Story ID: 
Midcoast Aviation Offers Falcon Dry Bay Mod
By: David A. Lombardo
Caption: Falcon operators may now turn to Midcoast Aviation to meet the requirements of an impending airworthiness directive that will require structural modificati
Word Count: 181
Falcon operators may now turn to Midcoast Aviation to meet the requirements of an impending airworthiness directive that will require structural modification  of the wing tank fuel bay on the Falcon 50/900/2000.  This structural modification requires sealing the area between ribs four and five in front of the spar, which reduces the risk of a fuel spill. Midcoast’s second Falcon dry bay modification is under way. A Dassault representative provided the necessary manufacturer required training and certification on site at the company’s St. Louis Downtown operation.  According to Jim Carr, Falcon customer support manager, “Operators have some time to complete this directive but it is most efficient to combine  compliance with the AD with a major C-check inspection.”  The impending FAA AD is a result of a parallel AD to be issued by the EASA. Investigation into several runway excursions determined that the aft  spars were buckling, with a resultant fuel leak. According to Carr, actual damage to the aircraft is minimal but the environmental and fire hazards associated with a fuel leak are enough to make the AD necessary.