SofemaOnline.com offers EASA Compliant Aircraft Technical Records Foundation

2013 02 27 11111Continuing Airworthiness Records typically include: 

The Status of Airworthiness Directives (AD’s);

It is a requirement that a “back to birth” record of the status of compliance with all AD’s is maintained which typically includes “Dirty Finger Print” (DFP) – Means the actual job card where the AD task was certified.

The Status of Service Bulletins (SB’s);

As with AD’s above it is also necessary to maintain detailed records of all the Service Bulletins which have been embodied – but note that unlike Airworthiness Directives, SB’s are not mandatory however should be subject to an embodiment policy.

A Service Bulletin (S.B.) is a notice to an aircraft operator from an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) advising a product improvement. Although a service bulletin may be categorized as mandatory by the manufacturer, it is important to understand that compliance with SB is not necessarily a regulatory obligation. Service bulletins may result in the issue of an AD (in which case it will be mandatory).

There are potential costs involved with the incorporation of Service Bulletins basically translates into higher costs to the aircraft owner. This typically means that all Service Bulletins are evaluated to ensure an acceptable Return on Investment (ROI) a cost-benefit analysis is performed to compare the benefits of complying with a service bulletin against the time and cost of compliance.

Certificates of Release to Service;

Essentially there are 3 distinct Certificate of Release to Service (CRS) – Base Maintenance Single SRS release, Line Maintenance CRS and Workshop Component CRS (Note that the Workshop CRS is presented via EASA Form 1).

Note - The Aircraft Technical Logs are considered as Continuing Airworthiness Records but only for a period of 3 years.

The Modification Status of the Aircraft

A modification will always result in a change to the aircraft. (Some Service Bulletins may result in a Modification whilst others may only require an inspection for example.)

Major Modifications require approval from EASA and are known as Supplementary Type Certificates (STC’s).

Life limited Parts

Life Limited Parts (LLP) (Components which must be removed at a certain frequency typically cycles or aircraft hours);

Certain parts (not so many these days to be fair to MSG 3) are either hard life (means they are scrap at the end of their useful life – landing gear parts are good examples) or; they have an overhaul life (means they must be removed and the component subject to overhaul in accordance with the requirements of the Component Maintenance Manual (CMM))

A record of Airworthiness Reviews also form part of the continuing airworthiness records.

Airworthiness Reviews consist of either a “Full Airworthiness Review” or “Airworthiness Review Extension” The full review consist of back to birth records inspection together with a physical aircraft inspection. An extension on the other hand consists only of a documentation inspection for the preceding 1 year.

Additionally Continuing Airworthiness Records include the aircraft repair history going back to birth (delivery).

For additional details of SOL online training courses please see www.sofemaonline.com or email office@sassofia.com or online@sassofia.com