Airworthiness Directives; Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Gliders

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 206 (Friday, October 24, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 63502-63505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25287]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2014-0292; Directorate Identifier 2014-CE-011-AD; 
Amendment 39-18001; AD 2014-15-02 R1]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & 
Co. KG Gliders

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG (type certificates 
formerly held by GROB-WERKE GMBH & CO KG and BURKHART GROB LUFT- UND 
RAUMFAHRT GmbH & CO KG) Models G102 STANDARD ASTIR III, G102 CLUB ASTIR 
III, G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIb, G103 TWIN II, G103A TWIN II ACRO, G103C TWIN 
III ACRO, and G 103 C Twin III SL gliders. This AD revises AD 2014-15-
02, which required inspection of the rudder control unit for 
installation of plastic cable pulleys and replacement of plastic cable 
pulleys with aluminum cable pulleys. This AD retains the actions of AD 
2014-15-02 but clarifies the suffixes of serial numbers (S/Ns) in 
paragraph (c) Applicability. This AD was prompted by reports of plastic 
control cable pulleys developing cracks due to aging, which could lead 
to breaking of the pulley and potentially jamming the rudder control 
unit, possibly resulting in loss of control. We are issuing this AD to 
require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: This final rule is effective October 24, 2014.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of certain publications listed in this AD as of August 27, 
2014 (79 FR 42658, July 23, 2014).
    We must receive comments on this AD by December 8, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    <bullet> 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.

[[Page 63503]]

    <bullet> 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 AD, contact Fiberglas-
Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG, Steige 3, D-88487 Walpertshofen, 
Germany; telephone: +49 (0) 7353/22 43; fax: +49 (0) 7353/30 96; email: 
Lindner.com">info@LTB-Lindner.com; Web site: http://www.ltb-lindner.com/home.104.html. You may view 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-2014-
0292; 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 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: 

Discussion

    On July 14, 2014, we issued AD 2014-15-02, Amendment 39-17904 (79 
FR 42658, July 23, 2014), for GROB-WERKE GMBH & CO KG Models G102 
STANDARD ASTIR III, G102 CLUB ASTIR III, and G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIb 
gliders and BURKHART GROB LUFT--UND RAUMFAHRT GmbH & CO KG Models G103 
TWIN II, G103A TWIN II ACRO, G103C TWIN III ACRO, and G 103 C Twin III 
SL gliders. That AD required inspection of the rudder control unit for 
installation of plastic cable pulleys and replacement of plastic cable 
pulleys with aluminum cable pulleys. That AD resulted from reports of 
plastic control cable pulleys developing cracks due to aging, which 
could lead to breaking of the pulley and potentially jamming the rudder 
control unit, possibly resulting in loss of control. We issued that AD 
to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

Actions Since AD Was Issued

    Since we issued AD 2014-15-02 (79 FR 42658, July 23, 2014), it was 
determined that to avoid any confusion regarding applicability to a 
given glider, the AD should be revised to include references to certain 
suffixes of S/Ns in paragraph (c) Applicability.

Relevant Service Information

    We reviewed Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Service 
Bulletin SB-G05, dated January 17, 2014; and Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf 
Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Instructions A/I-G05, dated January 17, 2014. The 
service information describes procedures for inspection of the rudder 
control unit for installation of plastic cable pulleys and replacement 
of plastic cable pulleys with aluminum cable pulleys.

FAA's Determination

    We are issuing this AD because we evaluated all the relevant 
information and determined that to avoid any confusion about 
applicability to a given glider, AD 2014-15-02 (79 FR 42658, July 23, 
2014) should be revised to include references to certain suffixes of S/
Ns in paragraph (c) Applicability.

AD Requirements

    This AD requires accomplishing the actions specified in the service 
information described previously.

Change to Existing AD

    This AD retains all requirements of AD 2014-15-02 (79 FR 42658, 
July 23, 2014), but revises paragraph (c) Applicability to include 
references to certain suffixes in referenced S/Ns of gliders.

FAA's Justification and Determination of the Effective Date

    An unsafe condition exists that requires the immediate adoption of 
this AD. We received no comments on the previous AD, and this action 
only clarifies the applicability to a given glider and does not add any 
actions that increase the burden over the previous AD. Therefore, we 
find that notice and opportunity for prior public comment are 
unnecessary and that good cause exists for making this amendment 
effective in less than 30 days.

Comments Invited

    This AD is a final rule that involves requirements affecting flight 
safety, and we did not provide you with notice and an opportunity to 
provide your comments before it becomes effective. However, we invite 
you to send any written data, views, or arguments about this AD. Send 
your comments to an address listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include 
the docket number FAA-2014-0292 and directorate identifier 2014-CE-011-
AD at the beginning of your comments. We specifically invite comments 
on the overall regulatory, economic, environmental, and energy aspects 
of this AD. We will consider all comments received by the closing date 
and may amend this AD because of those comments.
    We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We 
will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we 
receive about this AD.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD will affect 118 products of U.S. registry. 
We also estimate that it would take about .5 work-hour per product to 
comply with the basic requirements of this AD. The average labor rate 
is $85 per work-hour.
    Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the AD on U.S. 
operators to be $5,015, or $42.50 per product.
    In addition, we estimate that any necessary follow-on actions would 
take about 2 work-hours and require parts costing $244, for a cost of 
$414 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.

[[Page 63504]]

Regulatory Findings

    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.
    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 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.

Adoption of the Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the FAA 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. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by removing airworthiness directive (AD) 
2014-15-02 (79 FR 42658, July 23, 2014) and adding the following new 
AD:

2014-15-02 R1 Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG (type 
certificates formerly held by GROB-WERKE GMBH & CO KG and BURKHART 
GROB LUFT-UND RAUMFAHRT GmbH & CO KG): Amendment 39-18001; Docket 
No. FAA-2014-0292; Directorate Identifier 2014-CE-011-AD.

(a) Effective Date

    This AD is effective October 24, 2014.

(b) Affected ADs

    This AD revises AD 2014-15-02 (79 FR 42658, July 23, 2014) 
Amendment 39-17904.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to the following model and serial number 
Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG (type certificates 
formerly held by GROB-WERKE GMBH & CO KG and BURKHART GROB LUFT-UND 
RAUMFAHRT GmbH & CO KG) gliders, certificated in any category.
    (1) G102 STANDARD ASTIR III, S/N 5501 through 5652 (Suffix 
``S'').
    (2) G102 CLUB ASTIR III, S/N 5501 through 5652 (Suffix ``C'').
    (3) G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIb, S/N 5501 through 5652 (Suffix ``Cb'').
    (4) G103 TWIN II, S/N 3730 through 34078.
    (5) G103A TWIN II ACRO, S/N 3730 through 34078 (Suffix ``K'').
    (6) G103C TWIN III ACRO, S/N 34101 through 34203.
    (7) G 103 C Twin III SL, S/N 35002 through 35051.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Code 27: Flight 
Controls.

(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 plastic control 
cable pulleys developing cracks due to aging. We are issuing this AD 
to detect and correct plastic control cable pulleys in the rudder 
control unit, which could lead to breaking of the pulley and 
potentially jamming the rudder control unit, possibly resulting in 
loss of control of the glider.

(f) Actions and Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified in 
paragraphs (f)(1) through (f)(3) of this AD, unless already done.
    (1) For all Models G103C TWIN III ACRO and G 103 C Twin III SL 
gliders: Within 3 months after August 27, 2014 (the effective date 
retained from AD 2014-15-02, Amendment 39-17904 (79 FR 42658, July 
23, 2014)), inspect the rudder control unit for installation of 
plastic cable pulleys. If plastic cable pulleys are installed, 
before further flight, replace the plastic cable pulleys with 
aluminum cable pulleys following the actions and instructions of 
Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Service Bulletin SB-
G05 and Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Instructions 
A/I-G05, both dated January 17, 2014.
    (2) For all Models G102 STANDARD ASTIR III, G102 CLUB ASTIR III, 
G102 CLUB ASTIR IIIb, G103 TWIN II, and G103A TWIN II ACRO gliders: 
Within 1 month after August 27, 2014 (the effective date retained 
from AD 2014-15-02, Amendment 39-17904 (79 FR 42658, July 23, 
2014)), inspect the rudder control unit for installation of plastic 
cable pulleys. If plastic cable pulleys are installed, before 
further flight, replace the plastic cable pulleys with aluminum 
cable pulleys following the actions and instructions of Fiberglas-
Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Service Bulletin SB-G05 and 
Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Instructions A/I-G05, 
both dated January 17, 2014.
    (3) As of August 27, 2014 (the effective date retained from AD 
2014-15-02, Amendment 39-17904 (79 FR 42658, July 23, 2014)), do not 
install any plastic control cable pulley in the rudder control unit 
of any glider identified in paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(7) 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 European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No.: 2014-
0067, dated March 18, 2014, for related information. The MCAI can be 
found in the AD docket on the Internet at: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2014-0292-0002.

(i) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference (IBR) of the service information listed 
in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this service information as applicable to do 
the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (3) The following service information was approved for IBR on 
August 27, 2014 (79 FR 42658, July 23, 2014).
    (i) Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Service 
Bulletin SB-G05, dated January 17, 2014.
    (ii) Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG Instructions 
A/I-G05, dated January 17, 2014.
    (4) For Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf Lindner GmbH & Co. KG service 
information identified in this AD, contact Fiberglas-Technik Rudolf 
Lindner GmbH & Co. KG, Steige 3, D-88487 Walpertshofen, Germany; 
telephone: +49 (0) 7353/22 43; fax: +49 (0) 7353/30 96; email: 
Lindner.com">info@LTB-Lindner.com; Web site: http://www.ltb-lindner.com/home.104.html.
    (5) You may view this 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.
    (6) You may view this service information that is incorporated 
by reference at the National Archives and Records Administration 
(NARA). For information on the availability of this material at 
NARA, call

[[Page 63505]]

202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 15, 2014.
Derek Morgan,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-25287 Filed 10-23-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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