SAIB 2026-13

FAA Aviation Safety

SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS

INFORMATION BULLETIN SAIB: 2026-13 SUBJ: Light-Sport Category Aircraft Continued Airworthiness Date: August 14, 2026 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) provides continued operational safety (COS) information for light-sport category aircraft following issuance of the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) final rule cited in 90 FR 35034, July 24, 2025. Specifically, this SAIB provides information to the manufacturer, operators, and maintainers on FAA notification of safety directives, safety of flight issues, and safety events. Related SAIB, 2026-06, dated March 12, 2026, provides additional information about the effects the MOSAIC final rule has on continued operational safety.

The subject matter of this SAIB does not warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 39.

Background

Per § 21.190 (d)(8) and (9), effective July 24, 2026, a manufacturer of a light-sport category aircraft must implement and maintain a documented COS program that (1) meets the specified consensus standard, (2) addresses monitoring and resolving in-service safety of flight issues, (3) includes provisions to issue safety directives, and (4) includes a process to notify the FAA and all owners of all safety of flight issues. ASTM International (ASTM) Standard F3198-25, Standard Specification for Light Sport Aircraft Manufacturer’s Continued Operational Safety (COS) Program, provides LSA manufacturers details on establishing a COS program.

Manufacturer 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 safety data to determine if further FAA action is warranted through the issuance of either an airworthiness directive (AD), an airworthiness concerns sheet (ACS), or an SAIB.

Regardless of the FAA response to a safety directive or safety data, it is important for light-sport category aircraft operators to comply with § 91.7, which states “No person may operate a civil aircraft unless it is in an airworthy condition.”

In addition to safety information submitted to the FAA by manufacturers, the monitoring and analysis of safety data by the FAA and industry depends on voluntary reporting from general aviation operators and maintainers.

2 Recommendations

The FAA recommends light-sport category aircraft manufacturers, operators, and maintainers maintain a steadfast focus on continued operational safety. Manufacturer communication of safety directives and safety of flight issues, as well as voluntary submission of service difficulty reports by operators and maintainers, will help to ensure that the light-sport community safely achieves the full benefits of the MOSAIC final rule.

The FAA recommends LSA manufacturers email safety directives and safety of flight issues to the FAA at LSA-Safety@faa.gov. Please also include the following information, as applicable:

• Make/Manufacturer

• Model/Series

• LSA Category (e.g. airplane, helicopter, powered lift, etc.)

• Subject of safety directive / safety of flight issue

• Product type (aircraft, engine, propeller, appliance)

• Country of Manufacture

• Manufacturer safety directive identification number, issue date, effective date

• Civil Aviation Authority AD number and issued date

After confirming receipt, safety directives will be entered into the FAA dynamic regulatory system (DRS) at drs.faa.gov. While not intended as a complete listing of all of a manufacturer’s safety directives, the DRS will serve as a public repository and be utilized to identify safety trends and for risk analysis.

The FAA also recommends operators and maintainers of light-sport category aircraft report airworthiness safety events through the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reporting System at sdrs.faa.gov.

A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The OMB Control Number for this information collection is 2120-0731.

For Further Information Contact

Michael Folkerts, Light-Sport Category Aviation Safety Coordinator, Fleet Safety Section, Compliance and Airworthiness Division, FAA; email: michael.j.folkerts@faa.gov.