The FAA has issued a final rule airworthiness directive for Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH Model Duo Discus and Duo Discus T gliders. This move comes after reports that the canopies of these gliders can open during air tow, posing a risk of losing control in flight. The directive requires modifications to the canopy locking mechanism to address this unsafe condition. Despite some public comments suggesting the problem is due to pilot error, the FAA insists on these changes following a fatal accident in 2023, underscoring the design's inadequacies.
Simple Explanation
The FAA is telling certain glider owners to fix a part that keeps their flying machine's top, or canopy, from popping open when being pulled by a plane because that's not safe at all. They decided this after a bad accident, even though some people thought it was because the pilots messed up.