The bulletin
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FAA Aviation Safety
SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS
INFORMATION BULLETIN SUBJ: Light-Sport Category Aircraft Continued Airworthiness SAIB: 2026-06 Date: March 12, 2026 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.
Introduction
This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) provides information to owners, operators, and maintainers of light-sport category aircraft regarding the amendments made to certification and operation rules following issuance of the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) final rule cited in 90 FR 35034, July 24, 2025. This SAIB also emphasizes the important safety benefits of continuing to report safety data and adhere to manufacturer’s safety directives.
The subject matter of this SAIB does not warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 39.
Background
On July 24, 2025, the FAA issued the final rule called MOSAIC to amend rules related to lightsport category aircraft. The amendments intend to enhance safety and performance and increase privileges under numerous sport pilot and light-sport category aircraft rules. This SAIB addresses the regulatory changes that took effect on October 22, 2025 related to maintaining airworthiness and continued operational safety of light-sport category aircraft.
Prior to MOSAIC, continued operational safety of light-sport category aircraft was managed through manufacturer’s safety directives, which were issued as part of their continued airworthiness system to correct safety of flight issues per § 21.190(c)(5) (amendment 21-85).
Owners or operators of affected aircraft were required by § 91.327(b)(4) (amendment 91-378) to comply with applicable safety directives.
The MOSAIC final rule amended § 21.190 requirements for issuance of special airworthiness certificates for light-sport category aircraft, effective July 24, 2026. Per the amended § 21.190(d)(9), the manufacturer continues to be required to monitor and correct safety-of-flight issues through the issuance of safety directives.
The MOSAIC final rule also removed the § 91.327(b)(4) requirement for an owner or operator of a light-sport category aircraft to comply with safety directives issued by the aircraft manufacturer. This removal in effect rescinds the operator’s mandatory compliance with manufacturer-issued safety directives beginning October 22, 2025, including safety directives issued prior to the final rule. The FAA notes, however, that § 91.7 prohibits any person from operating a civil aircraft unless it is in an airworthy condition. Where a safety-of-flight condition
2 exists on an aircraft, that condition would need to be corrected for the aircraft to be considered in an airworthy condition to satisfy the § 91.7 requirement.
The FAA acknowledges that it does not typically issue ADs for products lacking type certificates, nor has it historically done so for light-sport category aircraft. As of October 22, 2025, the requirement under § 91.327(b)(4) that an owner or operator of a light-sport category aircraft comply with applicable safety directives has been rescinded. Consequentially, the responsibility for mandating continued airworthiness requirements of light-sport aircraft now resides with the FAA in conjunction with the operators’ requirement to limit flight to airworthy aircraft in accordance with § 91.7.
Many safety directives identify critical safety-of-flight or other airworthiness issues and serve as an important means of maintaining the safety of light-sport category aircraft. The FAA will evaluate these safety directives and monitor safety data related to light-sport category aircraft to determine if mandatory FAA action is necessary through the issuance of an AD.
Monitoring safety data largely depends on voluntary reporting from general aviation operators and maintainers. As such, operators and maintainers of light-sport category aircraft are encouraged to report safety events through the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reporting System at sdrs.faa.gov. The FAA places particular emphasis on light-sport category operators voluntarily reporting in-service safety of flight issues.
Updates to FAA policy to address the continued operational safety changes for light-sport category aircraft have been made to FAA Order 8110.107 Revision B Change 1, “Monitor Safety/Analyze Data,” dated September 25, 2025, available through the FAA’s Dynamic Regulatory System at drs.faa.gov. Additional changes to policy and guidance may be forthcoming.
Recommendations
FAA recommends light-sport category aircraft owners, operators, and maintainers:
1. Continue to comply with existing and future manufacturers’ safety directives to address safety concerns on their aircraft.
2. Voluntarily report any instances of failures, malfunctions, or defects through the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reporting System at sdrs.faa.gov. Such voluntary reporting is especially important to alert the FAA of in-service safety of flight issues.
For Further Information Contact
Kristi Bradley, General Aviation Safety Coordinator, Fleet Safety Section, Compliance and Airworthiness Division, FAA; email: Kristin.Bradley@faa.gov.