CHAPTER 4. REPAIR STATION AND QUALITY CONTROL MANUAL ELEMENTS
4-1. REPAIR STATION PERSONNEL ROSTER.
a. References:
• Section 145.161, and
• Section 145.209(b).
b. Authorized Personnel. Personnel rosters are lists of individuals within the repair station who are authorized to perform certain functions, such as approval for return to service or signing off required inspection items, or that hold certain management and supervisory positions. These lists can be maintained in paper or electronic format, but must be accessible for review and inspection by the FAA.
c. Roster Format. The repair station must maintain a personnel roster or rosters that list managers, supervisors, inspectors, including RII inspectors, and those individuals authorized to approve an article for return to service. Each repair station may develop its own roster format, as long as it contains all of the appropriate names.
d. Manual Inclusion. The rosters do not need to be included in the manual, but the procedures for maintaining and revising the rosters must be in the manual. If the rosters are not included in the manual, the procedure should describe where the rosters would be located. The procedure must describe how the roster will be changed within 5 business days of the termination, reassignment, change in duties or scope of assignment, or addition of any personnel.
e. Combination Roster. It may be appropriate for the repair station to develop a combination roster, which would include initials, signatures, stamp numbers, certificate numbers, or any other information used to designate the authority of inspection or supervisory personnel who can sign/stamp off work documents or approve articles for return to service.
f. Employment Summaries. The repair station must also maintain employment summaries for each person whose name appears on the rosters. Employment summaries of supervisors, inspectors, and persons responsible for return to service may be in the national language for repair stations located outside the United States. Such repair stations should describe in their manuals how they would provide the FAA with an English version of employee summaries. The requirements for content of the employment summaries are found in § 145.161(a)(4).
g. Roster Procedures. The following questions should be answered during development of the procedures concerning the rosters:
(1) Who is responsible (by title) for maintaining the rosters in current condition? Has an alternate been designated?
(2) Where will the rosters be located?
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(3) How will the rosters be revised within 5 business days?
(4) Is authority to approve an article for return to service shown on the rosters? Who is responsible for designating those individuals, and how are those individuals designated?
(5) Are the managers, supervisors, inspectors, and persons authorized to approve articles for return to service all listed on the rosters?
(6) Are the supervisors certificated, and with what type of certificate if located outside the United States?
(7) Are the persons authorized to approve articles for return to service certificated?
(Each person authorized to approve articles for return to service must be certificated under part 65, unless located outside the United States.)
(8) Are there employment summaries for each person on the roster?
h. Examples. The following are examples of possible roster formats.
EXAMPLE 1 Name and Title Certificate Type and Number Signature and Initials Stamp Authorization
John Smith Chief Inspector A&P 12345678 A, B, C 2 JOHN SMITH, JS Jane Doe Receiving Inspector Repairman 789654321 B 4 Jane Doe, JD David Goodeye Final Inspector Repairman 456789123
A, C Etc.
6 David Goodeye, DG
Explanation of Authorization:
A—Authorized to approve articles for return to service B—Authorized to sign for a specific inspection C—Authorized to sign for in-process and final inspection Page 20 Par 4-1
EXAMPLE 2 Section: III Date Completed: 11/13/2001 Revision No. 1 Personnel Title: Chief Inspector/Repairman Authorized Signature: Kyle R. Bowman FAA Airman Certificate Held: Repairman No. 123456789 Authorized to Sign: Log books and other approvals for return to service, Malfunction and Defect Reports EXAMPLE 3 John Smith Component Repair, Inc.
Effective Date: 11/13/2001 Supervisory and Inspection Personnel Roster TITLE NAME CERT. TYPE & NO. AUTHORITY CEO John Smith N/A N/A Q.C. Manager Jane Smith Repairman 1234567 FPI, Machining Foreman Dan Jones Repairman 98765432 Machining, Cleaning Chief Inspector David Jones N/A N/A
4-2. OPERATIONS, HOUSING, FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, AND MATERIALS.
a. References:
• Part 43, and
• Sections 145.101 through 145.109.
b. Operations. This section of the manual should include a general description of the repair station operations. The manual should describe how the repair station operates, from receiving an article for maintenance to approval for return to service. The description could be in a narrative, flowchart, or other format. Any/all standard operating procedures developed for the facility could be included, such as contract/purchase order review, human resources, equipment and facilities maintenance, technical data, document control, and so forth.
c. Housing and Facilities. This section should include a description of the housing and facilities, and a drawing showing the floor plan of the facility. The drawing could include the entrance(s), parking areas, and street locations. The drawing and description may include the type of heating, lighting, equipment location, shop areas, electrical, and compressed air outlets.
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A description of any facilities used for spray painting, avionics, engine or airframe repair, or any other work that would have special requirements should be included.
d. Equipment and Materials.
(1) The repair station must have the equipment, tools, and materials necessary to perform the maintenance in accordance with part 43. The equipment, tools, and materials must be located on the premises and under the repair station’s control when the work is being done.
Some of this equipment may be very expensive and the repair station may rarely use it. If the repair station does not own the equipment and it is not kept at the facility, the manual must describe how the equipment is obtained (i.e., lease, rental, etc.). The manual should also describe the procedure for ensuring the equipment is on the premises and under the repair station’s control at the time the work is being performed.
(2) This section of the manual should also describe where the equipment is likely to be used and how the repair station will comply with special handling requirements for sensitive tools and equipment. Some test benches and special equipment may require calibration/verification after relocation. This section of the manual should describe how the repair station ensures that required calibration/verification is performed before using the equipment to perform maintenance or alteration on civil aviation articles. The RSM should identify which department is responsible for calibrating leased tools and equipment.
(3) The RSM must include a description of the equipment used to perform maintenance.
For example, if the facility includes a machining area, then a generic description of the types of machines located in that area should be included in the manual. The description should not be so specific that updating equipment would result in a manual revision. The equipment, tools, and materials must be those recommended by the manufacturer of the article or must be at least equivalent to those recommended by the manufacturer and accepted by the FAA. The repair station may refer to a list of equipment maintained for other purposes, such as a list kept by the accounting department for tax purposes. The list must be available for review by the FAA.
The list need not include the cost of the equipment or any other financial or business information.
e. Equivalent Tools and Equipment.
NOTE: This section is not intended to discuss industry standard tools and equipment (i.e., wrenches, multimeters, sockets, etc.) that are manufactured to a recognized industry standard.
(1) If the repair station will be using equipment, tools, or materials other than those recommended by the manufacturer, the manual must explain the procedure it will use for determining equivalency of equipment, tools, and materials. To determine equivalency, compare the technical requirements of the special equipment or test apparatus recommended by the manufacturer with the proposed replacements. The equipment or test apparatus may look different, be made of different materials, be a different color, and so forth. However, the equipment or test apparatus must be capable of performing all necessary tests and checking all required parameters of the articles. The level of accuracy should be equal to or better than that Page 22 Par 4-2
recommended by the manufacturer of the equipment/tools. Reverse engineering must include the data, drawings, testing, or reports necessary to determine that the article is equivalent to the article recommended by the manufacturer. The basis of equivalency is the requirement that the article meet the manufacturer’s standards and specifications in all respects regarding tolerances, repeatability, and accuracy. Repair stations should review the specific requirements of part 43 before developing equivalent tools and equipment.
(2) Standard industry practice establishes that each piece of special equipment or test apparatus have a unique part number and serial number to identify it within the repair station’s inventory system. Whether the equipment or apparatus is obtained from the manufacturer or produced by the repair station, it should be identified in the system for calibration and tracking purposes.
(3) The following questions or concerns are offered as a guide and are intended to help initiate the procedures for describing the housing, facilities, and equipment in the manual(s).
They should not be considered all-inclusive. Each facility is unique and therefore may require additional procedures to verify regulatory requirements and needs of the repair station.
(a) Does the manual include a description of how the repair station operates?
(b) Does the manual include a drawing of the housing, identifying the various work facilities within the building(s) and giving a narrative description of the construction of the housing and facilities?
(c) Does the description and/or layout identify areas with special requirements?
(d) Does the description include a generic overview of the equipment?
(e) When leasing or renting equipment, does the manual contain procedures describing the lease/rent process and who is responsible for managing the program, including the required calibration/verifications?
(f) How does the repair station ensure that the equipment is in place and under the facility’s control when the work is performed?
(g) If the repair station is using special equipment or tools other than those recommended by the manufacturer, does the manual include procedures for determining equivalency?
(h) Does the manual include a description of the stock room/area, how inventory is requisitioned for particular jobs, and how shelf life inventory is maintained?
4-3. CAPABILITY LIST.
a. References:
• Section 145.209(d), and Par 4-2 Page 23
• Section 145.215.
b. Capability List. A certificated repair station with a limited rating may perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations on an article if it is listed on a current capability list acceptable to the FAA or on the repair station’s OpSpecs. If the repair station chooses to use a capability list, the RSM must:
(1) Contain procedures for revising the list and notifying the CHDO;
(2) Include how often the CHDO will be notified of revisions;
(3) Contain the procedures for the self-evaluation required under § 145.215(c) for revising the capability list;
(4) Describe the methods and frequency of such evaluations; and
(5) Contain the procedures for reporting the results to the appropriate manager for review and action.
c. Revising the List. The capability list itself may be included as a part of the RSM or as a separate document; however, the procedures for revising the list and for performing the self-evaluation must be in the manual.
d. Self-Evaluation.
(1) The individual performing the self-evaluation required under § 145.215(c) should have the following qualifications:
(a) Experience with performing evaluations (or audits if that is the method selected by the repair station).
(b) An understanding of the requirements of part 145.
(c) Knowledge of the maintenance requirements for the particular make/model of article to be added to the list.
(2) The individual should follow the procedures in the RSM, using the checklists, working documents, and forms to record the self-evaluation. The checklists and forms may need to be customized for each self-evaluation. The self-evaluation should ensure that the repair station has the following:
(a) The appropriate limited rating.
(b) Adequate housing and facilities.
(c) Recommended tools, equipment, and materials, or equivalent.
(d) Current technical data.
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(e) Sufficient qualified personnel.
e. Record and Report the Results. The individual conducting the self-evaluation must record the results and report them to the appropriate manager or management team for review and approval. The procedures should describe the acceptance process for the company officials and the FAA. The procedure used to revise the list should describe the method used to indicate any changes made to the list. Any deficiencies found during the self-evaluation must be corrected before the article can be added to the capability list. When the self-evaluation establishes satisfactory results, the capability list may be revised. The repair station should keep records of the self-evaluation on file for the period specified in the manual. For repair stations located outside the United States, the records of the self-evaluation may be in the national language, however, they must be made available to the FAA in English.
f. Person Responsible for Maintaining the List. The procedures for revising the list and notifying the CHDO should include the title of the person responsible for maintaining the list and communicating any revisions to the CHDO. If the self-evaluation was satisfactory, the capability list may be revised. The revised list and any other necessary technical data can be submitted with a cover letter to the PI at the CHDO within 5 business days. The PI will review the revisions and, if the revisions are satisfactory, signify acceptance by signing and dating the appropriate document.
g. List Currency. Capability list currency can be shown by a list of effective pages or equivalent document, which is signed by the authorized representative of the repair station and the FAA PI.
h. Deleting Articles. If the repair station no longer wishes to maintain an article on its capability list, the article should be deleted. The repair station must have the necessary tools, equipment, housing, facilities, and trained personnel to maintain articles on the capability list at the time the work is performed. The procedures in the manual should describe how to delete articles from the list and how to forward the revised list to the FAA for acceptance. The repair station may choose to audit the capability list on a regular basis to ensure that it continues to have the housing, facilities, equipment, and technical data that meet all necessary requirements to maintain the articles listed in the document. Whenever equipment, tooling, personnel, and data must be obtained in order to perform the maintenance or alteration on an article that is going to be added to the capabilities list, the repair station must explain how it will ensure these items will be available when the work is being performed.
i. Electronic Media. If the capability list is maintained on electronic media, the repair station will need to work with the CHDO to ensure compatibility of the media, equipment, and software with that of the CHDO. Revision procedures will need to address documentation of approval by the company as well as acceptance by the FAA.
j. Procedures Guide. The following questions or concerns are offered as a guide and are intended to help initiate the procedures in the manual. They should not be considered all-encompassing. Each facility is unique and therefore may require additional procedures to verify regulatory requirements and the needs of the repair station.
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(1) What is the title of the person who will maintain the capability list?
(2) How will the self-evaluation be performed?
(3) Who will perform the self-evaluation?
(4) How will the self-evaluation be documented?
(5) How will results of the self-evaluation be reported to management and how will management review the addition of capabilities to the list?
(6) How will items be added to and deleted from the list?
(7) How are changes clearly indicated on the document?
(8) If electronic media is used, is the hardware and software compatible with that of the CHDO?
(9) Where and by whom will self-evaluation reports be maintained?
(10) How long are self-evaluation reports maintained?
4-4. TRAINING PROGRAM REVISION.
a. References:
• Section 145.163, and
• Section 145.209(e).
b. Chapter Information. Repair stations developing a training program may use the information in this chapter as a reference. AC 145-10, Repair Station Training Program, provides additional information on developing the repair station employee training program required under § 145.163.
c. Required Procedures. The RSM must include procedures required by § 145.163 for revising the training program. It must also include procedures for submitting those revisions to the CHDO for approval.
NOTE: Repair stations located outside the United States should submit the repair station training program in the English language.
d. Responsibility for Revisions. The procedures should address who will be responsible for ensuring that revisions are submitted to the PI at the CHDO for review and approval. The procedures should include instructions for approval by the repair station before submission to the FAA, as well as provisions for the FAA PI’s approval of the program and its revisions.
e. Frequency of Review. The procedures should address how often the program will be reviewed to determine if it is current and adequate for the type of maintenance being performed Page 26 Par 4-3
at the facility. Because the advancements in technology can cause aviation maintenance to change rapidly, a periodic review of training needs would be appropriate. Repair stations that have established a management review program should include the training program for review during that meeting.
f. Training Program. The training program may be documented as a section of the RSM, or as a separate document within the manual system. If the training program is a separate document, that document will need to include the procedures for submission to and approval by the FAA.
g. Training Program Guide. The following questions or concerns are offered as a guide and are intended to help the repair station initiate the procedures in its manual(s). They should not be considered all-inclusive. Each facility is unique and may require additional procedures to verify regulatory requirements and the needs of the repair station.
(1) Who is responsible for submitting the initial training program and its revisions to the FAA?
(2) When will the revision be submitted?
(3) How will the revision be approved (include the company approval as well as FAA)?
(4) How often will the training program be reviewed for currency and completeness?
(5) Who will perform the review?
(6) How will revisions be recorded and implemented?
(7) How will the revised text be identified?
4-5. WORK PERFORMED AT ANOTHER LOCATION.
a. Reference. Section 145.203.
b. Special Circumstances. The rule permits a repair station to perform work away from its fixed location on a temporary basis. When a special circumstance arises, or it is necessary to perform such work on a recurring basis. Section 145.203(a) permits temporarily working away from the repair station’s fixed location due to a special circumstance, as determined by the FAA.
Examples would be an aircraft on the ground or in preparation for a ferry flight. Normally work performed at another location does not include working outside the country where the repair station is located. However, work performed outside the country under a special circumstance may be authorized under § 145.203(a). If work must be performed outside the country, the repair station should obtain required approvals from the country where the work will be performed. The RSM will need to include a procedure on notifying the local CHDO when these special circumstances arise in order to obtain the FAA’s approval in each instance. A manual procedure for the work performed will not be necessary. The RSM procedures should address the following:
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(1) The method used for identifying the customer and describing the work requested or anticipated, the location at which the work will be performed, the type of material, equipment, and personnel that will be required to perform the anticipated work, the way the material, equipment, and personnel will be transported, and the precautions that will be taken to ensure that the material and equipment are adequate for the work that actually needs to be performed.
(2) The title of the person who will notify the CHDO.
(3) How the notification will be made.
(4) How the approval/denial will be recorded and stored.
c. Recurring Work. Section 145.203(b) permits work away from a repair station’s fixed location when it is necessary to perform such work on a recurring basis, such as a repair station that performs fuel tank maintenance and the work can only be performed on the aircraft away from the repair station’s fixed base, or the installation of aircraft seats after refurbishment. These are examples only; other repair stations may have their own unique circumstances that require performing maintenance away from their fixed base. A manual procedure for work performed is required if the repair station performs work at another location on a recurring basis. The RSM must include procedures for accomplishing maintenance, preventive maintenance, alterations, or specialized services at a place other than the repair station’s fixed location. This business practice will provide flexibility and mobility to meet industry needs and not be restricted “only” to special circumstances. The manual procedures should address the following:
(1) Describe the preparations and conditions to be met before performing any work away from the repair station.
(2) Who is responsible for supervising the maintenance performed at another location?
(3) Are the appropriate sections of the RSM available at the remote site?
(4) How does the facility ensure that adequate housing, facilities, tools, equipment, personnel, and current technical data are available at the site? If materials, tools, and equipment must be transported, how will their calibration be ensured?
(5) Does an individual certificated under part 65 supervise the work of persons unfamiliar with the work to be performed?
(6) When and how is the article inspected? Is the inspector qualified and authorized (on the roster)?
(7) How is the work recorded? Do the records meet the requirements of part 43, § 43.9?
(8) Are the forms at the repair station the same as those used at the other location?
(9) Who is responsible for transporting and storing the records? Where will they be stored?
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(10) How does the facility ensure that each location stays in compliance with its manual and part 145?
NOTE 1: The rule does not allow continuous, uninterrupted operations at another location without applying for a repair station or satellite certificate at that location.
NOTE 2: A combination of storing equipment, tools, parts, etc., and having repair station personnel permanently positioned at a site and performing maintenance on a daily basis away from its permanent fixed base indicates a continuous, uninterrupted operation. A repair station that operates in this fashion no longer meets the intent of § 145.203. If the repair station is to continue its operations in this manner, then it must apply for certification as a satellite or stand-alone repair station.
d. Permanent Fixed Location. Additionally, work that is to be performed at another location does not include other authorizations, such as having a line maintenance authorization to perform work for an air carrier. Work performed at locations away from their fixed base allows repair stations the flexibility to meet industry needs and to be mobile when necessary. Repair stations must still maintain a permanent fixed location even if the majority of their work is done at another facility.
4-6. MAINTENANCE, PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE, AND ALTERATIONS PERFORMED FOR AIR CARRIERS UNDER PARTS 121, 125, 129, AND 135.
a. Reference. Section 145.205.
b. Requirements. Some repair stations perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations for air carriers conducting operations under parts 121, 125, 129, and 135. In this case, this section of the manual must describe the procedures to ensure that maintenance is performed in accordance with the air carrier’s program and maintenance manual. These procedures must ensure that the air carrier has provided the repair station with the information necessary to ensure compliance with this requirement. The air carrier may provide the repair station with the applicable sections of its maintenance program or manuals at the time the work is performed. On the other hand, the purchase order or other contractual documents from the air carrier could clearly state the source of the data (manufacturer’s or air carrier’s manual) used to perform the requested maintenance along with any other requirements of its program or maintenance manual.
If the repair station performs an inspection for a certificate holder conducting operations under part 125, the manual must contain procedures to ensure the inspections are performed in accordance with the operator’s approved inspection program. Again, the operator may provide the repair station with the applicable sections of its inspection program or clearly outline the requirements on the purchase order.
c. Identify Responsibilities. The procedures should identify who is responsible (by title) for keeping all of the operators’ data current, and where these manuals/sections will be located if retained at the repair station. The procedures also must explain what air carrier or commercial operator information must be available to maintenance personnel when the work is performed.
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Additional procedures will be required to ensure that purchase orders are thoroughly reviewed.
This review will be necessary to ensure that the air carrier has clearly specified what technical data to use for performing the maintenance. Employees may need additional training to properly perform this review. The traveler or work-order system of the repair station may be used to integrate this information into the quality control system. If the repair station transfers requirements from the air carrier or commercial operator to its maintenance personnel by special instructions on the work order or traveler, that section of the quality control system must clearly explain how this is accomplished.
d. Organization. The repair station performing maintenance for an air carrier must have an organization adequate to perform the work. This includes the ability to distinguish the work performed for different operators. Additionally, if the repair station is performing RII inspections the organizational structure must provide separation of maintenance and inspection personnel.
The air carrier, not the repair station, determines the maintenance actions that are RII. If the repair station’s inspectors are authorized to perform RII for the air carrier, the air carrier must ensure that the inspectors are trained on the carrier’s RII procedures, including how the inspection is performed and recorded.
(1) The inspectors performing RII for the carrier must be qualified and authorized by the carrier. This authorization is usually in written format, often a card carried by the inspector.
The authorization may need to be renewed, depending on the air carrier’s procedures. The procedures in the RSM should include who will maintain a list of current RII inspectors, how an inspector is added to the list, and where the list is located.
(2) The repair station should request information from the air carrier or commercial operator pertaining to at least the following issues:
(a) RII.
(b) Training requirements for the work being performed on the operator’s behalf, including who will provide the training.
(c) Maintenance duty time requirements.
(d) Special maintenance or alteration instructions per engineering orders, build lists, and other methods, techniques, and practices in the operator’s manual per part 43, § 43.13(c).
(e) Recordkeeping requirements, including who is responsible for maintaining the files.
e. Line Maintenance Authorization. The FAA may authorize a certificated repair station to perform line maintenance for an air carrier conducting operations under parts 121, 129, and 135, provided that:
(1) The repair station performs the maintenance in accordance with the operator’s manual, if applicable, and approved maintenance program.
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