PWS 2.0_i_CFR Title 14 Part 43.pdf

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–21 Edition) § 39.27

§ 39.27 What do I do if the airworthi-ness directive conflicts with the service document on which it is based?

In some cases an airworthiness direc-tive incorporates by reference a manu-facturer’s service document. In these cases, the service document becomes part of the airworthiness directive. In some cases the directions in the service document may be modified by the air-worthiness directive. If there is a con-flict between the service document and the airworthiness directive, you must follow the requirements of the air-worthiness directive.

PART 43—MAINTENANCE, PREVEN-

TIVE MAINTENANCE, REBUILD-

ING, AND ALTERATION

Sec.

43.1 Applicability.

43.2 Records of overhaul and rebuilding.

43.3 Persons authorized to perform mainte-

nance, preventive maintenance, rebuild-ing, and alterations.

43.5 Approval for return to service after

maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alteration.

43.7 Persons authorized to approve aircraft, airframes, aircraft engines, propellers, appliances, or component parts for re-turn to service after maintenance, pre-ventive maintenance, rebuilding, or al-teration.

43.9 Content, form, and disposition of main-

tenance, preventive maintenance, re-building, and alteration records (except inspections performed in accordance with part 91, part 123, part 125, § 135.411(a)(1), and § 135.419 of this chap-ter).

43.10 Disposition of life-limited aircraft

parts.

43.11 Content, form, and disposition of

records for inspections conducted under parts 91 and 125 and §§ 135.411(a)(1) and

135.419 of this chapter.

43.12 Maintenance records: Falsification, re-

production, or alteration.

43.13 Performance rules (general).

43.15 Additional performance rules for in-

spections.

43.16 Airworthiness Limitations.

43.17 Maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations performed on U.S. aero-nautical products by certain Canadian persons.

APPENDIX A TO PART 43—MAJOR ALTER-

ATIONS, MAJOR REPAIRS, AND PREVENTIVE

MAINTENANCE

APPENDIX B TO PART 43—RECORDING OF

MAJOR REPAIRS AND MAJOR ALTERATIONS

APPENDIX C TO PART 43 [RESERVED]

APPENDIX D TO PART 43—SCOPE AND DETAIL

OF ITEMS (AS APPLICABLE TO THE PAR-

TICULAR AIRCRAFT) TO BE INCLUDED IN

ANNUAL AND 100-HOUR INSPECTIONS

APPENDIX E TO PART 43—ALTIMETER SYSTEM

TEST AND INSPECTION

APPENDIX F TO PART 43—ATC TRANSPONDER

TESTS AND INSPECTIONS

AUTHORITY: 42 U.S.C. 7572; 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g), 40105, 40113, 44701–44702, 44704, 44707, 44709, 44711, 44713, 44715, 45303.

SOURCE: Docket No. 1993, 29 FR 5451, Apr.

23, 1964, unless otherwise noted.

EDITORIAL NOTE: For miscellaneous tech-nical amendments to this part 43, see Amdt.

43–3, 31 FR 3336, Mar. 3, 1966, and Amdt. 43– 6, 31 FR 9211, July 6, 1966.

§ 43.1 Applicability.

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs

(b) and (d) of this section, this part pre-scribes rules governing the mainte-nance, preventive maintenance, re-building, and alteration of any—

(1) Aircraft having a U.S. airworthi-ness certificate;

(2) Foreign-registered civil aircraft used in common carriage or carriage of mail under the provisions of Part 121 or 135 of this chapter; and

(3) Airframe, aircraft engines, propel-lers, appliances, and component parts of such aircraft.

(b) This part does not apply to—

(1) Any aircraft for which the FAA has issued an experimental certificate, unless the FAA has previously issued a different kind of airworthiness certifi-cate for that aircraft;

(2) Any aircraft for which the FAA has issued an experimental certificate under the provisions of § 21.191(i)(3) of this chapter, and the aircraft was pre-viously issued a special airworthiness certificate in the light-sport category under the provisions of § 21.190 of this chapter; or

(3) Any aircraft subject to the provi-sions of part 107 of this chapter.

(c) This part applies to all life-lim-ited parts that are removed from a type certificated product, segregated, or controlled as provided in § 43.10.

(d) This part applies to any aircraft issued a special airworthiness certifi-cate in the light-sport category except:

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Federal Aviation Administration, DOT § 43.3

(1) The repair or alteration form specified in §§ 43.5(b) and 43.9(d) is not required to be completed for products not produced under an FAA approval;

(2) Major repairs and major alter-ations for products not produced under an FAA approval are not required to be recorded in accordance with appendix B of this part; and

(3) The listing of major alterations and major repairs specified in para-graphs (a) and (b) of appendix A of this part is not applicable to products not produced under an FAA approval.

[Doc. No. 1993, 29 FR 5451, Apr. 23, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 43–23, 47 FR 41084, Sept.

16, 1982; Amdt. 43–37, 66 FR 21066, Apr. 27, 2001; Amdt. 43–38, 67 FR 2109, Jan. 15, 2002;

Amdt. 43–39, 69 FR 44863, July 27, 2004; Amdt.

43–44, 75 FR 5219, Feb. 1, 2010; Docket FAA– 2015–0150, Amdt. 43–48, 81 FR 42208, June 28, 2016]

§ 43.2 Records of overhaul and rebuild-ing.

(a) No person may describe in any re-quired maintenance entry or form an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, pro-peller, appliance, or component part as being overhauled unless—

(1) Using methods, techniques, and practices acceptable to the Adminis-trator, it has been disassembled, cleaned, inspected, repaired as nec-essary, and reassembled; and

(2) It has been tested in accordance with approved standards and technical data, or in accordance with current standards and technical data accept-able to the Administrator, which have been developed and documented by the holder of the type certificate, supple-mental type certificate, or a material, part, process, or appliance approval under part 21 of this chapter.

(b) No person may describe in any re-quired maintenance entry or form an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, pro-peller, appliance, or component part as being rebuilt unless it has been dis-assembled, cleaned, inspected, repaired as necessary, reassembled, and tested to the same tolerances and limits as a new item, using either new parts or used parts that either conform to new part tolerances and limits or to ap-proved oversized or undersized dimen-sions.

[Amdt. 43–23, 47 FR 41084, Sept. 16, 1982, as amended by Amdt. 43–43, 74 FR 53394, Oct. 16, 2009]

§ 43.3 Persons authorized to perform maintenance, preventive mainte-nance, rebuilding, and alterations.

(a) Except as provided in this section and § 43.17, no person may maintain, re-build, alter, or perform preventive maintenance on an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or component part to which this part ap-plies. Those items, the performance of which is a major alteration, a major re-pair, or preventive maintenance, are listed in appendix A.

(b) The holder of a mechanic certifi-cate may perform maintenance, pre-ventive maintenance, and alterations as provided in Part 65 of this chapter.

(c) The holder of a repairman certifi-cate may perform maintenance, pre-ventive maintenance, and alterations as provided in part 65 of this chapter.

(d) A person working under the su-pervision of a holder of a mechanic or repairman certificate may perform the maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations that his supervisor is authorized to perform, if the supervisor personally observes the work being done to the extent necessary to ensure that it is being done properly and if the supervisor is readily available, in per-son, for consultation. However, this paragraph does not authorize the per-formance of any inspection required by Part 91 or Part 125 of this chapter or any inspection performed after a major repair or alteration.

(e) The holder of a repair station cer-tificate may perform maintenance, pre-ventive maintenance, and alterations as provided in Part 145 of this chapter.

(f) The holder of an air carrier oper-ating certificate or an operating cer-tificate issued under Part 121 or 135, may perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations as pro-vided in Part 121 or 135.

(g) Except for holders of a sport pilot certificate, the holder of a pilot certifi-cate issued under part 61 may perform preventive maintenance on any air-craft owned or operated by that pilot which is not used under part 121, 129, or

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14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–21 Edition) § 43.5

135 of this chapter. The holder of a sport pilot certificate may perform preventive maintenance on an aircraft owned or operated by that pilot and issued a special airworthiness certifi-cate in the light-sport category.

(h) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (g) of this section, the Ad-ministrator may approve a certificate holder under Part 135 of this chapter, operating rotorcraft in a remote area, to allow a pilot to perform specific pre-ventive maintenance items provided—

(1) The items of preventive mainte-nance are a result of a known or sus-pected mechanical difficulty or mal-function that occurred en route to or in a remote area;

(2) The pilot has satisfactorily com-pleted an approved training program and is authorized in writing by the cer-tificate holder for each item of preven-tive maintenance that the pilot is au-thorized to perform;

(3) There is no certificated mechanic available to perform preventive main-tenance;

(4) The certificate holder has proce-dures to evaluate the accomplishment of a preventive maintenance item that requires a decision concerning the air-worthiness of the rotorcraft; and

(5) The items of preventive mainte-nance authorized by this section are those listed in paragraph (c) of appen-dix A of this part.

(i) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (g) of this section, in accord-ance with an approval issued to the holder of a certificate issued under part 135 of this chapter, a pilot of an air-craft type-certificated for 9 or fewer passenger seats, excluding any pilot seat, may perform the removal and re-installation of approved aircraft cabin seats, approved cabin-mounted stretch-ers, and when no tools are required, ap-proved cabin-mounted medical oxygen bottles, provided—

(1) The pilot has satisfactorily com-pleted an approved training program and is authorized in writing by the cer-tificate holder to perform each task;

and

(2) The certificate holder has written procedures available to the pilot to evaluate the accomplishment of the task.

(j) A manufacturer may—

(1) Rebuild or alter any aircraft, air-craft engine, propeller, or appliance manufactured by him under a type or production certificate;

(2) Rebuild or alter any appliance or part of aircraft, aircraft engines, pro-pellers, or appliances manufactured by him under a Technical Standard Order Authorization, an FAA-Parts Manufac-turer Approval, or Product and Process Specification issued by the Adminis-trator; and

(3) Perform any inspection required by part 91 or part 125 of this chapter on aircraft it manufactured under a type certificate, or currently manufactures under a production certificate.

(k) Updates of databases in installed avionics meeting the conditions of this paragraph are not considered mainte-nance and may be performed by pilots provided:

(1) The database upload is:

(i) Initiated from the flight deck;

(ii) Performed without disassembling the avionics unit; and

(iii) Performed without the use of tools and/or special equipment.

(2) The pilot must comply with the certificate holder’s procedures or the manufacturer’s instructions.

(3) The holder of operating certifi-cates must make available written pro-cedures consistent with manufacturer’s instructions to the pilot that describe how to:

(i) Perform the database update; and

(ii) Determine the status of the data upload.

[Doc. No. 1993, 29 FR 5451, Apr. 23, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 43–4, 31 FR 5249, Apr. 1, 1966; Amdt. 43–23, 47 FR 41084, Sept. 16, 1982;

Amdt. 43–25, 51 FR 40702, Nov. 7, 1986; Amdt.

43–36, 61 FR 19501, May 1, 1996; Amdt. 43–37, 66 FR 21066, Apr. 27, 2001; Amdt. 43–39, 69 FR 44863, July 27, 2004; Amdt. 43–43, 74 FR 53394, Oct. 16, 2009; Amdt. 43–45, 77 FR 71096, Nov.

29, 2012]

§ 43.5 Approval for return to service after maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alter-ation.

No person may approve for return to service any aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance, that has undergone maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alteration unless—

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Federal Aviation Administration, DOT § 43.9

(a) The maintenance record entry re-quired by § 43.9 or § 43.11, as appro-priate, has been made;

(b) The repair or alteration form au-thorized by or furnished by the Admin-istrator has been executed in a manner prescribed by the Administrator; and

(c) If a repair or an alteration results in any change in the aircraft operating limitations or flight data contained in the approved aircraft flight manual, those operating limitations or flight data are appropriately revised and set forth as prescribed in § 91.9 of this chap-ter.

[Doc. No. 1993, 29 FR 5451, Apr. 23, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 43–23, 47 FR 41084, Sept.

16, 1982; Amdt. 43–31, 54 FR 34330, Aug. 18, 1989]

§ 43.7 Persons authorized to approve aircraft, airframes, aircraft engines, propellers, appliances, or compo-nent parts for return to service after maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alter-ation.

(a) Except as provided in this section and § 43.17, no person, other than the Administrator, may approve an air-craft, airframe, aircraft engine, pro-peller, appliance, or component part for return to service after it has under-gone maintenance, preventive mainte-nance, rebuilding, or alteration.

(b) The holder of a mechanic certifi-cate or an inspection authorization may approve an aircraft, airframe, air-craft engine, propeller, appliance, or component part for return to service as provided in Part 65 of this chapter.

(c) The holder of a repair station cer-tificate may approve an aircraft, air-frame, aircraft engine, propeller, appli-ance, or component part for return to service as provided in Part 145 of this chapter.

(d) A manufacturer may approve for return to service any aircraft, air-frame, aircraft engine, propeller, appli-ance, or component part which that manufacturer has worked on under § 43.3(j). However, except for minor al-terations, the work must have been done in accordance with technical data approved by the Administrator.

(e) The holder of an air carrier oper-ating certificate or an operating cer-tificate issued under Part 121 or 135, may approve an aircraft, airframe, air-craft engine, propeller, appliance, or component part for return to service as provided in Part 121 or 135 of this chap-ter, as applicable.

(f) A person holding at least a private pilot certificate may approve an air-craft for return to service after per-forming preventive maintenance under the provisions of § 43.3(g).

(g) The holder of a repairman certifi-cate (light-sport aircraft) with a main-tenance rating may approve an aircraft issued a special airworthiness certifi-cate in light-sport category for return to service, as provided in part 65 of this chapter.

(h) The holder of at least a sport pilot certificate may approve an air-craft owned or operated by that pilot and issued a special airworthiness cer-tificate in the light-sport category for return to service after performing pre-ventive maintenance under the provi-sions of § 43.3(g).

[Amdt. 43–23, 47 FR 41084, Sept. 16, 1982, as amended by Amdt. 43–36, 61 FR 19501, May 1, 1996; Amdt. 43–37, 66 FR 21066, Apr. 27, 2001;

Amdt. 43–39, 69 FR 44863, July 27, 2004]

§ 43.9 Content, form, and disposition of maintenance, preventive mainte-nance, rebuilding, and alteration records (except inspections per-formed in accordance with part 91, part 125, § 135.411(a)(1), and § 135.419 of this chapter).

(a) Maintenance record entries. Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, each person who main-tains, performs preventive mainte-nance, rebuilds, or alters an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, ap-pliance, or component part shall make an entry in the maintenance record of that equipment containing the fol-lowing information:

(1) A description (or reference to data acceptable to the Administrator) of work performed.

(2) The date of completion of the work performed.

(3) The name of the person per-forming the work if other than the per-son specified in paragraph (a)(4) of this section.

(4) If the work performed on the air-craft, airframe, aircraft engine, pro-peller, appliance, or component part has been performed satisfactorily, the signature, certificate number, and kind

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14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–21 Edition) § 43.10 of certificate held by the person ap-proving the work. The signature con-stitutes the approval for return to service only for the work performed.

(b) Each holder of an air carrier oper-ating certificate or an operating cer-tificate issued under Part 121 or 135, that is required by its approved oper-ations specifications to provide for a continuous airworthiness maintenance program, shall make a record of the maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, and alteration, on aircraft, airframes, aircraft engines, propellers, appliances, or component parts which it operates in accordance with the ap-plicable provisions of Part 121 or 135 of this chapter, as appropriate.

(c) This section does not apply to per-sons performing inspections in accord-ance with Part 91, 125, § 135.411(a)(1), or § 135.419 of this chapter.

(d) In addition to the entry required by paragraph (a) of this section, major repairs and major alterations shall be entered on a form, and the form dis-posed of, in the manner prescribed in appendix B, by the person performing the work.

[Amdt. 43–23, 47 FR 41085, Sept. 16, 1982, as amended by Amdt. 43–37, 66 FR 21066, Apr. 27, 2001; Amdt. 43–39, 69 FR 44863, July 27, 2004]

§ 43.10 Disposition of life-limited air-craft parts.

(a) Definitions used in this section. For the purposes of this section the fol-lowing definitions apply.

Life-limited part means any part for which a mandatory replacement limit is specified in the type design, the In-structions for Continued Airworthi-ness, or the maintenance manual.

Life status means the accumulated cycles, hours, or any other mandatory replacement limit of a life-limited part.

(b) Temporary removal of parts from type-certificated products. When a life-limited part is temporarily removed and reinstalled for the purpose of per-forming maintenance, no disposition under paragraph (c) of this section is required if—

(1) The life status of the part has not changed;

(2) The removal and reinstallation is performed on the same serial numbered product; and

(3) That product does not accumulate time in service while the part is re-moved.

(c) Disposition of parts removed from type-certificated products. Except as pro-vided in paragraph (b) of this section, after April 15, 2002 each person who re-moves a life-limited part from a type-certificated product must ensure that the part is controlled using one of the methods in this paragraph. The method must deter the installation of the part after it has reached its life limit. Ac-ceptable methods include:

(1) Record keeping system. The part may be controlled using a record keep-ing system that substantiates the part number, serial number, and current life status of the part. Each time the part is removed from a type certificated product, the record must be updated with the current life status. This sys-tem may include electronic, paper, or other means of record keeping.

(2) Tag or record attached to part. A tag or other record may be attached to the part. The tag or record must in-clude the part number, serial number, and current life status of the part.

Each time the part is removed from a type certificated product, either a new tag or record must be created, or the existing tag or record must be updated with the current life status.

(3) Non-permanent marking. The part may be legibly marked using a non-permanent method showing its current life status. The life status must be up-dated each time the part is removed from a type certificated product, or if the mark is removed, another method in this section may be used. The mark must be accomplished in accordance with the instructions under § 45.16 of this chapter in order to maintain the integrity of the part.

(4) Permanent marking. The part may be legibly marked using a permanent method showing its current life status.

The life status must be updated each time the part is removed from a type certificated product. Unless the part is permanently removed from use on type certificated products, this permanent mark must be accomplished in accord-ance with the instructions under § 45.16 of this chapter in order to maintain the integrity of the part.

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Federal Aviation Administration, DOT § 43.11

(5) Segregation. The part may be seg-regated using methods that deter its installation on a type-certificated product. These methods must include, at least—

(i) Maintaining a record of the part number, serial number, and current life status, and

(ii) Ensuring the part is physically stored separately from parts that are currently eligible for installation.

(6) Mutilation. The part may be muti-lated to deter its installation in a type certificated product. The mutilation must render the part beyond repair and incapable of being reworked to appear to be airworthy.

(7) Other methods. Any other method approved or accepted by the FAA.

(d) Transfer of life-limited parts. Each person who removes a life-limited part from a type certificated product and later sells or otherwise transfers that part must transfer with the part the mark, tag, or other record used to com-ply with this section, unless the part is mutilated before it is sold or trans-ferred.

[Doc. No. FAA–2000–8017, 67 FR 2110, Jan. 15, 2002, as amended by Amdt. 43–38A, 79 FR 67055, Nov. 12, 2014]

§ 43.11 Content, form, and disposition of records for inspections con-ducted under parts 91 and 125 and §§ 135.411(a)(1) and 135.419 of this chapter.

(a) Maintenance record entries. The person approving or disapproving for return to service an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or component part after any inspection performed in accordance with part 91, 125, § 135.411(a)(1), or § 135.419 shall make an entry in the maintenance record of that equipment containing the following information:

(1) The type of inspection and a brief description of the extent of the inspec-tion.

(2) The date of the inspection and air-craft total time in service.

(3) The signature, the certificate number, and kind of certificate held by the person approving or disapproving for return to service the aircraft, air-frame, aircraft engine, propeller, appli-ance, component part, or portions thereof.

(4) Except for progressive inspec-tions, if the aircraft is found to be air-worthy and approved for return to service, the following or a similarly worded statement—‘‘I certify that this aircraft has been inspected in accord-ance with (insert type) inspection and was determined to be in airworthy con-dition.’’

(5) Except for progressive inspec-tions, if the aircraft is not approved for return to service because of needed maintenance, noncompliance with ap-plicable specifications, airworthiness directives, or other approved data, the following or a similarly worded state-ment—‘‘I certify that this aircraft has been inspected in accordance with (in-sert type) inspection and a list of dis-crepancies and unairworthy items dated (date) has been provided for the aircraft owner or operator.’’

(6) For progressive inspections, the following or a similarly worded state-ment—‘‘I certify that in accordance with a progressive inspection program, a routine inspection of (identify wheth-er aircraft or components) and a de-tailed inspection of (identify compo-nents) were performed and the (aircraft or components) are (approved or dis-approved) for return to service.’’ If dis-approved, the entry will further state ‘‘and a list of discrepancies and unair-worthy items dated (date) has been provided to the aircraft owner or oper-ator.’’

(7) If an inspection is conducted under an inspection program provided for in part 91, 125, or § 135.411(a)(1), the entry must identify the inspection pro-gram, that part of the inspection pro-gram accomplished, and contain a statement that the inspection was per-formed in accordance with the inspec-tions and procedures for that par-ticular program.

(b) Listing of discrepancies and plac-ards. If the person performing any in-spection required by part 91 or 125 or § 135.411(a)(1) of this chapter finds that the aircraft is unairworthy or does not meet the applicable type certificate data, airworthiness directives, or other approved data upon which its air-worthiness depends, that persons must give the owner or lessee a signed and dated list of those discrepancies. For

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14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–21 Edition) § 43.12 those items permitted to be inoper-ative under § 91.213(d)(2) of this chapter, that person shall place a placard, that meets the aircraft’s airworthiness cer-tification regulations, on each inoper-ative instrument and the cockpit con-trol of each item of inoperative equip-ment, marking it ‘‘Inoperative,’’ and shall add the items to the signed and dated list of discrepancies given to the owner or lessee.

[Amdt. 43–23, 47 FR 41085, Sept. 16, 1982, as amended by Amdt. 43–30, 53 FR 50195, Dec. 13, 1988; Amdt. 43–36, 61 FR 19501, May 1, 1996; 71 FR 44188, Aug. 4, 2006]

§ 43.12 Maintenance records: Falsifica-tion, reproduction, or alteration.

(a) No person may make or cause to be made:

(1) Any fraudulent or intentionally false entry in any record or report that is required to be made, kept, or used to show compliance with any requirement under this part;

(2) Any reproduction, for fraudulent purpose, of any record or report under this part; or

(3) Any alteration, for fraudulent purpose, of any record or report under this part.

(b) The commission by any person of an act prohibited under paragraph (a) of this section is a basis for suspending or revoking the applicable airman, op-erator, or production certificate, Tech-nical Standard Order Authorization, FAA-Parts Manufacturer Approval, or Product and Process Specification issued by the Administrator and held by that person.

[Amdt. 43–19, 43 FR 22639, May 25, 1978, as amended by Amdt. 43–23, 47 FR 41085, Sept.

16, 1982]

§ 43.13 Performance rules (general).

(a) Each person performing mainte-nance, alteration, or preventive main-tenance on an aircraft, engine, pro-peller, or appliance shall use the meth-ods, techniques, and practices pre-scribed in the current manufacturer’s maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness prepared by its manufacturer, or other methods, techniques, and practices acceptable to the Administrator, except as noted in § 43.16. He shall use the tools, equip-ment, and test apparatus necessary to assure completion of the work in ac-cordance with accepted industry prac-tices. If special equipment or test appa-ratus is recommended by the manufac-turer involved, he must use that equip-ment or apparatus or its equivalent ac-ceptable to the Administrator.

(b) Each person maintaining or alter-ing, or performing preventive mainte-nance, shall do that work in such a manner and use materials of such a quality, that the condition of the air-craft, airframe, aircraft engine, pro-peller, or appliance worked on will be at least equal to its original or prop-erly altered condition (with regard to aerodynamic function, structural strength, resistance to vibration and deterioration, and other qualities af-fecting airworthiness).

(c) Special provisions for holders of air carrier operating certificates and oper-ating certificates issued under the provi-sions of Part 121 or 135 and Part 129 oper-ators holding operations specifications.

Unless otherwise notified by the ad-ministrator, the methods, techniques, and practices contained in the mainte-nance manual or the maintenance part of the manual of the holder of an air carrier operating certificate or an op-erating certificate under Part 121 or 135 and Part 129 operators holding oper-ations specifications (that is required by its operating specifications to pro-vide a continuous airworthiness main-tenance and inspection program) con-stitute acceptable means of compliance with this section.

[Doc. No. 1993, 29 FR 5451, Apr. 23, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 43–20, 45 FR 60182, Sept.

11, 1980; Amdt. 43–23, 47 FR 41085, Sept. 16, 1982; Amdt. 43–28, 52 FR 20028, June 16, 1987;

Amdt. 43–37, 66 FR 21066, Apr. 27, 2001]

§ 43.15 Additional performance rules for inspections.

(a) General. Each person performing an inspection required by part 91, 125, or 135 of this chapter, shall—

(1) Perform the inspection so as to determine whether the aircraft, or por-tion(s) thereof under inspection, meets all applicable airworthiness require-ments; and

(2) If the inspection is one provided for in part 125, 135, or § 91.409(e) of this

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Federal Aviation Administration, DOT § 43.17 chapter, perform the inspection in ac-cordance with the instructions and pro-cedures set forth in the inspection pro-gram for the aircraft being inspected.

(b) Rotorcraft. Each person per-forming an inspection required by Part 91 on a rotorcraft shall inspect the fol-lowing systems in accordance with the maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness of the manufacturer concerned:

(1) The drive shafts or similar sys-tems.

(2) The main rotor transmission gear box for obvious defects.

(3) The main rotor and center section (or the equivalent area).

(4) The auxiliary rotor on heli-copters.

(c) Annual and 100-hour inspections. (1) Each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection shall use a check-list while performing the inspection.

The checklist may be of the person’s own design, one provided by the manu-facturer of the equipment being in-spected or one obtained from another source. This checklist must include the scope and detail of the items contained in appendix D to this part and para-graph (b) of this section.

(2) Each person approving a recipro-cating-engine-powered aircraft for re-turn to service after an annual or 100-hour inspection shall, before that ap-proval, run the aircraft engine or en-gines to determine satisfactory per-formance in accordance with the manu-facturer’s recommendations of—

(i) Power output (static and idle r.p.m.);

(ii) Magnetos;

(iii) Fuel and oil pressure; and

(iv) Cylinder and oil temperature.

(3) Each person approving a turbine-engine-powered aircraft for return to service after an annual, 100-hour, or progressive inspection shall, before that approval, run the aircraft engine or engines to determine satisfactory performance in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

(d) Progressive inspection. (1) Each per-son performing a progressive inspec-tion shall, at the start of a progressive inspection system, inspect the aircraft completely. After this initial inspec-tion, routine and detailed inspections must be conducted as prescribed in the progressive inspection schedule. Rou-tine inspections consist of visual exam-ination or check of the appliances, the aircraft, and its components and sys-tems, insofar as practicable without disassembly. Detailed inspections con-sist of a thorough examination of the appliances, the aircraft, and its compo-nents and systems, with such dis-assembly as is necessary. For the pur-poses of this subparagraph, the over-haul of a component or system is con-sidered to be a detailed inspection.

(2) If the aircraft is away from the station where inspections are normally conducted, an appropriately rated me-chanic, a certificated repair station, or the manufacturer of the aircraft may perform inspections in accordance with the procedures and using the forms of the person who would otherwise per-form the inspection.

[Doc. No. 1993, 29 FR 5451, Apr. 23, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 43–23, 47 FR 41086, Sept.

16, 1982; Amdt. 43–25, 51 FR 40702, Nov. 7, 1986;

Amdt. 43–31, 54 FR 34330, Aug. 18, 1989; 71 FR 44188, Aug. 4, 2006]

§ 43.16 Airworthiness limitations.

Each person performing an inspec-tion or other maintenance specified in an Airworthiness Limitations section of a manufacturer’s maintenance man-ual or Instructions for Continued Air-worthiness shall perform the inspec-tion or other maintenance in accord-ance with that section, or in accord-ance with operations specifications ap-proved by the Administrator under part 121 or 135, or an inspection pro-gram approved under § 91.409(e).

[71 FR 44188, Aug. 4, 2006]

§ 43.17 Maintenance, preventive main-tenance, and alterations performed on U.S. aeronautical products by certain Canadian persons.

(a) Definitions. For purposes of this section:

Aeronautical product means any civil aircraft or airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, component, or part to be installed thereon.

Canadian aeronautical product means any aeronautical product under air-worthiness regulation by Transport Canada Civil Aviation.

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14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–21 Edition) Pt. 43, App. A

U.S. aeronautical product means any aeronautical product under airworthi-ness regulation by the FAA.

(b) Applicability. This section does not apply to any U.S. aeronautical prod-ucts maintained or altered under any bilateral agreement made between Canada and any country other than the United States.

(c) Authorized persons. (1) A person holding a valid Transport Canada Civil Aviation Maintenance Engineer license and appropriate ratings may, with re-spect to a U.S.-registered aircraft lo-cated in Canada, perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alter-ations in accordance with the require-ments of paragraph (d) of this section and approve the affected aircraft for return to service in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section.

(2) A Transport Canada Civil Avia-tion Approved Maintenance Organiza-tion (AMO) holding appropriate ratings may, with respect to a U.S.-registered aircraft or other U.S. aeronautical products located in Canada, perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section and approve the affected prod-ucts for return to service in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section.

(d) Performance requirements. A person authorized in paragraph (c) of this sec-tion may perform maintenance (includ-ing any inspection required by Sec.

91.409 of this chapter, except an annual inspection), preventive maintenance, and alterations, provided—

(1) The person performing the work is authorized by Transport Canada Civil Aviation to perform the same type of work with respect to Canadian aero-nautical products;

(2) The maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration is per-formed in accordance with a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the United States and Canada and asso-ciated Maintenance Implementation Procedures that provide a level of safe-ty equivalent to that provided by the provisions of this chapter;

(3) The maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration is per-formed such that the affected product complies with the applicable require-ments of part 36 of this chapter; and

(4) The maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration is recorded in accordance with a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the United States and Canada and associated Maintenance Implementation Proce-dures that provide a level of safety equivalent to that provided by the pro-visions of this chapter.

(e) Approval requirements. (1) To re-turn an affected product to service, a person authorized in paragraph (c) of this section must approve (certify) maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations performed under this section, except that an Aircraft Main-tenance Engineer may not approve a major repair or major alteration.

(2) An AMO whose system of quality control for the maintenance, preven-tive maintenance, alteration, and in-spection of aeronautical products has been approved by Transport Canada Civil Aviation, or an authorized em-ployee performing work for such an AMO, may approve (certify) a major re-pair or major alteration performed under this section if the work was per-formed in accordance with technical data approved by the FAA.

(f) No person may operate in air com-merce an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance on which maintenance, preventive main-tenance, or alteration has been per-formed under this section unless it has been approved for return to service by a person authorized in this section.

[Amdt. 43–33, 56 FR 57571, Nov. 12, 1991, as amended by Amdt. 43–40, 71 FR 40877, July 14, 2005]

APPENDIX A TO PART 43—MAJOR ALTER-

ATIONS, MAJOR REPAIRS, AND PRE-

VENTIVE MAINTENANCE

(a) Major alterations—(1) Airframe major al-terations. Alterations of the following parts and alterations of the following types, when not listed in the aircraft specifications issued by the FAA, are airframe major alter-ations:

(i) Wings.

(ii) Tail surfaces.

(iii) Fuselage.

(iv) Engine mounts.

(v) Control system.

(vi) Landing gear.

(vii) Hull or floats.

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Federal Aviation Administration, DOT Pt. 43, App. A

(viii) Elements of an airframe including spars, ribs, fittings, shock absorbers, brac-ing, cowling, fairings, and balance weights.

(ix) Hydraulic and electrical actuating sys-tem of components.

(x) Rotor blades.

(xi) Changes to the empty weight or empty balance which result in an increase in the maximum certificated weight or center of gravity limits of the aircraft.

(xii) Changes to the basic design of the fuel, oil, cooling, heating, cabin pressuriza-tion, electrical, hydraulic, de-icing, or ex-haust systems.

(xiii) Changes to the wing or to fixed or movable control surfaces which affect flutter and vibration characteristics.

(2) Powerplant major alterations. The fol-lowing alterations of a powerplant when not listed in the engine specifications issued by the FAA, are powerplant major alterations.

(i) Conversion of an aircraft engine from one approved model to another, involving any changes in compression ratio, propeller reduction gear, impeller gear ratios or the substitution of major engine parts which re-quires extensive rework and testing of the engine.

(ii) Changes to the engine by replacing air-craft engine structural parts with parts not supplied by the original manufacturer or parts not specifically approved by the Ad-ministrator.

(iii) Installation of an accessory which is not approved for the engine.

(iv) Removal of accessories that are listed as required equipment on the aircraft or en-gine specification.

(v) Installation of structural parts other than the type of parts approved for the in-stallation.

(vi) Conversions of any sort for the purpose of using fuel of a rating or grade other than that listed in the engine specifications.

(3) Propeller major alterations. The following alterations of a propeller when not author-ized in the propeller specifications issued by the FAA are propeller major alterations:

(i) Changes in blade design.

(ii) Changes in hub design.

(iii) Changes in the governor or control de-sign.

(iv) Installation of a propeller governor or feathering system.

(v) Installation of propeller de-icing sys-tem.

(vi) Installation of parts not approved for the propeller.

(4) Appliance major alterations. Alterations of the basic design not made in accordance with recommendations of the appliance man-ufacturer or in accordance with an FAA Air-worthiness Directive are appliance major al-terations. In addition, changes in the basic design of radio communication and naviga-tion equipment approved under type certifi-cation or a Technical Standard Order that have an effect on frequency stability, noise level, sensitivity, selectivity, distortion, spurious radiation, AVC characteristics, or ability to meet environmental test condi-tions and other changes that have an effect on the performance of the equipment are also major alterations.

(b) Major repairs—(1) Airframe major repairs.

Repairs to the following parts of an airframe and repairs of the following types, involving the strengthening, reinforcing, splicing, and manufacturing of primary structural mem-bers or their replacement, when replacement is by fabrication such as riveting or welding, are airframe major repairs.

(i) Box beams.

(ii) Monocoque or semimonocoque wings or control surfaces.

(iii) Wing stringers or chord members.

(iv) Spars.

(v) Spar flanges.

(vi) Members of truss-type beams.

(vii) Thin sheet webs of beams.

(viii) Keel and chine members of boat hulls or floats.

(ix) Corrugated sheet compression mem-bers which act as flange material of wings or tail surfaces.

(x) Wing main ribs and compression mem-bers.

(xi) Wing or tail surface brace struts.

(xii) Engine mounts.

(xiii) Fuselage longerons.

(xiv) Members of the side truss, horizontal truss, or bulkheads.

(xv) Main seat support braces and brack-ets.

(xvi) Landing gear brace struts.

(xvii) Axles.

(xviii) Wheels.

(xix) Skis, and ski pedestals.

(xx) Parts of the control system such as control columns, pedals, shafts, brackets, or horns.

(xxi) Repairs involving the substitution of material.

(xxii) The repair of damaged areas in metal or plywood stressed covering exceeding six inches in any direction.

(xxiii) The repair of portions of skin sheets by making additional seams.

(xxiv) The splicing of skin sheets.

(xxv) The repair of three or more adjacent wing or control surface ribs or the leading edge of wings and control surfaces, between such adjacent ribs.

(xxvi) Repair of fabric covering involving an area greater than that required to repair two adjacent ribs.

(xxvii) Replacement of fabric on fabric cov-ered parts such as wings, fuselages, stabi-lizers, and control surfaces.

(xxviii) Repairing, including rebottoming, of removable or integral fuel tanks and oil tanks.

(2) Powerplant major repairs. Repairs of the following parts of an engine and repairs of

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14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–21 Edition) Pt. 43, App. A the following types, are powerplant major re-pairs:

(i) Separation or disassembly of a crank-case or crankshaft of a reciprocating engine equipped with an integral supercharger.

(ii) Separation or disassembly of a crank-case or crankshaft of a reciprocating engine equipped with other than spur-type propeller reduction gearing.

(iii) Special repairs to structural engine parts by welding, plating, metalizing, or other methods.

(3) Propeller major repairs. Repairs of the following types to a propeller are propeller major repairs:

(i) Any repairs to, or straightening of steel blades.

(ii) Repairing or machining of steel hubs.

(iii) Shortening of blades.

(iv) Retipping of wood propellers.

(v) Replacement of outer laminations on fixed pitch wood propellers.

(vi) Repairing elongated bolt holes in the hub of fixed pitch wood propellers.

(vii) Inlay work on wood blades.

(viii) Repairs to composition blades.

(ix) Replacement of tip fabric.

(x) Replacement of plastic covering.

(xi) Repair of propeller governors.

(xii) Overhaul of controllable pitch propel-lers.

(xiii) Repairs to deep dents, cuts, scars, nicks, etc., and straightening of aluminum blades.

(xiv) The repair or replacement of internal elements of blades.

(4) Appliance major repairs. Repairs of the following types to appliances are appliance major repairs:

(i) Calibration and repair of instruments.

(ii) Calibration of radio equipment.

(iii) Rewinding the field coil of an elec-trical accessory.

(iv) Complete disassembly of complex hy-draulic power valves.

(v) Overhaul of pressure type carburetors, and pressure type fuel, oil and hydraulic pumps.

(c) Preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance is limited to the following work, provided it does not involve complex assembly operations:

(1) Removal, installation, and repair of landing gear tires.

(2) Replacing elastic shock absorber cords on landing gear.

(3) Servicing landing gear shock struts by adding oil, air, or both.

(4) Servicing landing gear wheel bearings, such as cleaning and greasing.

(5) Replacing defective safety wiring or cotter keys.

(6) Lubrication not requiring disassembly other than removal of nonstructural items such as cover plates, cowlings, and fairings.

(7) Making simple fabric patches not re-quiring rib stitching or the removal of struc-tural parts or control surfaces. In the case of balloons, the making of small fabric repairs to envelopes (as defined in, and in accord-ance with, the balloon manufacturers’ in-structions) not requiring load tape repair or replacement.

(8) Replenishing hydraulic fluid in the hy-draulic reservoir.

(9) Refinishing decorative coating of fuse-lage, balloon baskets, wings tail group sur-faces (excluding balanced control surfaces), fairings, cowlings, landing gear, cabin, or cockpit interior when removal or dis-assembly of any primary structure or oper-ating system is not required.

(10) Applying preservative or protective material to components where no dis-assembly of any primary structure or oper-ating system is involved and where such coating is not prohibited or is not contrary to good practices.

(11) Repairing upholstery and decorative furnishings of the cabin, cockpit, or balloon basket interior when the repairing does not require disassembly of any primary struc-ture or operating system or interfere with an operating system or affect the primary structure of the aircraft.

(12) Making small simple repairs to fair-ings, nonstructural cover plates, cowlings, and small patches and reinforcements not changing the contour so as to interfere with proper air flow.

(13) Replacing side windows where that work does not interfere with the structure or any operating system such as controls, elec-trical equipment, etc.

(14) Replacing safety belts.

(15) Replacing seats or seat parts with re-placement parts approved for the aircraft, not involving disassembly of any primary structure or operating system.

(16) Trouble shooting and repairing broken circuits in landing light wiring circuits.

(17) Replacing bulbs, reflectors, and lenses of position and landing lights.

(18) Replacing wheels and skis where no weight and balance computation is involved.

(19) Replacing any cowling not requiring removal of the propeller or disconnection of flight controls.

(20) Replacing or cleaning spark plugs and setting of spark plug gap clearance.

(21) Replacing any hose connection except hydraulic connections.

(22) Replacing prefabricated fuel lines.

(23) Cleaning or replacing fuel and oil strainers or filter elements.

(24) Replacing and servicing batteries.

(25) Cleaning of balloon burner pilot and main nozzles in accordance with the balloon manufacturer’s instructions.

(26) Replacement or adjustment of non-structural standard fasteners incidental to operations.

(27) The interchange of balloon baskets and burners on envelopes when the basket or

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Federal Aviation Administration, DOT Pt. 43, App. B burner is designated as interchangeable in the balloon type certificate data and the bas-kets and burners are specifically designed for quick removal and installation.

(28) The installations of anti-misfueling de-vices to reduce the diameter of fuel tank filler openings provided the specific device has been made a part of the aircraft type certificiate data by the aircraft manufac-turer, the aircraft manufacturer has pro-vided FAA-approved instructions for instal-lation of the specific device, and installation does not involve the disassembly of the ex-isting tank filler opening.

(29) Removing, checking, and replacing magnetic chip detectors.

(30) The inspection and maintenance tasks prescribed and specifically identified as pre-ventive maintenance in a primary category aircraft type certificate or supplemental type certificate holder’s approved special in-spection and preventive maintenance pro-gram when accomplished on a primary cat-egory aircraft provided:

(i) They are performed by the holder of at least a private pilot certificate issued under part 61 who is the registered owner (includ-ing co-owners) of the affected aircraft and who holds a certificate of competency for the affected aircraft (1) issued by a school ap-proved under § 147.21(e) of this chapter; (2) issued by the holder of the production cer-tificate for that primary category aircraft that has a special training program approved under § 21.24 of this subchapter; or (3) issued by another entity that has a course approved by the Administrator; and

(ii) The inspections and maintenance tasks are performed in accordance with instruc-tions contained by the special inspection and preventive maintenance program approved as part of the aircraft’s type design or sup-plemental type design.

(31) Removing and replacing self-con-tained, front instrument panel-mounted navigation and communication devices that employ tray-mounted connectors that con-nect the unit when the unit is installed into the instrument panel, (excluding automatic flight control systems, transponders, and microwave frequency distance measuring equipment (DME)).