FAA Proposes Landing Gear Directive for Dassault Falcon 50, 2000 and 2000EX; Replacement Could Cost Up to $303,060 per Aircraft

The FAA has proposed a new airworthiness directive covering Dassault Falcon 50, 2000 and 2000EX aircraft over a manufacturing defect affecting main landing gear components. The proposal, published Thursday, applies to 683 U.S.-registered aircraft, of which the agency estimates up to 178 have affected components installed.

The FAA said a manufacturing quality issue may have caused high-temperature oxidation in the upper and lower torque links of certain main landing gear assemblies, a condition that could lead to landing gear failure. The agency stated that, if not addressed, the unsafe condition "could result in failure of the MLG, possibly resulting in damage to the airplane and injury to occupants."

The proposed action follows a January EASA directive. It would require operators to replace affected landing gear assemblies with serviceable equipment and would restrict the installation of certain affected parts. Neither the FAA nor EASA identified any accidents or in-service landing gear failures associated with the defect in their respective directives.

The FAA estimates that replacing an affected main landing gear assembly would take 36 labor hours at $85 per hour, plus up to $300,000 for new equipment, for a maximum cost of $303,060 per aircraft. Operators could alternatively rebuild the landing gear by replacing the upper and lower torque link assemblies, which the agency puts at $48,990 in parts.

Across the 178 aircraft expected to require replacement, the FAA puts maximum compliance costs at about $53.9 million. According to the proposal, Dassault indicated that warranty coverage could reduce or eliminate some of the expenses for covered aircraft.

The FAA is accepting public comments through Dec. 28 under docket FAA-2026-13805.

Directives that require replacing a major structural assembly rather than inspecting it land differently from routine inspection ADs. The cost range here, from a torque link rebuild to a full gear replacement, means two operators with the same type can face very different bills depending on which affected components their aircraft carry and what warranty coverage applies.

For the Falcon 50, 2000 and 2000EX fleets, the practical question is how many of the 683 U.S.-registered aircraft actually carry affected parts, since the FAA's own estimate is up to 178. Serial-level checks of the landing gear assemblies are what separate an aircraft that is covered from one that is not.

The open comment period through Dec. 28 is the next fixed milestone. Comments filed under the docket can shape the final rule's scope, compliance timing and cost assumptions, and the final text will settle how the replacement and rebuild options are treated.