Aircraft
Certification Service Washington, DC U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration
CE-07-35
June 1, 2007
This is information only. Recommendations
aren’t mandatory.
Introduction
This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin informs you of an
airworthiness concern for Lange Flugzeugbau sailplane model E1 Antares,
serial numbers 01 through 36E34. The European Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) issued emergency airworthiness directive (AD) number
2007-0077-E, dated March 23, 2007, for those sailplanes registered for
operation in Europe. That AD is based on Lange Technical Note No.
904-1, original issue or later approved revision.
Note: The Lange E1 Antares sailplane is not type certificated in the United States.
Background
Lange Flugzeugbau has determined that a defective tool was used for
crimping Nicopress sleeves installed at the ends of the rudder cables.
The EASA AD requires a one-time inspection of the cables’ sleeves and
replacement of the rudder cable if a Nicopress sleeve is found
improperly crimped. If not corrected, this condition could impede the
pilot to control the rudder and lead to loss of control of the
sailplane.
These sailplanes are not type certificated in the United States and,
therefore, the condition is not addressed by FAA AD action. However,
these sailplanes could be operating in the United States with an
experimental airworthiness certificate or other means.
Recommendations
We recommend any model E1 Antares sailplane operating in the United
States have the actions outlined in Lange Technical Note No. 904-1
incorporated.