SAIB Issued for Restraint Systems Inspections for TSO Compliance 

On April 8, the FAA issued Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) 2026-10 to alert operators of an airworthiness concern for torso restraint systems and safety belts. 

This SAIB is the result of an NTSB analysis which identified at least 15 general aviation accidents resulting in full or partial failure of the occupants’ restraint system. Many of these failures occurred at the Y-junction threading. These accidents often involved serious or fatal injuries of the occupants. In their analysis, NTSB found a prevalence of installed restraints which are designed to obsolete Technical Standard Order (TSO) requirements which may fail at loads below those prescribed in current TSOs. 

The FAA recommends that operators check their restraint systems for manufacturer markings citing compliance with current TSOs as listed below, or with a rated strength of 3,000 pounds or more: 

• Torso Restraints – TSO-C114 dated March 27, 1987 or later revisions. 
• Pelvic Restraints – TSO-C22g dated March 5, 1993 or later revisions. 

In addition, routine preflight and annual visual inspections of both shoulder and pelvic restraints should be performed to check for signs of wear, deformation, discoloration, defects of fraying. Special Attention should be paid to the threading on the Y-junction that separates the two shoulder straps and the fastener hardware. 

Finally, FAA is requesting operators to report findings of damage with applicable supplemental information to assist in their continued evaluation of the issue. View SAIB 2026-10 for the FAA point of contact and additional information on this issue.