# SAIB ACE-99-32: 

- Type: Special airworthiness information bulletin (advisory, not mandatory)
- Status: Current
- Revision: 0
- Issued: July 15, 1999
- Products: Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau JanusC, Janus CM and Janus CT
- Product type: Aircraft, Glider
- PDF: https://openairdocs.org/files/sha256/17/b4/17b4487b36eed70b004c699f8f4d500252166765d7d0fa836a019f8db2fe5e50
- FAA DRS: https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/4A4783BE45D81A968625721F0052EC19.0001
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/saib/ACE-99-32

## Text

**SPECIAL**

**AIRWORTHINESS**

**INFORMATION**

**BULLETIN**

**REGULATORY SUPPORT DIVISION P.O. BOX 26460 OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA 73125-0460**

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration

No. ACE-99-32 July 15, 1999

SAIB’s are posted on the internet at http://av-info.faa.gov This is issued for informational purposes only and any recommendation for corrective action is not mandatory.

Introduction:

The purpose of this Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) is to provide safety information to Schempp-Hirth Models Janus C, Janus CM, and Janus CT sailplane owners/operators of the following:

• Horizontal Tailplane – Elevator Mass Balance (Technical Note Numbers 295-27 and 809-15) For copies of technical notes and foreign AD, contact the FAA as listed below.

Background:

The FAA has assessed a potential safety problem that may occur on the Schempp-Hirth Models Janus C, Janus CM, and Janus CT sailplanes. There has been an in-flight flutter incident that has been attributed an incorrect mass balancing requireme nt of the elevator. This incident resulted in a case of elevator flutter substantial damage to the vertical fin.

Safety Issue:

The potential safety issue that may arise is an el evator flutter condition during high speed flight.

The Luftfahrt-Bundesamt has issued an Airwor thiness Directive, 1999-265, for the models listed above. These model sailplanes do not have a United States Type Certificate. This safety issue however, is the same whether or not the sailp lanes are type certificated. The FAA highly recommends that you comply with the Technical Note listed above. A copy of this Technical Note is included for your reference.

General Information:

The FAA provides this information as a courtesy to owners/operators of the Schempp-Hirth Models Janus C, Janus CM, and Janus CT because this is a known safety issue. The FAA does not issue Airworthiness Directives for sailplanes that do not ha ve a U.S. type certificate. This safety issue will not be tracked or enforced by the FAA. Furthermore, the FAA will not use an SAIB to track all safety related items for non-type certificated products.

For Further Information Contact:

Mike Kiesov, Aerospace Engineer/Pilot, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 1201 Walnut, Suite 900, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 426-6934; facsimile: (816) 426-2169; email:

mike.kiesov@faa.gov

## Registered aircraft it may concern (OpenAirDocs)

Registry models matched by make and model, the same way as ADs, most registered aircraft first.

- [Schempp-Hirth JANUS CT](https://openairdocs.org/model/schempp-hirth-janus-ct): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Schempp-Hirth JANUS-CM](https://openairdocs.org/model/schempp-hirth-janus-cm): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)
- [Schempp-Hirth K.G. JANUS C](https://openairdocs.org/model/schempp-hirth-k-g-janus-c): 1 registered aircraft (airframe model)

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