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d. Approval. Maintenance program approval is indicated by the FAA’s issuance of OpSpec paragraph D072, Aircraft Maintenance – Approval of Aircraft Maintenance Program for U.S.-Registered Aircraft.
17. COMPLIANCE WITH TYPE CERTIFICATE (TC) STANDARDS.
a. U.S.-Registered Aircraft with a U.S. Standard Airworthiness Certificate.
(1) Aircraft must conform to the type design (or properly altered condition) and be maintained as such to ensure that the aircraft is in a condition for safe operation. The aircraft may operate with certain inoperative equipment, provided an FAA-approved MEL exists with appropriate operational and maintenance procedures that enable the safe operation of the aircraft with the inoperative equipment.
(2) Major repairs and alterations must be accomplished in accordance with FAA-approved technical data.
(3) Minor repairs and alterations may be performed in accordance with FAA-approved or acceptable technical data.
(4) Replacement components, parts, and materials intended for installation on U.S.-registered aircraft must meet the quality, eligibility, and traceability requirements for the type-certificated product and be shown to be in compliance with applicable sections of 14 CFR part 21.
(5) As required by the regulations, no person may operate a U.S.-registered aircraft unless the operated product meets all applicable AD requirements.
(6) Operators must comply with time limits for life-limited parts.
b. Manufacturer’s Maintenance Manuals. Operators of U.S.-registered aircraft for which applicable manufacturer’s maintenance manuals or ICAs have been issued that contain an Airworthiness Limitations Section, must comply with the mandatory replacement times, inspection intervals, and related procedures specified in that section, or alternative inspection intervals and related procedures set forth in an OpSpec approved by the Administrator.
c. CMR. Operators of U.S.-registered aircraft must comply with the applicable CMR established during the design certification of the aircraft as an operating limitation of the TC. The CMR is a required periodic maintenance task designed to preclude the occurrence of any failure that would prevent the continued safe flight and landing of the aircraft. The MRB report contains these tasks.
d. Maintenance Planning Document. U.S.-registered aircraft operators should implement the maintenance and inspection requirements contained in the applicable approved transport category aircraft/engine maintenance planning document or manufacturer’s recommendations.
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18. AIRCRAFT RELIABILITY PROGRAM.
a. Reliability Programs. Reliability programs may be required if
• The maintenance program for the aircraft is based on Maintenance Steering Group (MSG)-3 logic,
• The airplane maintenance program includes Condition Monitoring of components,
• The maintenance program does not contain overhaul time periods for all significant systems, or
• When specified by the manufacturer.
b. Effect and Purpose. An aircraft reliability program supplements the maintenance program and helps ensure that maintenance program tasks are effective. A reliability program establishes time limitations or processes for determining intervals between overhauls, inspections, and checks of airframes, engines, propellers, appliances, and emergency equipment.
An acceptable program includes the continuous monitoring, recording, and analysis of the operation and condition of components and systems. Its purpose is to promote recognition of and corrective action on potential deficiencies before they occur. Resultant actions may include the escalation or de-escalation of a time interval or the addition or removal of a maintenance task for a related item or system.
c. Incorporation in an FAA-Approved Maintenance Program. An aircraft reliability program should be a part of the maintenance program for specific aircraft. The FAA will not accept aircraft maintenance program changes based on an operator’s reliability control data that exceed the scope of the reliability program. The assigned FAA inspector reviewing the maintenance program will determine what documents and reports must be supplied to the FAA to enable effective monitoring of the operator’s reliability program. Each part 129 operator should provide the assigned inspector with access to reliability control data in English.
Provisions for inspector access should be incorporated in the operator’s FAA maintenance program description.
19. PART 129 REQUIREMENTS FOR ETOPS. Although the State of the Operator grants ETOPS approval, the maintenance program may have ETOPS requirements that the FAA may need to address with the foreign CAA. This may require coordination between both authorities and the operator. Operators without prior ETOPS experience should establish a program that will result in a high degree of confidence that the propulsion system reliability is appropriate to the extended diversion time operations.
20. MAINTENANCE RECORDS TO BE RETAINED.
a. Regulatory Authority. The recordkeeping requirements of part 91, § 91.417 apply to the maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations of U.S.-registered civil aircraft operating within or outside the United States, except for those aircraft maintained in accordance with a CAMP, as provided in part 129 (see §§ 91.401 and 129.14). Make and retain maintenance records to show that the aircraft was maintained properly by authorized persons using
Par 20 Page 15 appropriate techniques, practices, equipment, and materials to return the aircraft to its approved configuration and in a condition for safe operation. Accurate and timely maintenance record entries will show whether the aircraft is maintained in an airworthy condition.
b. Records Contents.
(1) Operators should ensure that maintenance records completely describe:
• What was accomplished,
• When it was accomplished,
• Who accomplished the maintenance, and
• How they accomplished the maintenance.
(2) In all cases an AMO, or a person conducting maintenance under an equivalent system, which shall be acceptable to the State of Registry (the FAA for US-registered aircraft), may approve for return to service an aircraft after maintenance. When the State of Registry accepts an equivalent system, the person signing the maintenance release shall be licensed in accordance with Annex 1. When recording maintenance performed to comply with ADs, identify the aircraft or component and describe the work in detail with the identification and certificate number of the person who approves the aircraft or component for return to service.
c. Level of Detail. Appropriate details of inspections, repairs, and alterations should include enough detail to completely describe the work performed as well as the identity and certificate number of the person approving the aircraft or component for return to service. Retain the current status of applicable ADs, as well as the current status of inspections, required maintenance, and the total time in service of the aircraft, aircraft engine, and life-limited components. Support the maintenance release for the aircraft with the detailed maintenance records showing that all airworthiness requirements have been met. For major repairs and alterations performed on U.S.-registered aircraft or components, the technical data used to return the aircraft or component to service must be FAA-approved.
d. Records Retention. Maintain the maintenance records required by part 43 in the form and manner acceptable to the State of Registry. Include maintenance recordkeeping procedures in the maintenance manual.
21. MAINTENANCE CONTROL MANUAL.
a. Purpose. Each operator must ensure that each aircraft it operates is in an airworthy condition and that the aircraft’s certificate of airworthiness remains valid. Therefore, each operator must provide, for the use and guidance of its maintenance and operational personnel, a maintenance control manual acceptable to the State of Registry that will enable its personnel to carry out their safety responsibilities. The manual should be designed so that those persons using it will clearly understand the information.
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b. Contents.
(1) The manual should contain information required by pertinent FAA regulations. The manual may include additional items at the discretion of the operator.
(2) The manual should include policies and procedures for administering the inspection and maintenance requirements for the aircraft, and it should explain the maintenance responsibilities of the operator.
(3) The manual should stipulate the specific forms, documents, instructions, technical manuals, and the recordkeeping system the maintenance organization will use in maintaining the operator’s aircraft.
c. Manual Distribution and Revisions.
(1) The operator shall amend the manual as necessary to keep the manual up to date.
Each operator must promptly provide copies of all revisions to the manual to all persons to whom the manual has been issued.
(2) The operator shall provide the State of Registry and the State of the Operator with copies of the manual and ensure incorporation of mandatory information in the manual.
(3) The operator must make the manual available in English.
d. Monitoring and Assessing. The manual should contain a complete description of the arrangements made with other maintenance providers and how the operator will ensure that the maintenance is performed in accordance with the requirements contained in the aircraft maintenance program. The manual should also include the procedures for monitoring and assessing the operator’s maintenance and operational experience in order to make improvements to the maintenance program.
e. Manual Control. An Operator’s maintenance control manual should be easy to revise and must have a page control system that will allow the FAA to determine the latest or current status of the manual. All discrepancies noted during the evaluation of the manual must be corrected before the FAA can accept the manual.
22. PART 145 REPAIR STATIONS AND EQUIVALENT SYSTEMS.
a. Requirement. An AMO must be certificated as a part 145 repair station in order to perform maintenance on U.S.-registered aircraft.
b. Equivalent System. A person operating a U.S.-registered aircraft under part 129 that chooses not to maintain the aircraft in a part 145 repair station must use an equivalent system acceptable to the FAA. The equivalent system should provide, for the use of its maintenance personnel, a manual containing procedures and necessary information to enable its maintenance personnel to carry out maintenance in accordance with in accordance with FAA regulatory requirements.
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(1) The manual should describe, in clear detail, information that explains the:
• Organization’s maintenance capabilities,
• Organization’s management structure,
• Layout of the facility,
• Qualifications of its maintenance personnel (including training),
• Availability of tools, special tools, materials, technical data, and
• Necessary procedures to perform service, maintenance, inspection, repairs, and alterations necessary for release to service of the aircraft in accordance with pertinent FAA airworthiness requirements.
(2) The maintenance organization should have a quality assurance system or provide a system of inspections to ensure the proper performance of maintenance.
c. Performance Standards. Maintenance on U.S.-registered aircraft may be performed only by persons authorized in part 43, §§ 43.3 and 43.7. Part 129 operators utilizing U.S.-registered aircraft should take preliminary steps to ensure their maintenance providers meet the requirements of pertinent 14 CFR regulations.
(1) Some operators may have a maintenance facility within their organization. Other operators may contract out their maintenance needs to a separate AMO. In all cases the operator shall ensure its aircraft are maintained in an airworthy condition and the aircraft’s certificate of airworthiness remains valid when operating the aircraft.
(2) Part 145 appropriately rated repair stations and/or an appropriately certificated and rated airman under part 65 may complete, sign, and certify a maintenance release attesting that the work performed has been satisfactorily completed in accordance with approved/accepted data and the procedures outlined in the maintenance organization’s procedures manual and/or operator’s maintenance control manual.
23. FAA INSPECTIONS UNDER § 129.14.
a. FAA Responsibility. Consistent with its international obligations as the State of Registry, the FAA is responsible for approving maintenance programs for U.S.-registered aircraft under § 129.14.
b. The Following Guidance Applies:
(1) Approval of the maintenance program does not constitute approval of the foreign operator’s maintenance facility or capability. The operator is responsible for ensuring maintenance of the aircraft in accordance with its approved maintenance program. Additionally, regulating and overseeing how a foreign operator integrates a U.S.-registered aircraft, including
Page 18 Par 23 the FAA-approved maintenance program, into its operations and maintenance systems, is the responsibility of the State of the Operator under the Chicago Convention.
(2) In carrying out its State of Registry responsibilities, the FAA has authority to inspect aircraft on the U.S. registry even when located outside the United States. Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this section, upon approval of the § 129.14 maintenance program, the FAA may elect to conduct an in-country visit to validate that a U.S.-registered aircraft operated in common carriage by a foreign air carrier or foreign person maintained in accordance with its approved maintenance program.
ORIGINAL SIGNED by Chester D. Dalbey for
John M. Allen Director, Flight Standards Service