FAA withdraws proposed Grumman AD
Following advocacy efforts by AOPA and others, the FAA announced April 14 that it will be “withdrawing a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that proposed to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD)” that would have applied to Grumman American AA–5A and AA–5B models, and was introduced in December, 2021.
The previously proposed AD followed a July 2021 AD that applied to AA–1, AA–1A, AA–1B, AA–1C, and AA–5 models and was issued after a Grumman American AA–5 crashed upon landing when its “outboard elevator attach bracket on the horizontal stabilizer detached” due to bondline corrosion and delamination that caused a loss of elevator control and damage to the aircraft. The proposed AD would have required a labor intensive process to inspect for bondline delamination beyond what is currently required for these aircraft, as well as the AA–5A and AA–5B models.
Agreeing with AOPA to withdraw the proposed AD, the FAA noted, “the instructions in the airplane maintenance manual are sufficient to detect the type of damage that is believed to have led to the originating accident, as well as similar damage on the rest of the airplane. The FAA further agrees that the original findings were not indicative of an unsafe condition, but instead indicative of incorrectly followed maintenance procedures. Based on this assessment, the proposed inspection in the NPRM would exceed what is sufficient to detect the main issue of bondline delamination. The FAA has determined that additional AD action is not warranted, and the proposal should be withdrawn.”
“AOPA appreciates the FAA’s consideration and acceptance of our recommendation to withdraw this proposed AD. Additional requirements beyond those maintenance procedures that safely identify and correct aircraft damage can be burdensome, costly, and in this case, expose the aircraft to even further damage,” AOPA Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs Chris Cooper. “AOPA recognizes the seriousness of delamination, and we will continue to work with the Grumman community and FAA to emphasize the importance of following the required maintenance procedures.”
