FAA Issues Three Airworthiness Directives; USDA Corrects Farmer Bridge Program Corn Definition

USDA Corrects Farmer Bridge Assistance Program Definition, Extends Deadline

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) published a correcting amendment to the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program rule, effective August 27, 2026, to add blue and red corn to the regulatory definition of "corn" under 7 CFR 1414.3. The original final rule, published February 23, 2026 (91 FR 8360), defined "corn" as "only white, yellow, amylose, popcorn (excluding strawberry popcorn), waxy, and high amylase corn," inadvertently omitting blue and red corn, which the document states are also eligible for the FBA Program.

The FBA Program, the document explains, provides up to $11 billion in one-time bridge payments to American farmers in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs. Because blue and red corn were omitted from the definition, those types were not included on pre-filled FBA Program applications, and producers of those commodities could not apply by the original deadline of April 17, 2026. CCC states it will generate a CCC-555 (Farmer Bridge Assistance Program Application) for each eligible producer who timely reported eligible 2025 crop year acres of blue or red corn, and is extending the application submission deadline for those producers to September 28, 2026, as authorized under 7 CFR 1414.6(b). The document further specifies that producers must submit all eligibility forms by April 19, 2027, as indicated in 7 CFR 1414.6(c).

FAA AD: Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321 — MLG Door Actuator Replacement

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive 2024-25-06 with a new final rule, effective October 1, 2026, covering all Airbus SAS Model A318 and A320 series airplanes and specified Model A319 and A321 variants. The prior AD required repetitive inspections of main landing gear (MLG) door actuators and prohibited installation of affected parts. The FAA determined that replacing the MLG door actuators is necessary to address the unsafe condition, and that the applicability and definition of an affected part must be expanded.

The document explains that the original AD was issued to address incorrectly assembled MLG door actuators which, if not detected and corrected, could prevent extension of the MLG, possibly resulting in significant damage to the airplane and potentially causing a fire requiring emergency evacuation of passengers. The new AD was further prompted by EASA AD 2025-0158R1, dated September 12, 2025, which expanded the list of serial numbers for affected parts and added Airbus SAS Model A321-271NY and A319-173N airplanes to the applicability. The final rule continues to require the inspections mandated under the prior AD, now also requires replacing all affected parts with serviceable parts — a step the document states terminates the repetitive inspections — and expands the scope of affected parts accordingly. The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) supported the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking without change.

FAA AD: Airbus A320/A321 — Bulk Cargo Door Fatigue Cracks

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive, also effective October 1, 2026, for certain Airbus SAS Model A320-211, -212, -214, -216, -231, -232, and -233 airplanes, and Model A321-111, -112, -131, -211, -212, -213, -231, and -232 airplanes. The AD was prompted by a fatigue test on a Model A320 airplane conducted in support of an extended service goal campaign, during which cracks were identified in the area of fastener holes at the forward and aft upper corner of the bulk cargo door at section 16 and 17, on both left-hand and right-hand sides. The document states that this condition, if not addressed, could affect the structural integrity of the airplane.

The AD requires a rototest inspection for cracks and applicable on-condition actions, as specified in EASA AD 2025-0193, dated September 8, 2025. On-condition actions include contacting the manufacturer for repair instructions and performing the repair if cracks are detected, or modifying the affected area by cold working the fastener holes if no crack is detected. The FAA estimates this AD affects 1,069 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates labor costs for required actions at 4 work-hours at $85 per hour, for a cost per product of $340 and a total cost on U.S. operators of $363,460. The estimated cost per product for the on-condition modification is also $340 (4 work-hours at $85 per hour, with $0 parts cost); the FAA notes it has received no definitive data on which to base cost estimates for the on-condition repairs.

FAA AD: Boeing 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 — Wing Splice Plate Fatigue Cracks

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive, effective October 1, 2026, for certain Boeing Company Model 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes, addressing manufacturing errors and excessive preload forces at the lower side of body (SOB) splice plates common to the lower outboard wing skins. The document states a Boeing investigation concluded that shim gaps may have exceeded engineering allowances, and that high pull-up forces on the components may cause fatigue cracks to form at fastener holes. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, the FAA states, could result in undetected fatigue cracks that grow to weaken primary wing structure until it cannot sustain limit load, resulting in subsequent loss of continued safe flight and landing.

Depending on configuration, the AD requires repetitive ultrasonic (UT) inspections at certain splice plates, rear spar terminal fittings, lower chords, front spar terminal fittings, and jack pads for any cracks; repetitive detailed inspections (DET) of certain splice plates for any cracks; and applicable on-condition actions, as specified in Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB570048-00 RB, Issue 001, dated August 11, 2025. American Airlines had requested simplified compliance time tracking, arguing the equation-based compliance times required by the bulletin burden internal tracking systems; the FAA disagreed, explaining that the equation-based compliance times account for the effects of both flight hours and flight cycles and are "relieving in nature" compared to times based solely on total flight hours/cycles, and that allowing simplified tracking would cause many airplanes to become immediately out of compliance.

VA Construction Survey Seeks OMB Clearance

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) has submitted the CFM Stakeholder Feedback Survey to OMB for review and comment, with comments due September 28, 2026. The survey, operating under OMB Control Number 2900-0931, is described as a revision of a currently approved collection. According to the notice, the survey collects information for CFM's lines of business covering major construction and major leases, with respondents including federal employees across the VA, Veterans Health Administration, and National Cemetery Administration, as well as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction management teams and members of private contracting firms in architecture/engineering, construction, and development. The document states the survey uses ten questions on team performance plus two open-ended questions, delivered via email link. The estimated number of respondents is 544, with an estimated average burden of 8 minutes per respondent and an estimated annual burden of 73 hours. Respondents are asked to complete the survey twice a year for the duration of each major construction or major leasing project.

What to Watch

• August 27, 2026 — Effective date of CCC's correcting amendment adding blue and red corn to the FBA Program definition (7 CFR 1414.3).
• September 28, 2026 — Extended deadline for blue and red corn producers to submit CCC-555 FBA Program applications; also deadline for OMB comments on the VA CFM Stakeholder Feedback Survey.
• October 1, 2026 — Effective date for all three FAA airworthiness directives: the superseding AD for Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321 MLG door actuators, the new AD for Airbus A320/A321 bulk cargo door fatigue cracks, and the new AD for Boeing 787-8/-9/-10 wing splice plate fatigue cracks.
• April 19, 2027 — Deadline for blue and red corn FBA Program producers to submit all eligibility forms, per 7 CFR 1414.6(c).

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