Airworthiness Directives; GROB-WERKE Model G120A Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 14, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 34323-34325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-11614]



[[Page 34323]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2005-20589; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-12-AD; 
Amendment 39-14125; AD 2005-12-09]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; GROB-WERKE Model G120A Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The FAA adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all 
GROB-WERKE (GROB) Model G120A airplanes. This AD requires you to 
repetitively inspect the nose landing gear (NLG) assembly, paying 
special attention to the NLG swivel tube and the engine truss in the 
area of the NLG attachment, for cracks and damaged (defective) welding 
seams. If you find cracks or defects during any inspection, this AD 
requires you to replace the cracked or defective part. This AD results 
from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by 
the airworthiness authority for Germany. We are issuing this AD to 
detect and correct cracks and defects in the NLG assembly, which could 
result in failure of the NLG. This failure could lead to a hard landing 
and/or loss of control of the airplane during landing operations.

DATES: This AD becomes effective on July 28, 2005.
    As of July 28, 2005, the Director of the Federal Register approved 
the incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the 
regulation.

ADDRESSES: To get the service information identified in this AD, 
contact GROB Luft-und Raumfahrt, Lettenbachstrasse 9, D-86874 
Tussenhausen-Mattsies, Federal Republic of Germany; telephone: 011 49 
8268 998139; facsimile: 011 49 8268 998200.
    To view the AD docket, go to the Docket Management Facility; U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, 
Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590-001 or on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The docket number is FAA-2005-20589; Directorate 
Identifier 2005-CE-12-AD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karl Schletzbaum, Aerospace Engineer, 
FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4146; facsimile: (816) 329-4090.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    What events have caused this AD? The Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA), 
which is the airworthiness authority for Germany, recently notified FAA 
that an unsafe condition may exist on all GROB Model G120A airplanes. 
The LBA reports cracks found on the nose landing gear (NLG) swivel tube 
on one of the affected airplanes during routine maintenance.
    What is the potential impact if FAA took no action? If not detected 
and corrected, cracks and defects in the nose landing gear assembly 
could cause the nose landing gear to fail. This failure could lead to a 
hard landing and/or loss of control of the airplane during landing 
operations.
    Has FAA taken any action to this point? We issued a proposal to 
amend part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to 
include an AD that would apply to all GROB Model G120A airplanes. This 
proposal was published in the Federal Register as a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM) on April 13, 2005 (70 FR 19340). The NPRM proposed to 
require you to repetitively inspect the nose landing gear (NLG) 
assembly, paying special attention to the NLG swivel tube and the 
engine truss in the area of the NLG attachment, for cracks and damaged 
(defective) welding seams. The NPRM also proposed to require you to 
replace any cracked or defective part.
    Is there a modification I can incorporate instead of repetitively 
inspecting the nose landing gear assembly? The FAA has determined that 
long-term continued operational safety would be better assured by 
design changes that remove the source of the problem rather than by 
repetitive inspections or other special procedures. With this in mind, 
FAA will continue to work with GROB to collect information and perform 
fatigue analysis in determining whether a future design change is 
feasible.

Comments

    Was the public invited to comment? We provided the public the 
opportunity to participate in developing this AD. We received no 
comments on the proposal or on the determination of the cost to the 
public.

Conclusion

    What is FAA's final determination on this issue? We have carefully 
reviewed the available data and determined that air safety and the 
public interest require adopting the AD as proposed except for minor 
editorial corrections. We have determined that these minor corrections:
    <bullet> Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the 
NPRM for correcting the unsafe condition; and
    <bullet> Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was 
already proposed in the NPRM.

Changes to 14 CFR Part 39--Effect on the AD

    How does the revision to 14 CFR part 39 affect this AD? On July 10, 
2002, the FAA published a new version of 14 CFR part 39 (67 FR 47997, 
July 22, 2002), which governs the FAA's AD system. This regulation now 
includes material that relates to altered products, special flight 
permits, and alternative methods of compliance. This material 
previously was included in each individual AD. Since this material is 
included in 14 CFR part 39, we will not include it in future AD 
actions.

Costs of Compliance

    How many airplanes does this AD impact? We estimate that this AD 
affects 6 airplanes in the U.S. registry.
    What is the cost impact of this AD on owners/operators of the 
affected airplanes? We estimate the following costs to do the 
inspections:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Total cost
              Labor cost                      Parts cost             per         Total cost on U.S.  operators
                                                                   airplane
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 work hour x $65 an hour = $65......  Not applicable..........          $65  $65 x 6 = $390.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The cost for replacing any cracked or defective part based on the 
results of the inspections will be covered under warranty by the 
manufacturer.

Authority for This Rulemaking

    What authority does FAA have for issuing this rulemaking action? 
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

[[Page 34324]]

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 AD.

Regulatory Findings

    Will this AD impact various entities? We have determined that this 
AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132. 
This AD will 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.
    Will this AD involve a significant rule or regulatory action? For 
the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD:
    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); and
    3. 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.
    We prepared a summary of the costs to comply with this AD (and 
other information as included in the Regulatory Evaluation) and placed 
it in the AD Docket. You may get a copy of this summary by sending a 
request to us at the address listed under ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket 
No. FAA-2005-20589; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-12-AD'' in your 
request.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

0
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, 
the Federal Aviation Administration amends part 39 of the Federal 
Aviation Regulations (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. FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding a new AD to read as follows:

2005-12-09 Grob-Werke: Amendment 39-14125; Docket No. FAA-2005-
20589; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-12-AD.

When Does This AD Become Effective?

    (a) This AD becomes effective on July 28, 2005.

What Other ADs Are Affected by This Action?

    (b) None.

What Airplanes Are Affected by This AD?

    (c) This AD affects Model G120A airplanes, all serial numbers, 
that are certificated in any category.

What Is the Unsafe Condition Presented in This AD?

    (d) This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness 
information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority for 
Germany. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracks and 
damage in the nose landing gear (NLG) assembly, which could result 
in failure of the NLG. This failure could lead to a hard landing 
and/or loss of control of the airplane during landing operations.

What Must I Do To Address This Problem?

    (e) To address this problem, you must do the following:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Actions                 Compliance            Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Inspect the nose landing  Initially inspect     Follow GRDB Service
 gear (NLG) assembly for       within the next 50    Bulletin No.
 cracks or damages             hours time-in-        MSB1121-055 dated
 (defective) welding seams.    service (TIS) after   November 26, 2004.
 Pay special attention to      July 28, 2005 (the
 the NLG swivel tube and the   effective date of
 engine truss in the area of   this AD), unless
 the NLG attachment.           already done.
                               Repetitively
                               inspect thereafter
                               at intervals not to
                               exceed 50 hours TIS.
(2) If you find cracks or     Replace before        Follow GROB Service
 defects during any            further flight        Bulletin No.
 inspection required in        after the             MSB1121-055 dated
 paragraph (e)(1) of this      inspection in which   November 26, 2004.
 AD, replace the cracked or    cracks and/or
 defective part.               defects are found.
                               After you replace
                               the cracked or
                               defective part,
                               continue with the
                               repetitive
                               inspections
                               required in
                               paragraph (e)(1) of
                               this AD at the 50
                               hours TIS intervals.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Note: The compliance time in this AD is different than the 
compliance time in GROB Service Bulletin No. MSB1121-055 dated 
November 26, 2004. The compliance time in this AD takes precedence 
over the compliance time in the service information.

May I Request an Alternative Method of Compliance?

    (f) You may request a different method of compliance or a 
different compliance time for this AD by following the procedures in 
14 CFR 39.19. Unless FAA authorizes otherwise, send your request to 
your principal inspector. The principal inspector may add comments 
and will send your request to the Manager, Standards Office, Small 
Airplane Directorate, FAA. For information on any already approved 
alternative methods of compliance, contact Karl Schletzbaum, 
Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, 
Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4146; 
facsimile: (816) 329-4090.

Is There Other Information That Relates to This Subject?

    (g) German AD Number D-2004-514, effective date: December 9, 
2004, also addresses the subject of this AD.

Does This AD Incorporate Any Material by Reference?

    (h) You must do the actions required by this AD following the 
instructions in GROB Service Bulletin No. MSB1121-055 dated November 
26, 2004. The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of this service bulletin in accordance 
with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. To get a copy of this 
service information, contact GROB Luft-und Raumfahrt, 
Lettenbachstrasse 9, D-86874 Tussenhausen-Mattsies, Federal Republic 
of Germany; telephone: 011 49 8268 998139; facsimile: 011 49 8268 
998200. To review copies of this service information, go to the 
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information 
on the availability of this material at NARA, go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html or call (202) 741-6030. To view the AD docket, 
go to the Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-
401, Washington, DC 20590-001 or on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The docket number is FAA-2005-20589; Directorate 
Identifier 2005-CE-12-AD.


[[Page 34325]]


    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 6, 2005.
Kim Smith,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 05-11614 Filed 6-13-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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