The FAA has adopted a new airworthiness directive (AD) affecting all Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GVI airplanes, citing the need for more restrictive airworthiness limitations.
The final rule, published in the Federal Register on Jan. 20, applies to Gulfstream G650 and G650ER aircraft and requires operators to revise their existing maintenance or inspection programs to incorporate updated airworthiness limitations intended to address principal structural elements.
According to the FAA, the directive was prompted by a determination that revisions to the airworthiness limitations section of the aircraft maintenance manuals are necessary to prevent failure of structural components over the service life of the airplane. The agency said differences between FAA-approved engineering data and earlier technical publications necessitated the changes.
The AD allows Gulfstream GVI operators to use later revisions of the applicable maintenance manual sections, provided the airworthiness limitations information is identical to the FAA-approved versions, eliminating the need for an alternative method of compliance in those cases.
The AD becomes effective Feb. 24 and applies to 428 U.S.-registered airplanes, according to FAA estimates. The agency said compliance will require an average of 90 labor hours per operator to revise maintenance or inspection programs, at an estimated cost of $7,650 per operator.
