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2017-07-06 GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION: Amendment 39-18844; Docket No. FAA-2016-9385; Directorate Identifier 2016-NM-111-AD.
(a) EFFECTIVE DATE

    This AD is effective May 15, 2017.

(b) AFFECTED ADS

    None.

(c) APPLICABILITY

    This AD applies to all Gulfstream Model G-1159B airplanes certificated
    in any category.

Note 1 to paragraph (c) of this AD: Model  G-1159B  airplanes are also re-
ferred to by marketing designation GIIB.

(d) SUBJECT

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

(e) UNSAFE CONDITION

    This  AD  was  prompted  by  a review of airplane maintenance records,
    which  revealed  that  incorrect rudder  assemblies were  installed on
    certain airplanes. We  are issuing this  AD to detect  and correct the
    installation of  incorrect rudder  assemblies,  which could result  in
    flutter and  subsequent loss  of the  rudder,  and  consequent loss of
    control of the airplane.

(f) COMPLIANCE

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified,  unless al-
    ready done.

(g) INSPECTION TO DETERMINE RUDDER ASSEMBLY PART NUMBER  (P/N) AND VERIFI-
    CATION OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS

    Within 12 months after the effective date of this AD, do an inspection
    to determine  the part  number of  the rudder  assembly, in accordance
    with the  Accomplishment Instructions  of Gulfstream  GII/IIB Customer
    Bulletin Number 468,  dated February 17,  2016, except as  provided by
    paragraph (i)(1) of this AD. If the rudder assembly does not have  P/N
    1159CS20004-3, within 12 months after  the effective date of this  AD,
    verify that the rudder assembly  part number recorded in the  aircraft
    maintenance records  matches the  part number  of the  rudder assembly
    installed on the airplane and if the rudder assembly part number  does
    not match, correct the aircraft maintenance records accordingly.

(h) ADDITIONAL INSPECTION AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

    If, during  the inspection  required by  paragraph (g)  of this  AD, a
    rudder  assembly  having  P/N 1159CS20004-3  is found,  before further
    flight, do a general visual inspection of the middle and upper  rudder
    hinges to determine if a one-piece or two-piece hinge is installed, in
    accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of Gulfstream  GII/IIB
    Customer Bulletin  Number 468,  dated February 17, 2016,  and  do  the
    applicable action specified in paragraph (h)(1) or (h)(2) of this  AD,
    except as required by paragraph (i)(2) of this AD.

(1) For  airplanes  with  a  one-piece hinge  installed:  Do  the  actions
    specified in paragraph (h)(1)(i) or (h)(1)(ii) of this AD.

(i) Modify the rudder assembly,  in accordance with the Accomplishment In-
    structions of Gulfstream GII/IIB  Customer Bulletin Number 468,  dated
    February 17, 2016.

Note 2  to  paragraph (h)(1)(i)  of  this  AD: Gulfstream GII/IIB Customer
Bulletin Number 468 dated February 17, 2016, refers to Gulfstream GII Air-
craft Service Change Number 300,  Amendment 1,  dated May 21, 1984,  as an
additional source of guidance for accomplishment  of the  rudder modifica-
tion.

(ii) Replace the rudder assembly with a rudder assembly that has been mod-
     ified as specified  in  Gulfstream GII Aircraft Service Change Number
     300.  Do the replacement using a method approved  in accordance  with
     the procedures specified in paragraph (k)(1) of this AD.

(2) For airplanes with a two-piece hinge installed: Re-identify the rudder
    assembly as having incorporated the actions in Gulfstream GII Aircraft
    Service Change Number 300,  in accordance  with the Accomplishment In-
    structions of Gulfstream GII/IIB  Customer Bulletin Number 468,  dated
    February 17, 2016.

(i) EXCEPTIONS TO SERVICE BULLETIN SPECIFICATIONS

(1) Where Gulfstream GII/IIB Customer Bulletin Number 468,  dated February
    17, 2016, specifies to record the rudder part number and serial number
    on the service reply card, that action is not required by this AD.

(2) Where Gulfstream GII/IIB Customer Bulletin Number 468,  dated February
    17, 2016,  specifies to contact Gulfstream for instructions on modify-
    ing the rudder assembly,  this AD requires modifying the rudder assem-
    bly before further flight using a method approved  in accordance  with
    the procedures specified in paragraph (k)(1) of this AD.

(j) SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMITS

    Special  flight  permits,  as described in Section 21.197  and Section
    21.199 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.197 and 21.199),
    are not allowed.

(k) ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF COMPLIANCE (AMOCS)

(1) The Manager, Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 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 ACO, send  it to the attention  of the
    person identified in paragraph (l) of this AD.

(2) Before using any approved AMOC,  notify your appropriate principal in-
    spector,  or  lacking a principal inspector,  the manager of the local
    flight standards district office/certificate holding district office.

(3) Except as required by paragraph (i) of this AD:  For  service informa-
    tion that contains steps that are labeled  as  Required for Compliance
    (RC), the provisions of paragraphs (k)(3)(i) and (k)(3)(ii) of this AD
    apply.

(i) The steps labeled as RC,  including substeps under an RC step  and any
    figures identified in an RC step,  must be done to comply with the AD.
    An AMOC is required for any deviations to RC steps, including substeps
    and identified figures.

(ii) Steps not labeled as RC may be deviated  from  using accepted methods
     in accordance  with  the operator's maintenance or inspection program
     without obtaining approval of an AMOC, provided the RC steps, includ-
     ing substeps and identified figures,  can still be done as specified,
     and the airplane can be put back in an airworthy condition.

(l) RELATED INFORMATION

    For more information about this AD,  contact  Krista Greer,  Aerospace
    Engineer, Airframe Branch, ACE-117A,  FAA, Atlanta Aircraft Certifica-
    tion Office (ACO), 1701 Columbia Ave., College Park, GA 30337;  phone:
    404-474-5544; fax: 404-474-5606; email: krista.greer@faa.gov.

(m) 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.

(i) Gulfstream GII/IIB  Customer Bulletin Number 468,  dated  February 17,
    2016.

(ii) Reserved.

(3) For  service information  identified  in this AD,  contact  Gulfstream
    Aerospace  Corporation,  Technical Publications Dept.,  P.O. Box 2206,
    Savannah, GA 31402-2206;  telephone 800-810-4853; fax 912-965-3520; e-
    mail pubs@gulfstream.com;  Internet http://www.gulfstream.com/product_
    support/technical_pubs/pubs/index.htm.

(4) You may view this service information at the FAA,  Transport  Airplane
    Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA.  For information on the
    availability of this material at the FAA, call 425-227-1221.

(5) 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 202
    -741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-
    locations.html.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on March 27, 2017.  Michael Kaszycki, Acting
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Krista Greer,  Aerospace  Engineer,  Air-
frame Branch, ACE-117A,  FAA, Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office (ACO),
1701 Columbia Avenue,  College Park, GA 30337;  phone: 404-474-5544;  fax:
404-474-5606; email: krista.greer@faa.gov.
PREAMBLE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2016-9385; Directorate Identifier 2016-NM-111-AD;
Amendment 39-18844; AD 2017-07-06]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model G-1159B airplanes. This AD was
prompted by a review of airplane maintenance records, which revealed
that incorrect rudder assemblies were installed on certain airplanes.
This AD requires certain inspections, and replacement or modification
of the rudder assembly if necessary. We are issuing this AD to address
the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective May 15, 2017.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as May 15, 2017.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this final rule,
contact Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Technical Publications Dept.,
P.O. Box 2206, Savannah, GA 31402-2206; telephone 800-810-4853; fax
912-965-3520; email pubs@gulfstream.com; Internet http://www.gulfstream.com/product_support/technical_pubs/pubs/index.htm. You
may view this referenced service information at the FAA, Transport
Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA. For information
on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 425-227-1221. It
is also available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2016-9385.

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-2016-
9385; 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 address for the Docket Office (phone: 800-647-
5527) is Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation,
Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Krista Greer, Aerospace Engineer,
Airframe Branch, ACE-117A, FAA, Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office
(ACO), 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, GA 30337; phone: 404-474-
5544; fax: 404-474-5606; email: krista.greer@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
:

Discussion

We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR
part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to all Gulfstream Aerospace
Corporation Model G-1159B airplanes. The NPRM published in the Federal
Register on November 21, 2016 (81 FR 83180). The NPRM was prompted by a
review of airplane maintenance records, which revealed that incorrect
rudder assemblies were installed on certain airplanes. The NPRM
proposed to require an inspection to determine the part number of the
rudder assembly installed, verification that the part number of the
rudder assembly matches what is recorded in the airplane maintenance
records, an inspection of the rudder hinges if necessary, and
replacement or modification of the rudder assembly if necessary. We are
issuing this AD to detect and correct the installation of incorrect
rudder assemblies, which could result in flutter and subsequent loss of
the rudder, and consequent loss of control of the airplane.

Comments

We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing
this AD. We have considered the comment received.

Support for the NPRM

An anonymous commenter stated that the NPRM was understandable and
that the FAA should retain its governmental authority.
We infer that the commenter supports the intent of the NPRM. We
have not made any changes to this final rule regarding this issue.

Conclusion

We reviewed the relevant data, considered the comment received, and
determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting
this AD as proposed, except for minor editorial changes. We have
determined that these minor changes:
Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the
NPRM for correcting the unsafe condition; and
Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was
already proposed in the NPRM.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

We reviewed Gulfstream GII/IIB Customer Bulletin Number 468, dated
February 17, 2016 (for Model G-1159 and Model G-1159B airplanes). The
service information describes procedures for inspecting the rudder
assembly to determine the part number, verifying that the part number
of the rudder assembly matches what is recorded in the airplane
maintenance records, inspecting the rudder hinges, and modifying the
rudder assembly. 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 the ADDRESSES section.

Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this AD affects 24 airplanes of U.S. registry. We
estimate the following costs to comply with this AD:

Estimated Costs

Action
Labor cost
Parts cost
Cost per product
Cost on U.S. operators
Inspection 1 work-hour x $85 per hour = $85
$0
$85
$2,040

We estimate the following costs to do any necessary replacements or
modifications that will be required based on the results of the
inspection. We have no way of determining the number of aircraft that
might need these replacements or modifications:

On-Condition Costs

Action
Labor cost
Parts cost
Cost per product
Replacement/modification 3 work-hours x $85 per hour = $255
$51,445
$51,700

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.

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 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

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]

2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness
directive (AD):