SAIB CE-11-20

FAA Aviation Safety

SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS

INFORMATION BULLETIN SAIB: CE-11-20 SUBJ: Fuselage: Fuselage Frame Joints Date: February 7, 2011 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin informs you of an airworthiness concern on Allstar PZL Glider model SZD-59 “ACRO” sailplanes, all serial numbers.

These sailplanes are not type certificated in the United States and, therefore, the condition is not addressed by Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Directive (AD) action. However, these sailplanes could be operating in the U.S. with an experimental airworthiness certificate or other means.

Background

Four SZD-59 sailplanes have been found with cracks near the welded joints of the fuselage frame tubes at the wing front fixing point. If left uncorrected, this condition could lead to rupture of the fuselage attachments and result in detachment of the wing and loss of control of the sailplane.

Allstar PZL has issued Service Bulletin No. BE-010/SZD-59/2009 “ACRO,” Revision 1, which recommends an immediate and subsequent inspection of the fuselage front tube at the welded joints and an immediate repair if any cracks are found. Allstar PZL has also issued Service Bulletin No.

BE-011/SZD-59/2009 “ACRO,” which specifies the repair method.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued Airworthiness Directive No. 2009-0210, dated October 7, 2009. For sailplanes of European registry, this AD requires an immediate and subsequent inspection and if no cracks are found, an eventual reinforcement modification of the fuselage front frame during the next sailplane overhaul or within 500 flight hours, whichever occurs first.

Recommendations

We recommend all owners and operators comply with actions outlined in the above-mentioned Allstar PZL Glider Service Bulletins and EASA AD No. 2009-0210. However, in lieu of EASA’s specified repair time frame, we recommend the reinforcement modification to be done during the next sailplane overhaul or within 25 flight hours, whichever occurs first.

For Further Information Contact

Gregory Davison, Aerospace Engineer, FAA Small Airplane Directorate, Room 301, 901 Locust Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4130; facsimile: (816) 329-4090; email:

Gregory.Davison@faa.gov

2 For Related Service Information Contact

Allstar PZL Glider Sp. z o.o.

Ul. Cieszyńska 325 PL-43-300 Bielsko-Biała Tel.: +48-33 812 50 26 Fax: +48-33 812 37 39 Web: http://www.szd.com.pl/ Email: techsupport@szd.com.pl