SAIB CE-05-26

SPECIAL

AIRWORTHINESS

INFORMATION

BULLETIN

Aircraft Certification Service Washington, DC

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration

CE-05-26 January 11, 2005 www.faa.gov/certification/aircraft This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) provides you, owners and operators of LET AERONAUTICAL WORKS Model L-23 Super Blanik gliders, with clarification regarding the applicability of Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2004-25-17, effective January 28, 2005. This AD requires an inspection and possible replacement of the elevator rocker lever. Within the context of this AD, the FAA identified a range of applicable serial numbers. Due to the method of serial number nomenclature that LET uses, some confusion may arise concerning which L-23 Super Blaniks that AD 2004-25-17 affects. This bulletin explains the LET numbering system and clarifies the serial numbers applicable to AD 2004-25-17.

Background

The FAA has received from the field a request for clarification concerning which serial numbers apply to AD 2004-25-17. This AD applies to all gliders with serial numbers up to and including 039019 that are certificated in any category.

LET has identified its serial numbering format for the L-23 Super Blanik as follows:

S/N = AABBCC where:

AA = the year of manufacture (last two digits;

i.e. 1999 = 99, 2002 = 02) BB = production series (batch number) CC = the sequential production number within the production series.

You may find this information in the L-13 Super Blanik spare parts catalog, section 0-00- 00, page 4.

Recommendation

Using the information stated above, we recommend that registered owners and operators of LET L-23 Super Blanik gliders review their serial numbers and implement the AD instructions as applicable.

For Further Information Contact

Gregory Davison, Aerospace Engineer, FAA Small Airplane Directorate, Room 301, 901 Locust, Kansas City, MO 64106; phone: (816) 329-4130; fax: (816) 329-4090; email:

gregory.davison@faa.gov

LETECKÉ ZÁVODY a.s. Kunovice 686 04, telephone: 42-572-817-650; fax: 42-572-817-

653.

Blanik America, Inc., P.O. Box 1124, Wenatchee, WA 98807-1124; phone:

(509) 884-8305; fax: (509) 884-9198.