Proposed Rule2021-26041
Airworthiness Directives; True Flight Holdings LLC Airplanes
Primary source
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Published
December 1, 2021
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all True Flight Holdings LLC Model AA-1, AA-1A, AA-1B, AA-1C, AA-5, AA-5A, and AA-5B airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by the report of an accident of an airplane with bondline corrosion and delamination of the horizontal stabilizers. This proposed AD would require inspecting the wings, fuselage, and stabilizers for bondline separation, corrosion, and previous repair. This AD would also require repairing or replacing parts and applying corrosion inhibitor as necessary. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 228 (Wednesday, December 1, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 228 (Wednesday, December 1, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 68171-68173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26041]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2021-1017; Project Identifier AD-2021-00495-A]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; True Flight Holdings LLC 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 True Flight Holdings LLC Model AA-1, AA-1A, AA-1B, AA-1C, AA-5,
AA-5A, and AA-5B airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by the report
of an accident of an airplane with bondline corrosion and delamination
of the horizontal stabilizers. This proposed AD would require
inspecting the wings, fuselage, and stabilizers for bondline
separation, corrosion, and previous repair. This AD would also require
repairing or replacing parts and applying corrosion inhibitor as
necessary. 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 January 18,
2022.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. 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.
<bullet> Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
For service information identified in this NPRM, contact True
Flight Holdings LLC, 2300 Madison Highway, Valdosta, GA 31601; phone:
(229) 242-6337; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#82ebece4edc2f6f0f7e7e4eeebe5eaf6e3e7f0edf1f2e3e1e7ace1edef"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6a03040c052a1e181f0f0c06030d021e0b0f1805191a0b090f44090507">[email protected]</span></a>. You may view this
service information at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section,
Operational Safety Branch, 901 Locust, Kansas City, MO 64106. For
information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call (816)
329-4148. It is also available at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-1017.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-1017; 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, any comments
received, and other information. The street address for Docket
Operations is listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Caplan, Aviation Safety Engineer,
Atlanta ACO Branch, FAA, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, GA 30337;
phone: (404) 474-5507; fax: (404) 474-5606; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#157367707170677c767e3b7b3b76746579747b557374743b727a63"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2d4b5f4849485f444e460343034e4c5d414c436d4b4c4c034a425b">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed
under ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2021-1017; Project Identifier
AD-2021-00495-A'' 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
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, 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 Fred
Caplan, Aviation Safety Engineer, Atlanta ACO Branch, FAA, 1701
Columbia Avenue, College Park, GA 30337. 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 FAA received a report of an accident involving a True Flight
Holdings LLC Model AA-5 airplane that occurred on January 19, 2021.
During flight, the outboard elevator attach bracket on the horizontal
stabilizer detached, causing loss of elevator control, flutter, and
significant damage to the airplane. An investigation identified
corrosion and delamination of the airplane skin bondlines around the
area of the horizontal stabilizer where the elevator attach bracket was
attached, as well as on the trailing edge of the elevator trim tab.
Field reports have identified additional instances of corrosion and
delamination of skin bondlines around the horizontal stabilizer and
other primary structures.
Model AA-1, AA-1A, AA-1B, AA-1C, AA-5, AA-5A, and AA-5B airplanes
are similar in design and are constructed using a metal-to-metal
bonding process. While the bond adhesive remains structurally sound
throughout the aging process, factors such as corrosion and freezing
moisture may compromise the structural integrity of some of the bond
joints. This can lead to delamination of the skin from the primary
structure.
Field reports indicate that bondline inspections are not being
adequately performed during routine inspections, which emphasize a
visual scanning for problem areas. However, damage can exist with no
visual indications, and a mechanic might miss damage in a hidden area.
The FAA has determined that a more thorough inspection procedure is
necessary to reliably identify corrosion and delamination of bondlines
in these critical areas.
This condition, if not addressed, could result in reduced
structural integrity of the affected airplane component, with
consequent loss of
[[Page 68172]]
control of the airplane. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the
unsafe condition on these products.
FAA's Determination
The FAA is issuing this NPRM after determining that the unsafe
condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other
products of the same type design.
Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51
The FAA reviewed True Flight Aerospace Service Bulletin SB-195,
Revision A, dated June 1, 2021 (True Flight SB-195A). This service
information specifies procedures for inspecting the primary structure
and flight controls for bondline separation and corrosion and repairing
or replacing parts and applying corrosion inhibitor as necessary.
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 ADDRESSES.
Other Related Service Information
The FAA also reviewed True Flight Aerospace Service Kit 125,
Revision B. This service information specifies procedures for repairing
bondline delamination of flight controls and structures.
Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM
This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified
in True Flight SB-195A as already described, except as discussed under
``Differences Between the AD and the Service Information.''
Differences Between This Proposed AD and the Service Information
This proposed AD would only require the Part A inspections, and not
the Part B inspection, from True Flight SB-195A. In addition, True
Flight SB-195A specifies reporting information to the manufacturer, and
this proposed AD would not.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 2,466 airplanes of U.S. registry.
The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed
AD:
Estimated costs
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Cost per Cost on U.S.
Action Labor cost Parts cost airplane operators
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Inspect for delamination and 8 work-hours x Not applicable........... $680 per $1,676,880 per
corrosion. $85 per hour = inspection inspection
$680 per cycle. cycle.
inspection cycle.
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The FAA estimates that it would take 3 work-hours at $85 per work-
hour to do the proposed corrosion inhibitor treatment. Parts would cost
$104 for a total proposed cost of $359 per airplane. In addition, there
could be a wide range of areas that may require repair (fuselage,
stabilizers, and wings) for the delaminated bondlines and/or corrosion
with potential replacement of the entire component. The FAA has no way
of determining the number of airplanes that might need these repairs or
the exact costs for corrective actions needed as a result of the
proposed inspection, as the damage may vary significantly from airplane
to airplane.
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 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.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
0
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness
directive:
True Flight Holdings LLC: Docket No. FAA-2021-1017; Project
Identifier AD-2021-00495-A.
(a) Comments Due Date
The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive
(AD) by January 18, 2022.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to True Flight Holdings LLC Model AA-1, AA-1A,
AA-1B, AA-1C, AA-5, AA-5A, and AA-5B airplanes, all serial numbers,
certificated in any category.
(d) Subject
Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) Code: 5330, Fuselage
Main, Plate/Skin; 5512, Horizontal Stabilizer, Plate/Skin; 5522,
Elevator, Plates/Skin Structure; 5532, Vertical Stabilizer, Plates/
Skin; 5542, Rudder, Plate/Skin; 5730, Wing, Plates/Skins.
(e) Unsafe Condition
This AD was prompted by corrosion and delamination of the
horizontal stabilizer bondlines. The FAA is issuing this AD to
detect and address cracks, buckles, corrosion,
[[Page 68173]]
delamination, rust, and previous repair of the wings, fuselage, and
stabilizers. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in
reduced structural integrity of the affected airplane component with
consequent loss of control of the airplane.
(f) Compliance
Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified,
unless already done.
(g) Inspection of Bondlines of the Wings, Stabilizers, and Aft Fuselage
Within 100 hours time-in-service after the effective date of
this AD or within 12 months after the effective date of this AD,
whichever occurs first, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 12
months, inspect the wings, stabilizers, and aft fuselage for
bondline separation, corrosion, and previous repair and take all
necessary corrective action before further flight in accordance with
paragraphs A.1. through A.7. in True Flight Aerospace Service
Bulletin SB-195, Revision A, dated June 1, 2021. Pay particular
attention to the areas listed in paragraphs (g)(1) through (3) of
this AD.
(1) Bondlines of the horizontal stabilizer outboard rib at the
elevator bearing support assembly.
(2) Bondlines of the elevator trim tab inboard rib.
(3) Bondlines and previous repairs of the trailing edges of the
elevator trim tabs, elevators, rudder, ailerons, and wings.
(h) Special Flight Permits
Special flight permits are prohibited.
(i) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)
(1) The Manager, Atlanta ACO 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 local Flight Standards District
Office, as appropriate. If sending information directly to the
manager of the certification office, send it to the attention of the
person identified in paragraph (j)(1) of this AD.
(2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager
of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding
district office.
(j) Related Information
(1) For more information about this AD, contact Fred Caplan,
Aviation Safety Engineer, Atlanta ACO Branch, FAA, 1701 Columbia
Avenue, College Park, GA 30337; phone: (404) 474-5507; fax: (404)
474-5606; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#751307101110071c161e5b1b5b16140519141b351314145b121a03"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0d6b7f6869687f646e662363236e6c7d616c634d6b6c6c236a627b">[email protected]</span></a>.
(2) For service information identified in this AD, contact True
Flight Holdings LLC, 2300 Madison Highway, Valdosta, GA 31601;
phone: (229) 242-6337; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6b02050d042b1f191e0e0d07020c031f0a0e1904181b0a080e45080406"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4f262129200f3b3d3a2a29232628273b2e2a3d203c3f2e2c2a612c2022">[email protected]</span></a>. You may
view this referenced service information at the FAA, Airworthiness
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 901 Locust, Kansas
City, MO 64106. For information on the availability of this material
at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.
Issued on November 23, 2021.
Lance T. Gant,
Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-26041 Filed 11-30-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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