14 CFR Part 43—Maintenance, Preventative Maintenance Rebuilding, and Alteration
Appendix A—Major Alterations, Major Repairs, and Preventive Maintenance
This appendix provides a comprehensive, but not exclusive, list of subjects. For instance, paragraph (a) is titled Major Alteration, and is further subdivided as follows: •
- Airframe
- Powerplant
- Propeller
- Appliance
This same subdivision is used in paragraph (b), Major Repairs. Paragraph (c), Preventive Maintenance, identifies those maintenance actions that are defined as preventive maintenance, provided the maintenance does not involve complex assembly operations. Preventive maintenance work may be accomplished by the holder of at least a private pilot certificate provided he or she is the owner or operator of that aircraft, and it is not operated under 14 CFR part 121, 129, or 135.
Appendix B—Recording of Major Repairs and Major Alterations
In most cases when a major repair or alteration is accomplished, FAA Form 337, Major Repair or Alteration, is completed at least in duplicate with the original going to the aircraft owner and a copy sent to the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch in Oklahoma City where all civil aircraft information is compiled and retained. NOTE: Historically, the second copy was sent to the local FAA FSDO within 48 hours after RTS. This copy is reviewed by an ASI and then forwarded by the FSDO to FAA records in Oklahoma City. However, in the fall of 2005, the FAA made a significant change to this submittal process and now requires the technician to submit the Form 337 directly to the Aircraft Registration Branch in Oklahoma City. Although a third copy is not required, it makes good business sense for the technician or certified repair station to keep a copy of the work that was accomplished.
However, if a certificated (part 145) repair station completes a major repair, it may provide the customer with a signed copy of the work order and a maintenance release signed by an authorized representative of the repair station, instead of the FAA Form 337. If the major repair or alteration was done by an AME or AMO, the copy normally provided to the FAA-FSDO is sent directly to the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch. However, if extended range tanks are installed in either passenger or cargo compartments, the technician must generate a third FAA Form 337 for the modification. This copy must be placed and retained in the aircraft. (Refer to 14 CFR part 91, section 91.417(d).)
Appendix C—(Reserved)
Appendix C is reserved for future use and therefore currently contains no information.
Appendix D—Scope and Detail of Items To Be Included in Annual and 100-Hour Inspections
Some important items to consider in this appendix are:
- The list of items and areas to be inspected are exactly the same for an annual as a 100-hour inspection. The difference between the inspections is in who is authorized to perform and approve the aircraft for RTS following the inspection. Refer to 14 CFR part 65, section 65.95(a)(2) that states that an IA must perform an annual inspection.
- The aircraft and engine must be cleaned prior to conducting the inspection.
- Any miscellaneous item not covered in the detailed list provided must also be inspected for improper installation and operation.
- There are eight specific areas identified for detailed inspection. They are the fuselage hull group, cabin/ flight deck group, engine/nacelle group, landing gear group, wing/center section group, empennage assembly, propeller group, and the radio group.
Appendix E—Altimeter System Test and Inspection
This is commonly referred to as “the 411 test.” Refer to 14 CFR part 91, section 91.411 that requires that no person may operate an aircraft in controlled airspace under IFR unless the aircraft has had this test completed successfully within the preceding 24 months.) This section requires detailed testing of the static pressure system, the altimeter, and the automatic pressure altitude reporting equipment, and that the test information be recorded in the maintenance logs and on the altimeter.
Appendix F—ATC Transponder Tests and Inspections
This is commonly referred to as “the 413 test.” (Refer to 14 CFR part 91, section 91.413, which requires that no person may use a transponder unless it has had this test completed successfully within the preceding 24 months.)
This section specifies complex sets of tests, which may be accomplished either as a bench test or by using portable test equipment. Major categories of the testing required are radio reply frequency, suppression, receiver sensitivity, radio frequency peak output power, and mode S (when applicable). Upon completion of testing, proper entries must be made in the maintenance record.
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