Par 5-1 Page 23 CHAPTER 5. MRB REPORT APPROVAL
5-1. INITIAL MAINTENANCE REVIEW BOARD REPORT (MRBR) APPROVAL PROCESS.
a. MRBR Proposal. The industry steering committee (ISC) chairperson forwards the Maintenance Review Board (MRB) MRBR proposal to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM)/type certificate holder (TCH) representative(s) and may invite the OEM/TCH to discuss the comments or findings. The OEM/TCH must present the ISC-proposed MRBR, as recommended, to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for review as part of the instructions for continued airworthiness. Following ISC final review, the OEM/TCH submits a formal letter and the MRBR proposal to the MRB chairperson for review and approval.
b. FAA Approval Process. Concurrent with MRBR approval, the MRB chairperson will forward a copy of the MRBR with an approval recommendation to AFS-302 for their concurrence. The AFS-302 representative concurs or rejects and returns the MRBR to the assigned Aircraft Evaluation Group (AEG). If AFS-302 concurs, the MRB chairperson sends a letter of approval along with the signed approval page of the MRBR to the OEM/TCH (ISC co-chair). Refer to Figures 5-1 and 5-2, below. Should AFS-302 reject the MRBR, the assigned AEG MRB chairperson will return the report to the OEM/TCH for corrections and resubmit. The chairperson returns the corrected report to AFS-302 for their concurrence. Normally, the FAA approval process occurs within a timeframe of 90 working-days, unless corrections are required.
Approval by foreign regulatory authorities will normally occur concurrently with FAA approval.
The OEM/TCH is responsible for publishing and distributing the initial and revised MRBR, and any supporting documents in a format acceptable to the Administrator.
5-2. FOREIGN REGULATORY AUTHORITY APPROVAL OF THE MRB REPORT.
There may be a need to identify national regulatory differences that are not compatible, acceptable, or applicable to all regulatory authorities. When this condition exists, use an appendix or specified section to the MRBR to list these differences, with the respective regulatory authority approving each difference. If the FAA is the validating authority for a foreign MRB, then a separate appendix or specified section to the MRBR will identify regulatory differences.
5-3. PROPOSED INITIAL MRBR DISAPPROVAL PROCESS. The OEM/TCH must coordinate disapproval of a proposed MRBR with the MRB chairperson so that the ISC chairperson receives written notification of such action. The disapproval letter will include the specific reason(s) for the disapproval, and suggested guidance to make the MRBR proposal approvable.
5-4. MAINTENANCE REVIEW BOARD REPORT IMPLEMENTATION. Operators of the aircraft type should implement the Initial MRBR in accordance with established procedures.
The MRBR requirements are not an operator maintenance program. After FAA approval, the requirements become a baseline or framework around which each operator can develop its own individual aircraft maintenance program. Aircraft/engine design and performance help form the MRBR requirements. The oversight of an operator’s program is the responsibility of the local regulatory authority. MRBR revisions are encouraged, but are not mandatory inclusions in an
operator's approved maintenance program. The FAA recommends the operator's program incorporate MRBR revisions associated with type design changes. The local regulatory authority must approve and/or accept all maintenance program revisions.
FIGURE 5-1. MRBR LETTER OF APPROVAL.
Northwest Mountain Region 1601 Lind Avenue S.W.
U.S. Department Flight Standards Division Renton, Washington 98057-3356 of Transportation Seattle Aircraft Evaluation Group, SEA-AEG Telephone: 425-917-6600 Fax: 425-917-6638 Federal Aviation _ Administration December 16, 2008 Mr.
ISC Co-Chairman Thei P.O. Box 3707, MC 2J-11 Seattle, WA 98124-2207 Dear Mr. Smith:
The FAA has reviewed and approved thel Maintenance Review Board Report (MRBR) dated December 10, 2008, Original Issue This report outlines the initial minimum scheduled maintenance/inspection requirements to be used in the development of an approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program for the airframe, engines, systems, and components of thel aircraft. The exception to this approval is appendix A, Airworthiness Limitations, which is the responsibility of the certification department.
The requirements in the report have been developed using Maintenance Steering Group (MSG -3) Version 2005.1.
The FAA hereby approves that this report be used by U.S. certified air carriers of the model aircraft.
Sincerely, FAA MRB Chairman, Seattle Aircraft Evaluation Group ce:
1, ISC Chairman ANA EASA 787 MRB Chairman TCCA 787 MRB Chairman Page 24 Par 5-4
FIGURE 5-2. MRBR APPROVAL PAGE
MAINTENANCE REVIEW BOARD REPORT
FAA APPROVAL PAGE This report outlines the initial minimum scheduled maintenance/inspection requirements to be used in the development of an approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program for the airframe, engines, systems, and components of the •model aircraft.
The requirements in this report have been developed using Maintenance Steering Group (MSG-3) revision 2005.1.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hereby approves that this report is to be used by U.S. certified air carriers of thel model aircraft.
Signed (on file) Date (on file)
FAA MRB CHAIRPERSON Federal Aviation Administration Aircraft Evaluation Group Par 5-4 Page 25 (and 26)
Par 6-1 Page 27 CHAPTER 6. MRB REPORT REVISIONS, FORMAT, AND CONTENT
6-1. MRB REPORT ANNUAL REVIEW. Because the Maintenance Review Board (MRB) report is intended to be an up-to-date, “living” document, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM)/type certificate holder (TCH), industry steering committee (ISC), and the MRB chairperson should annually conduct a joint MRB Report (MRBR) review to determine any need for a revision. The MRB chairperson should document results of these reviews for inclusion in the MRB historical file.
a. Proposed Changes. If needed, the OEM/TCH, ISC and the MRB will convene to evaluate any proposed changes. Submit all proposed changes with supporting data to the MRB chairperson. Approval or disapproval of the proposed changes will be processed in the same manner as outlined for the MRBR approval/disapproval process.
b. AFS-302 Review. AFS-302 review/concurrence of all revised MRBRs is required when changed text matter of the report affects Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) policy. If there is doubt, where it affects FAA policy, then submit the MRBR for review and concurrence by AFS-302. Technical changes to revised MRBRs do not need to be submitted for AFS-302 concurrence.
c. Multiple Approvals. If more than one regulatory authority approves an MRBR, each approving authority will evaluate proposed changes (as per letter of confirmation) before approval by the FAA. The corresponding regulatory authority will review published revisions to the MRBR for possible changes to an operator’s maintenance program.
6-2. TEMPORARY REVISIONS. If temporary revisions (TR) are needed, the OEM/TCH, ISC and the MRB will convene to evaluate any proposed changes. Submit all proposed changes with supporting data to the MRB chairperson. Approval or disapproval of the proposed changes will be processed in the same manner as outlined for the MRBR approval/nonapproval process.
Specifically identify and incorporate all TRs during the next MRBR review process.
6-3. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMPLETING THE REPORT. Each MRBR should be entitled, “Maintenance Review Board Report (MRB Report) OEM name, aircraft model #,” and at a minimum, should contain the following, as appropriate:
a. Title Page. Containing the title of the MRBR and the report number, if any.
b. Table of Contents.
c. Approval Page. Containing the following statements:
(1) “This report outlines the minimum scheduled interval/tasking requirements to be used in the development of an approved maintenance/inspection program for the airframe, engines, systems, and components of the (aircraft make, model, and series).”
(2) “The requirements in the report have been developed using Maintenance Steering Group (MSG) decision logic from the current MSG revision (or alternative procedure as agreed upon by FAA, ISC, or WG).”
(3) “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hereby approves that this report be used by U.S. certificated operators of the (aircraft make, model, and series).” (Insert page for each foreign regulatory authority approval, as applicable) Chapter 5 contains sample approval letters.
d. Record of Revisions.
e. Summary of Changes.
f. List of Effective Pages (including the revision status and corresponding dates).
g. ISC/MRB Personnel Listing (including ISC/MRB personnel, their organizational affiliation, and the capacity in which they serve).
h. The MRBR Preamble. (The following information should be included in the preamble of each MRB report.) “This report outlines the minimum scheduled interval/tasking requirements to be used in the development of an approved maintenance/inspection program for the airframe, engines (on aircraft), systems, components, and appliances, of (aircraft make, model, and series).
These MRB report requirements are a basis from which each operator develops its own maintenance/inspection program.”
i. Acronyms. Define all acronyms in the MRBR. Appendix 1 contains a list of acronyms in the MRBR.
j. Definitions. Include definitions of technical terms in the MRBR. (Refer to Appendix 2.)
Whenever possible, use industry accepted definitions such as those found in the Air Transportation Association ATA latest version of MSG documents and World Airlines Technical Operations Glossary.
k. Applicability. The MRBR must identify the specific aircraft make, model, and series, and the standard options/modifications. New options/modifications as amended by MSG analysis will be added to the MRBR.
l. Analysis of MSIs and SSIs. Analyze all maintenance significant items (MSI) and structural significant items (SSI) on a task-by-task basis without regard for letter checks. If a task is determined to be a safety task or applicable cost effective task, select the appropriate tasking interval.
(1) The MRBR will provide guidance regarding the means to optimize the minimum scheduled interval/tasking requirements to a level higher than that provided as initial requirements in the MRBR. This guidance will be unique to the aircraft model.
(2) Optimization guidance should consider the content of like checks or other related inspections and their repetitive intervals. A determined series or sequence of specified checks or other related inspections must be completed and the resultant data found satisfactory before optimization of that type of check/inspection. Include in this section of the MRBR the description, type of checks/inspections, and their intervals.
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m. Maintenance Requirement Rules. Include the following in the MRBR.
(1) The optimization procedures as described in the Policy and Procedure Handbook, the following rules applies: Refer to Chapter 12 for optimization details.
(2) Individual task intervals may be optimized based on satisfactory substantiation by the operator, review and approval by its appropriate regulatory authority, or in accordance with the operator’s FAA-approved reliability program.
(3) Task interval parameters expressed in the MRBR may be converted to an individual operator’s desired units, provided this conversion does not result in the operator exceeding the initial requirements of the MRBR.
(4) The use of nondestructive inspection (NDI) methods, such as X-ray, ultrasonic, eddy current, and radioisotope, or alternative processes that the manufacturer approves, can provide an alternative to the methods this report prescribes. Each operator should notify its regulatory authority of the use of an acceptable alternative method.
NOTE: Within this report, the terms “check” and “inspection” are not intended to imply a level of skill required to accomplish a task.
(5) Life-limited items must be retired in accordance with the limits established in the engine or aircraft Type Certificate Data Sheets (TCDS) or the Airworthiness Limitations section of the engine or aircraft OEM/TCH Instructions for Continued Airworthiness.
(6) After the accumulation of industry service experience, the ISC or MRB chairpersons may request changes to the requirements of this MRBR that the operator may use after approval of the appropriate regulatory authority.
(7) Failure Effect Category (5 or 8) safety tasks cannot be deleted or escalated without the approval of the MRB Chairman and/or the Aircraft Certification Office (ACO).
n. System/Powerplant Requirement Rules. The FAA recommends the following contents of the system/powerplant requirement rules section of the MRBR.
(1) MSG (Specify the revision) logic was used to develop an on-aircraft minimum scheduled interval/tasking requirement. With the exception of life-limited items, this process does not normally include detailed shop maintenance procedures. Individual operators control off-aircraft detailed procedures; they are in accordance with the OEM/TCH published minimum interval/tasking requirements, which the regulations require.
(2) MSI: The OEM/TCH provides the MSI list in a separate specified document.
(3) Each MSI the OEM/TCH identified has been subjected to MSG analysis. This process has resulted in the identification of maintenance tasks that are contained in this report.
Each MSI for which a task was not generated during the analysis is identified as follows:
(Provide MSI listing, or other means as specified, for which no tasks were identified.)
(4) SSI. SSIs must not be confused with Principal Structural Elements, (PSE) (Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations part 25, § 25.571); however, the SSIs must address all PSEs.
o. Structural Program Rules. The OEM/TCH develops (structural inspection procedure (SIP) requirement rules to meet the inspection requirements for damage tolerance. The types of damage considered during structural requirement development are environmental deterioration (ED) (corrosion, stress corrosion), accidental damage (AD), and fatigue damage (FD). Some forms of ED are age related; therefore, calendar intervals control inspections for this type of deterioration. The required structural requirements section incorporates these calendar inspections, plus the requirements for detecting other types of ED, AD, and FD. The structural requirement rules section of the MRBR recommends the following contents:
(1) All aircraft in an operator’s, or group of operator’s fleet are subject to the provisions of this report. These requirements include external and internal inspections, structural sampling and age-exploration programs, corrosion prevention and control programs, and additional supplemental structural inspections that may be required for fatigue-related items. Calendar time, flight cycles, or flight hours express the initial check intervals for the SIP. Do not optimize a repeat inspection interval until at least one aircraft in an operator’s or group of operator’s fleet has been inspected within the initially defined interval listed in the MRBR.
(2) All changes to structural inspection items listed in the Airworthiness Limitations section require FAA engineering approval. Document number in the appropriate appendix will reference structural inspection limitations listed in the aircraft manufacturer’s Airworthiness Limitations inspection section in the MRBR.
(3) The Structures Program should include requirements to maintain composite structural details, elements or assemblies whose failure could affect the structural integrity necessary for the safety of the aircraft. These requirements should take into account that composite structures may be damaged by accidental impact or aging deterioration; and those composite structures degrade in a different way compared to metallic structures. Composite structure will be analyzed to create a minimum initial scheduled maintenance/inspection requirements. All structural items will be categorized as either an SSI or Other Structure. (The SSI/PSE list is provided by the OEM/TCH in a separate specified document.)
p. Zonal Program Rules. The Zonal Inspection Program (ZIP) provides for the consolidation of a number of general visual inspection (GVI) tasks for each zone. A zonal inspection may include GVI tasks derived from MSI and SSI. An MSI/SSI task that is in the ZIP must be cross-referenced with supporting documentation and located in the appendix of the MRB as a zonal item. Likewise, the zonal item must be cross-referenced as an MSI/SSI task to ensure content and accountability. Include the following contents of the Zonal Procedure Rules section of the MRBR:
NOTE: Failure Effect Category (5 or 8) safety tasks are not candidates for zonal requirements.
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(1) The ZIP contains a series of GVI tasks. Detailed inspection (DET) and special detailed inspection (SDI) are not to be contained in the ZIP. Zonal inspection requirements apply only to zones.
(2) The ZIP contains GVI tasks derived from enhanced zonal analysis procedures (EZAP).
(a) Identify zones that both contain electrical wiring and have potential for combustible material being present. For those zones, perform an enhanced zonal analysis that permits the identification of stand-alone inspection tasks that allow appropriate attention to be given to deterioration of installed wiring and electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS),
(b) EWIS tasks derived during the EZAP process will be identified as GVI, DET, or Restoration (RST) tasks. The ZIP will not contain stand-alone EWIS tasks. These special dedicated tasks reside in ATA 20 of the Systems/Powerplant section of the MRBR, and do not have a failure effect category.
(c) Uniquely identify all EWIS/EZAP-derived stand-alone tasks GVI, DET, or RST in the EZAP analysis for traceability during future changes. This prevents inadvertent deletion or escalation of an EZAP-derived stand-alone task without proper consideration of the risk basis for the task and its interval. All escalations must go through the appropriate FAA oversight office.
(d) The latest version of the MSG analysis develops all Lightning and High Intensity Radiated Field (L/HIRF) GVI tasks. The ZIP will not contain stand-alone L/HIRF tasks. These special dedicated tasks should reside in a separate section of the MRB. Uniquely identify all L/HIRF tasks.
(3) Access to zones should be easy to accomplish and should not require the use of special tools. Normally, the inspection aids include a flashlight and/or inspection mirror. Inspect the entire visible contents of the zone for obvious damage, security of installation, and general condition including corrosion and leaks. Refer to latest version of MSG document for an accurate definition of GVI.
(4) The following zones do not contain system installations, but receive adequate surveillance from other maintenance or structural inspections tasks. Accordingly, the inspection requirements in the ZIP do not specify these zones. (Insert listing of the zones not specified in the ZIP or in other document as specified.) (Insert aircraft zone diagram sheets or in other document as specified.)
q. Foreign Regulatory Authority National Requirements. A section at the end of the MRBR per each regulatory authority will identify national differences as mandated by foreign regulatory authorities. (Each is accepted by the respective authority).
r. Appendices.
• Identification of aircraft zones.
• Extended Operations requirements.
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• All acronyms/abbreviations as used in the MRBR.
• Definitions of specific terms, processes, inspections as identified in MRBR.
• Other, as applicable.
CHAPTER 7. MRB POLICY BOARD
7-1. FAA MAINTENANCE REVIEW BOARD POLICY BOARD (MRBPB).
a. Purpose of the MRBPB. The MRBPB advocates the standardization of Maintenance Review Board (MRB) policy and procedures and provides a structured forum for discussions leading to the development of national and international recommendations regarding all MRB activities. The MRBPB develops Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)/Aircraft Evaluation Group (AEG) positions for standardized guidance on issues that arise from the MRB/Air Transportation Association (ATA) latest version of the Maintenance Steering Group (MSG) process. Continued development of standardized MRB policies, procedures, and guidance promotes harmonization within the respective FAA AEG offices and participating industry groups.
b. Meetings. Membership includes a designee from the Aircraft Maintenance Division, AFS-300, and one designee from each AEG office. The MRBPB normally meets at least twice a year with one meeting just before the International Maintenance Review Board Policy Board (IMRBPB). Additional meetings may be held via electronic media. It is the responsibility of the MRBPB to develop harmonized issue papers, procedures, and guidance. It also produces FAA guidance for issue papers recommended for implementation by the IMRBPB. The MRBPB participates in international meetings on MRB policy issues with other regulatory authorities.
7-2. INTERNATIONAL MAINTENANCE REVIEW BOARD POLICY BOARD.
a. Function of the IMRBPB. IMRBPB is a system for the continuing development of policies, procedures, and guidance for the use of personnel operating under the purview of various MRB. IMRBPB is a process of promoting harmonization with other regulatory authorities throughout the world; the IMRBPB advocates the standardization of MRB policy and procedures. The IMRBPB also provides a structured forum for discussions leading to the development of national and international policy regarding all MRB activities. The ATA and the Maintenance Programs Industry Group under the ATA Airworthiness Committee represent the industry at the IMRBPB meeting. The committee is also open to input from the aviation industry.
b. Composition of the IMRBPB. The IMRBPB convenes once a year.
Industry/regulatory discussion are a portion of the meeting. Industry representation should be limited to appropriate representatives dealing with the discussion topics. The meeting venue will normally rotate among the IMRBPB members.
c. IMRBPB Documents. IMRBPB maintains an issue paper list with associated documents such as minutes of meetings, action item list, substantiation documents, and associated IMRBPB policy decisions. The IMRBPB only addresses issues related to the MRB/MSG processes and uses the latest revisions of the following guidance.
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