Actuator Attachment Pin--Life Limit (Scrap)
tasks for SHL part numbers 2247.0500.007 and 2247.0500.008''.
(4) Where the Action paragraph of CAAI AD ISR I-32-25-01-7
specifies ``to incorporate AMM Revision 32'', this AD requires
replacing that text with ``revise the existing maintenance or
inspection program, as applicable, by incorporating the information
in the NLG Actuator Attachment Pin--Life Limit (Scrap) tasks for SHL
part numbers 2247.0500.007 and 2247.0500.008''.
(i) Provisions for Alternative Actions and Intervals
After the existing maintenance or inspection program has been
revised as required by paragraph (g) of this AD, no alternative
actions (e.g., inspections) and intervals are allowed unless they
are approved as specified in the provisions of paragraph (j)(1) of
this AD.
(j) Additional AD Provisions
The following provisions also apply to this AD:
(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): 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 responsible Flight Standards Office, as
appropriate. If sending information directly to the manager of the
International Validation Branch, send it to the attention of the
person identified in paragraph (k) of this AD and email to:
[email protected]. Before using any approved AMOC, notify your
appropriate principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector,
the manager of the responsible Flight Standards Office.
(2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any requirement in this AD
to obtain instructions from a manufacturer, the instructions must be
accomplished using a method approved by the Manager, International
Validation Branch, FAA; or CAAI; or CAAI's authorized Designee. If
approved by the CAAI Designee, the approval must include the
Designee's authorized signature.
(k) Additional Information
(1) For more information about this AD, contact Trevor Carlton,
Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410,
Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 404-474-5597; email:
[email protected].
(l) Material Incorporated by Reference
(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the
incorporation by reference of the material listed in this paragraph
under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
(2) You must use this material as applicable to do the actions
required by this AD, unless this AD specifies otherwise.
(i) Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI) AD ISR I-32-25-01-
7, dated January 13, 2025.
(ii) [Reserved]
(3) For CAAI material identified in this AD, contact Civil
Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI), P.O. Box 1101, Golan Street,
Airport City, 70100, Israel; telephone 972-3-9774665; fax 972-3-
9774592; email [email protected]. You may find this material on the
CAAI website at gov.il/en/pages/israeli-airworthiness-directives.
(4) You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St.,
Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material
at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.
(5) You may view this material at the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability
of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email [email protected].
Issued on August 18, 2025.
Steven W. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-15982 Filed 8-20-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P