What is the means by which the FAA notifies aircraft owners of unsafe conditions?

The FAA notifies aircraft owners of unsafe conditions through Airworthiness Directives. These are legally enforceable regulations that require aircraft owners to take specific actions to address safety issues identified after a product has been certified for use. Airworthiness Directives are critical because they provide timely information about potential safety hazards that could affect the performance of an aircraft, and they include instructions for corrective actions, which may involve inspections, modifications, or limitations on flying status until issues are resolved.

While other options may relate to aviation safety in broader contexts, they do not carry the same regulatory weight or purpose as Airworthiness Directives. Airworthiness Alerts, for instance, are informational and do not mandate compliance like Directives do. Aviation Safety Data pertains to general statistics and findings but is not a formal notification mechanism for unsafe conditions. A Certificate of Airworthiness certifies that an aircraft meets the necessary safety standards but does not itself communicate ongoing safety issues.