FAA Mandates Extra Checks on Airbus Slat Tracks to Prevent Cracks
Published Date: 5/12/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
If you fly or work with certain Airbus Canada planes (formerly Bombardier C Series), this new rule means you’ll keep cleaning and checking the slat tracks to stop damage and corrosion. Plus, if those tracks were fixed before with the wrong test, you’ll need a special re-inspection to catch hidden cracks. The FAA wants comments by June 26, 2026, so get ready to act and keep those planes safe!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Ongoing Slat Track Cleaning Requirement
If you operate Airbus Canada Model BD-500-1A10 or BD-500-1A11 airplanes, you must continue repetitive cleaning and greasing of all slat tracks and do repeated visual inspections to prevent damage or corrosion as required by the AD. The rule keeps the retained actions from AD 2022-25-05 in place to avoid slat panel loss and potential wing damage.
Mandatory Rework NDT for Prior Repairs
If slat tracks on those same BD-500-1A10 or BD-500-1A11 airplanes were previously repaired using an inappropriate non-destructive test method, you must perform a rework NDT inspection on all those previously repaired slat tracks. The proposed AD adds this rework inspection requirement to catch cracks that may have been missed by the earlier improper NDT methods.
FAA Cost Estimates for Compliance
The FAA estimates the proposed AD would affect 161 U.S.-registered airplanes. Estimated labor costs are up to $1,275 per airplane for retained actions and up to $20,570 per airplane for the new proposed actions, for aggregate operator costs up to $77,775 and $3,311,770 respectively. On-condition inspection labor is estimated at $680 per slat track (8 work-hours at $85/hour), not including repair parts.
Updated Compliance Times for Stored/Low-Use Planes
The AD updates compliance times to account for airplanes in storage or those operated under a low utilization maintenance program. This change adjusts deadlines and inspection timing for operators with stored or low-use BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 airplanes.
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Key Dates
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