AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING – MRCET (UGC – Autonomous)

AIRCFRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING (R15A2125)

COURSE FILE
IV B. Tech I Semester
(2019-2020)
Prepared By
Dr. Sreenadh Chevula, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Aeronautical Engineering

MALLA REDDY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

(Autonomous Institution – UGC, Govt. of India)
Affiliated to JNTU, Hyderabad, Approved by AICTE - Accredited by NBA & NAAC – ‘A’ Grade - ISO 9001:2015 Certified)
Maisammaguda, Dullapally (Post Via. Kompally), Secunderabad – 500100, Telangana State, India

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AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING

(R15A2125)

UNIT – I: NECESAITY & DEVELOPMENT OF MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS

Definition of maintenance, role of the engineer, role of the mechanic, two types of maintenance, reliability,
establishing a maintenance program. Goals and objectives of maintenance. Maintenance steering group(MSG)
Approach, process – Oriented maintenance, task- oriented maintenance, current MSG process – MSG – 3,
maintenance program documents.
UNIT – II: AVIATION CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND DOCUMENTATION FOR
MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING
Aircraft certification, delivery inspection, operator certification, certification of personnel, aviation industry
interaction; types of documentation. Manufacturer`s documentation, regulatory documentation. Airline
generated documentation. ATA document standards. Objectives of a maintenance program, outline of aviation
maintenance program, summary of FAA requirements, additional maintenance program requirements;
organization of maintenance and engineering, organization structure, M&E organization chart, general
groupings, managerial level functions- technical services, aircraft maintence, overhaul shops, material.
UNIT – III: TECHNICAL SERVICES
Engineering: makeup of engineering, mechanics and engineers, engineering department functions, engineering
order preparation; production planning & control – forecasting, production planning, production control ,
Organization of PP&C; technical publications- functions of technical publications, airline libraries, control of
publications,; Technical Training-organization, training for aviation maintenance, airframe manufacturer`s
training courses,
UNIT – IV: MAINTENANCE AND MATERIAL SUPPORT
Line maintenance(on – aircraft), functions that control maintenance, MCC responsibilities, general line
maintenance operations, aircraft logbook, ramp and terminal operations, maintenance crew requirement,
morning meeting; Hangar Maintenance (on-aircraft)-organization of hangar maintenance, problem areas in
hangar maintenance, maintenance support shops, ground support equipment, typical C – check: Shop data
collection; Material support –organization and function of material. Material directorate, M&E support functions

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UNIT – V : OVERSIGHT FUNCTIONS, ART & SCIENCE OF TROUBLE SHOOTING

Quality Assurance , quality audits, ISO 9000 quality standard, technical records, Quality control-quality control
organization, FAA and JAA QC inspector qualifications. Basic inspection policies,; Reliability – definition and
types of reliability, elements of a reliability program, Maintenance safety – safety regulations, maintenance
safety program, general safety rules, accident and injury reporting . Human factors in maintenance, Trouble
shooting, knowledge of malfunctions, Basic concepts of trouble shooting.
Text Books:
1. Kinnison, H.A , Aviation Maintenance Management, Mc Graw – Hill – 2004.
2. Mc Kinley, J.L. Bent, R.D ., Maintenance and Repair of Aerospace Vehicles, Northrop Institute of
Technology, Mc Graw Hill, 1967.
Reference Books:
1. Friend, C.H., Aircraft maintence Management. Longman, 1992.
2. Kroes, M., Watkins. W., and Delp. F. Aircraft Maintenance and Repair, Tata Mc Graw – Hill. 2010

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UNIT-I
NECESAITY & DEVELOPMENT OF
MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS
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1.1 MAINTENANCE:
Aircraft maintenance is the performance of tasks required to ensure the continuing airworthiness of an aircraft
or aircraft part, including overhaul, inspection, replacement, defect rectification, and the embodiment of
modifications, compliance with airworthiness directives and repair
I.e. Aircraft maintenance is an area of significant importance because maintaining an aircraft in a good condition
increases aviation safety. Modern aviation maintenance is divided into four checks: A; B; C; and D checks (will
be explained in details in the further sections). These checks are carried out at predetermined times based on the
number of flight cycles (landings and take-offs) or flight time.
Finally, we can say that, the maintenance of an aircraft provides assurance of flight safety, reliability, and
airworthiness.” The aircraft maintenance department is responsible for accomplishing all maintenance tasks as
per the aircraft manufacturer and the company’s requirements. The goal is a safe, reliable, and airworthy aircraft.
The aircraft maintenance department provides maintenance and preventive maintenance to ensure reliability,
which translates into aircraft availability. These functions do not preclude a random failure or degradation of any
part or system, but routine maintenance and checks will keep these from happening and keep the aircraft in good
flying condition.
1.2 ROLE OF THE ENGINEER:
The design of systems or components is not only limited by the imperfections of the physical world (i.e., the
“natural entropy” of the system), it is also limited by a number of other constraints which we could refer to as
“man-made entropy.” A design engineer may be limited from making the perfect design by the technology or
the state of the art within any facet of the design effort. He or she may be limited by ability or technique; or,
more often than not, the designer may be limited by economics; i.e., there just is not enough money to build that
nearly perfect system that is on the drawing board or in the designer’s mind. Although the designer is limited by
many factors, in the tradition of good engineering practice, the designer is obliged to build the best system
possible within the constraints given.
Another common situation in design occurs when the designer has produced what he or she believes is the
optimum system when the boss, who is responsible for budget asks, “How much will it cost to build this?” The
designer has meticulously calculated that these widgets can be mass produced for $1200 each. “Great,” says the
boss. “Now redesign it so we can build it for under a thousand dollars.” That means redesign, usually with
reduced tolerances, cheaper materials, and, unfortunately, more entropy. More entropy sometimes translates into

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more maintenance required. The design engineer’s primary concern, then, is to minimize (not eliminate) the
entropy of the system he or she is designing while staying within the required constraints.
1.3 THE ROLE OF THE MECHANIC
The mechanic [aircraft maintenance technician (AMT), repairer, or maintainer], on the other hand, has a different
problem. Let us, once again, refer to the field of thermodynamics. One important point to understand is that
entropy not only exists in every system, but that the entropy of a system is always increasing. That means that
the designed-in level of perfection (imperfection?) will not be permanent. Some components or systems will
deteriorate from use, and some will deteriorate from lack of use (time or environment related). Misuse by an
operator or user may also cause some premature deterioration or degradation of the system or even outright
damage. This deterioration or degradation of the system represents an increase in the total entropy of the system.
Therefore, while the engineer’s job is to minimize the entropy of a system during design, the mechanic’s job is
to combat the natural, continual increase in the entropy of the system during its operational lifetime.
To summarize, it is the engineer’s responsibility to design the system with as high degree of perfection (low
entropy) as possible within reasonable limits. The mechanic’s responsibility is to remove and replace parts,
troubleshoot systems, isolate faults in systems by following the fault isolation and restore systems for their
intended use.
1.4 TWO TYPES OF MAINTENANCE
Figure 1-1 is a graph showing the level of perfection of a typical system. One hundred percent perfection is at
the very top of the y-axis. The x-axis depicts time. There are no numbers on the scales on either axis since actual
values have no meaning in this theoretical discussion. The left end of the curve shows the level of perfection
attained by the designers of our real world system. Note that the curve begins to turn downward with time. This
is a representation of the natural increase in entropy of the system—the natural deterioration of the system—
over time. When the system deteriorates to some lower (arbitrarily set) level of perfection, we perform some
corrective action: adjusting, tweaking, servicing, or some other form of maintenance to restore the system to its
designed-in level of perfection. That is, we reduce the entropy to its original level. This is called preventive
maintenance and is usually performed at regular intervals. This is done to prevent deterioration of the system to
an unusable level and to keep it in operational condition. It is sometimes referred to as scheduled maintenance.
This schedule could be daily, every flight, every 200 flight hours, or every 100 cycles (a cycle is a take-off and
a landing).

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Figure 1-2 shows the system restored to its normal level (curves a and b). There are times, of course, when the
system deteriorates rather rapidly in service to a low level of perfection (curve c). At other times the system
breaks down completely (curve d). In these cases, the maintenance actions necessary to restore the system are
more definitive, often requiring extensive testing, troubleshooting, adjusting, and, very often, the replacement,
restoration, or complete overhaul of parts or subsystems. Since these breakdowns occur at various, unpredictable
intervals, the maintenance actions employed to correct the problem are referred to as unscheduled maintenance.

Figure 1-1 the difference between theory and practice.

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Figure 1-2 Restoration of system perfection.

1.5 RELIABILITY
The level of perfection we have been talking about can also be referred to as the reliability of the system.
The designed-in level of perfection is known as the inherent reliability of that system. This is as good as the
system gets during real world operation. No amount of maintenance can increase system reliability any higher
than this inherent level. However, it is desirable for the operator to maintain this level of reliability (or this level
of perfection) at all times.
REDESIGN
Figure 1-3 shows the original curve of our theoretical system, curve A. The dashed line shows the
system’s original level of perfection. Our system, however, has now been redesigned to a higher level of
perfection; that is, a higher level of reliability with a corresponding decrease in total entropy. During this
redesign, new components, new materials, or new techniques may have been used to reduce the natural entropy
of the system. In some cases, a reduction in man- made entropy may result because the designer applied tighter
tolerances, attained improved design skills, or changed the design philosophy.

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Figure 1-3 Effects of redesign on system reliability.

Although the designers have reduced the entropy of the system, the system will still deteriorate. It is quite
possible that the rate of deterioration will change from the original design depending upon numerous factors;
thus, the slope of the curve may increase, decrease, or stay the same. Whichever is the case, the maintenance
requirements of the system could be affected in some way. If the decay is steeper, as in (B) in Fig. 1-3, the point
at which preventive maintenance needs to be performed might occur sooner, and the interval between subsequent
actions would be shorter. The result is that maintenance will be needed more often. In this case, the inherent
reliability is increased, but more maintenance is required to maintain that level of reliability (level of perfection).
Unless the performance characteristics of the system have been improved, this redesign may not be acceptable.
A decision must be made to determine if the performance improvement justifies more maintenance and thus an
increase in maintenance costs. Conversely, if the decay rate is the same as before, as shown in curve C of Fig.
1-3, or less steep, as shown in curve D, then the maintenance interval would be increased and the overall amount
of preventive maintenance might be reduced. The question to be considered, then, is this: Does the reduction of

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maintenance justify the cost of the redesign? This question, of course, is a matter for the designers to ponder, not
the maintenance people.

Cost.
Figure 1-4 Perfection vs. cost.

One of the major factors in redesign is cost. Figure 1-4 shows the graphs of two familiar and opposing
relationships. The upper curve is logarithmic. It represents the increasing perfection attained with more
sophisticated design efforts.
1.6 ESTABLISHING A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
Although there has been a considerable amount of improvement in the quality and reliability of
components and systems, as well as in materials and procedures, over the 100-year life of aviation, we still have
not reached total perfection. Aviation equipment, no matter how good or how reliable, still needs attention from
time to time. Scheduled maintenance and servicing are needed to ensure the designed-in level of perfection
(reliability). Due to the nature of the real world, some of these components and systems will, sooner or later,
deteriorate beyond a tolerable level or will fail completely. In other instances, users, operators, or even
maintenance people who interface with these components and systems can misuse or even abuse the equipment
to the extent of damage or deterioration that will require the need for some sort of maintenance action. We have
seen that components and systems fail in different ways and at different rates. This results in a requirement for
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unscheduled maintenance that is somewhat erratic and uncertain. There are often waves of work and no-work
periods that need to be managed to smooth out the workload and stabilize the manpower requirements.
Those components exhibiting life limits or measurable wear-out characteristics can be part of a
systematic, scheduled maintenance program. Design redundancy, line replaceable units, and minimum dispatch
requirements have been established as management efforts to smooth out maintenance workload. But there are
numerous components and systems on an aircraft that do not lend themselves to such adjustment for convenience.
Occasionally, inspections and/or modifications of equipment are dictated—within specified time limits—by
aviation regulators as well as by manufacturers. It is necessary, then, that the maintenance and engineering
organization of an airline be prepared to address the maintenance of aircraft and aircraft systems with a well-
thought-out and well executed program. The remainder of this textbook will address the multi-faceted process
known as aircraft maintenance and engineering.
The program discussed herein has been created over the years by concentrated and integrated efforts by
pilots, airlines, maintenance people, manufacturers, component and system suppliers, regulatory authorities, and
professional and business organizations within the aviation industry. Not every airline will need to be organized
and operated in the same manner or style, but the programs and activities discussed in this text will apply to all
operators.
1.7 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF MAINTENANCE
A goal is a point in time or space where you want to be; a level of accomplishment you want to achieve. An
objective is the action or activity you employ in order to help you achieve a specific goal. In other words, a goal
is where you want to be; an objective is how you plan to get there.
The maintenance programs currently in use in commercial aviation were developed by the industry using two
basic approaches: the process – oriented approach and the task – oriented approach. The differences in these two
methods are twofold
(a)The attitude toward maintenance actions and
(b) The manner in which maintenance actions are determined and assigned to components and systems.
Although the commercial aviation industry has recently gone to the task oriented approach for the most recent
airplane models, there are many older airplanes still in service whose maintenance programs were developed by
the process – oriented approach.

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In recent years, McDonnell-Douglas and Boeing have developed new task – oriented maintenance programs for
some of these older model aircraft .the operator can purchase these new programs from the manufacturer.
The process-oriented approach to maintenance uses three primary maintenance processes to accomplish the
scheduled maintenance actions. These processes are called hard time (HT), on-condition (OC), and condition
monitoring (CM). The hard time and on-condition processes are used for components or systems that,
respectively, have definite life limits or detectable wear-out periods.
Maintenance must ensure that the flight department has vehicles available to carry out the flight schedule, and
this schedule should be met with all required maintenance completed. Therefore, the goals of an airline
maintenance program can be stated as follows:
• To deliver airworthy vehicles to the flight department in time to meet the flight schedule
• To deliver these vehicles with all necessary maintenance actions com-pleted or properly deferred
The objectives of an airline in-service maintenance program are as follows:
1) To ensure the realization of the inherent safety and reliability levels of the equipment
2) To restore safety and reliability to their inherent levels when deterioration has occurred
3) To obtain the information necessary for adjustment and optimization of the maintenance program when
these inherent levels are not met
4) To obtain the information necessary for design improvement of those items whose inherent reliability
proves inadequate
5) To accomplish these objectives at a minimum total cost, including the costs of maintenance and the cost
of residual failures
1.8 THE MAINTENANCE STEERING GROUP (MSG) APPROACH
This maintenance steering group (MSG) approach to maintenance program development was so successful on
the 747 that it was modified slightly for use with other aircraft. The specific references to the 747 airplane were
removed, and the new generalized process could be used on all aircraft. It was renamed MSG-2 and applied to
the development of maintenance programs for the Lockheed L-1011 and the McDonnell-Douglas DC-10
airplanes. Other slight modifications were made to the process in 1972 by European manufacturers, and the
resulting procedure used in Europe became known as EMSG.
The MSG-2 process was slightly different for the three maintenance areas studied: (a) systems and components;
(b) structures; and (c) engines. Table 1-1 summarizes the steps for each:

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TABLE 1-1 MSG-2 Process Steps

Source: Airline/Manufacturer Maintenance Program Document-MSG-2: R&M Subcommittee, Air

Transport Association; March 25, 1970.
Step 1, identify the maintenance or structure items requiring analysis.
Step 2, identify the functions and failure modes associated with the item and the effect of a failure.
Step 3, identify those tasks which may have potential effectiveness.
Step 4, assess the applicability of those tasks and select those deemed necessary.
Step 5, for structures only, evaluate initial sampling thresholds.
The process flow diagram in the MSG-2 document is too complex to repeat here, especially since the MSG-2
process is no longer used. It is important, however, to understand how the maintenance processes were assigned
to the tasks selected. Figure 1.5 is a simplified diagram of that process. Briefly, if failure of the unit is safety
related (block 1) and there is a maintenance check available to detect a reduction in failure resistance (block 4),
then the item in question is identified as on-condition. If no such check is available, then the item is classified as
hard time. The student can follow the logic of Fig. 1.5 for the other conditions.

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Once the maintenance action was determined, it was necessary to define how often such maintenance should be
done. Available data on failure rates, removal rates, etc. of the item were then used to determine how often the
maintenance should be performed.

Figure 1-5 Simplified MSG-2 flow chart.

1.9 PROCESS-ORIENTED MAINTENANCE

Process-oriented maintenance programs are developed for aviation using decision logic procedures developed
by the Air Transport Association of America (ATA). The MSG-2 process is a bottom-up approach whereby each
unit (system, component, or appliance) on the aircraft is analysed and assigned to one of the primary maintenance
processes, HT, OC, or CM.
In general, hard time means the removal of an item at a predetermined interval, usually specified in either so
many flight hours or so many flight cycles. In some cases the hard time interval may be in calendar time. On-
condition means that the item will be checked at specified intervals (in hours, cycles, or calendar time) to
determine its remaining serviceability. Condition monitoring involves the monitoring of failure rates, removal
rates, etc. to facilitate maintenance planning.
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The hard time (HT) process

Hard time is a failure preventive process which requires that the item be removed from the vehicle and either
completely overhauled, partially overhauled (restored), or discarded before exceeding the specified interval.
The hard time interval may be specified by calendar time, by engine or airplane check interval (engine
change, “C” check, etc.), by landing or operating cycles, by flight hours, by block hours, by specified flights
(over water, terminating, etc.), or in conjunction with another process (OC for instance).
When HT is specified, the component will be removed from the vehicle and overhauled, restored, or
discarded, whichever is appropriate. This will be done before the component has exceeded the specified
time interval. The component overhaul or restoration will restore the component to a condition that will give
reasonable assurance of satisfactory operation until the next scheduled removal.
Ideally, hard time would be applied to a component that always fails at X hours of operation. This
component would then be replaced at the last scheduled maintenance period prior to the accumulation of X
hours; thus, the operator would get maximum hours out of the component and the component would never
fail in service (ideally).
Hard time is also applied to items having a direct adverse effect on safety and items subject to reliability
degradation with age but having no possible maintenance check for that condition. The former components,
as we will see later, are not eligible for condition monitoring because of the safety issue. The latter
components, such as rubber products, do not lend themselves to any periodic check for condition; i.e., there
is no OC check to determine how much serviceability is remaining. As an example, structural inspection,
landing gear overhaul, and replacement of life-limited engine parts are all controlled by hard time.
Frequently, mechanical linkages and actuators, hydraulic pumps and motors, electric motors and generators,
and similar items subject to a definite wear-out cycle will also be identified as hard time. For items having
clearly defined wear-out periods, hard time is probably the most economical process. However, these items
can also be OC or CM, depending on the operator, as long as they are not safety related.
The on-condition (OC) process
On-condition is a failure preventive process that requires that the item be periodically inspected or tested
against some appropriate physical standard (wear or deterioration limits) to determine whether or not the
item can continue in service. After failing an OC check, the component must be overhauled or restored

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to the extent of at least replacing out-of-tolerance parts. Overhaul or repair must restore the unit to a
condition that will give reasonable assurance of satisfactory operation for at least one additional OC check
interval. If the item cannot be overhauled or restored, or if it cannot be restored to a condition where it can
operate one more OC check period, then it should be discarded.
On-condition must be restricted to components, equipment, or systems on which a determination of
continued airworthiness may be made by measurements, tests, or other means without doing a tear-down
inspection. These on condition checks are to be performed within the time limits (intervals) prescribed for
each OC check. On-condition determination of continued airworthiness is a quantifying check with specified
tolerances and/or wear limits which must be set forth in the operator’s maintenance manuals.
The periodically scheduled OC checks must constitute meaningful determination of suitability for continued
operation for another scheduled OC check interval. If the check performed provides enough information
regarding the condition and failure resistance of the item to give reasonable assurance of its continued
airworthiness during the next check period, the item is properly categorized as on-condition. If the check
constitutes merely a maintenance task servicing, adjustment, or a go/no-go determination—and is not
making a meaningful disclosure of actual condition, the item is, in fact, operating as a condition monitored
item. It should be classified as CM and not OC. In some cases, it could even be classified as HT. A simple
operational check is not an acceptable requisite for the on-condition process. On-condition checks must
measure or evaluate the wear and/or deterioration condition of the item.
Two points to remember about the on-condition process: (a) if a satisfactory on-condition check can be
accomplished to ensure serviceability with reasonable probability until the next OC check, or if evaluation
of the OC data collected will predict failure imminence, then the OC process will achieve close to maximum
life on components and engines; and (b) on-condition applicability is limited by the requirement for a
satisfactory condition measurement or pertinent failure predicting data.
Examples of components susceptible to the on-condition process are as follows:
1. Brake wear indicator pins: Compare brake wear condition against a specified standard or limit. Brake
wear will vary considerably among operators due to operational conditions and crew habits, but the wear
indicator pin OC check will help attain near maximum usage out of each set of brakes.
2. Control cables: Measure these for diameter, tension, and broken strands.

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3. Linkages, control rods, pulleys, rollers tracks, jack screws, etc.: Measure these for wear, end or side play,
or backlash.
The condition monitoring (CM) process
The condition monitoring process is applied when neither the hard time nor the on-condition process can be
applied. The CM process involves the monitoring of the failure rates, removals, etc. of individual
components or systems that do not have a definite lifetime or a noticeable wear-out period. Condition
monitoring is not a failure preventive process as are HT and OC. There are no maintenance tasks suitable
for evaluating the life expectancy of the CM item and there is no requirement to replace the item before it
fails. Neither time nor condition standards can be used to control CM items because these components do
not have such attributes. Therefore, CM components are operated until failure occurs and replacement of
CM items is an unscheduled maintenance action.
Since CM items are operated to failure, the ATA states that these items must comply with the following
conditions:
1. A CM item has no direct, adverse effect on safety when it fails; i.e., the aircraft continues to fly to a safe
landing. Generally, CM items have only this indirect, non-adverse effect on safety due to system
redundancy.
2. A CM item must not have any hidden function (i.e., a malfunction that is not evident to the crew) whose
failure may have a direct adverse effect on safety. However, if there is a hidden function and the availability
or operation of that hidden function is verified by a scheduled operational test or other non-measurement
test made by the flight crew or maintenance crew, CM can still be used.
3. A CM item must be included in the operator’s condition monitoring or reliability program; i.e., there must
be some sort of data collection and analysis for those items for maintenance to get a better understanding of
the nature of failure for those components or systems.
In addition to the above ATA stipulations, CM items usually have no adverse relationship between age and
reliability (i.e., no predictable life expectancy). They exhibit a random failure pattern. The most appropriate
application of the condition monitoring process is to complex systems, such as avionics and electronics
components, and to any other components or systems for which there is no way to predict failures. Typical
components and systems suitable for CM include navigation and communications equipment, lights,
instruments, and other items where test or replacement will not predict approaching failure nor result in

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improved life expectancy. In aviation, CM is frequently applied to components where failure has no serious
effect on safety or airworthiness, due to redundancy, and to items not affecting airworthiness at all, such as
coffee makers, lavatories, passenger entertainment systems, etc.
Condition monitoring, which is primarily a data collection and analysis program, can also be used on HT
and OC components for verifying or adjusting the HT and OC intervals. For example, if a hard time item is
removed just prior to its expiration date and overhaul activities reveal that little or nothing needs to be done
to restore the component, then perhaps the HT interval can be extended.
Likewise, if OC checks reveal little or no maintenance requirement or that the lifetime of the component is
longer than originally expected, the OC check interval can be changed. However, without the collection of
data over a period of time (several HT periods or OC intervals), there would not be any solid justification
to change the intervals. By the same token, CM data collection may indicate that the HT or OC intervals
need to be shortened for some components. The CM program also provides data to indicate whether or not
components are being monitored under the most appropriate process
Note for the technical purists
Condition monitoring does not really monitor the “condition” of a component. It essentially monitors the
failure or removal statistics of the unit. You monitor the component’s condition with the on-condition
process.
1.10 TASK-ORIENTED MAINTENANCE
Task-oriented maintenance programs are created for aviation using decision logic procedures developed by the
Air Transport Association of America. The process called MSG-3 is a modification of and an improvement on
the MSG-2 approach. The MSG-3 technique is a top-down consequence of failure approach whereby failure
analysis is conducted at the highest management level of airplane systems instead of the component level as in
MSG-2. The MSG-3 logic is used to identify suitable scheduled maintenance tasks to prevent failures and to
maintain the inherent level of reliability of the system. There are three categories of tasks developed by the MSG-
3 approach:
1. Airframe system tasks
2. Structural item tasks
3. Zonal tasks

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Maintenance tasks for airframe systems

Under the MSG-3 approach, eight maintenance tasks have been defined for airframe systems. These tasks are
assigned in accordance with the decision analysis results and the specific requirements of the system, component,
etc. under consideration. These eight tasks are listed and defined below:
1. Lubrication. An act of replenishing oil, grease, or other substances that maintains the inherent design
capabilities by reducing friction and/or conducting away heat.
2. Servicing. An act of attending to basic needs of components and/or systems for the purpose of maintaining
the inherent design capabilities.
3. Inspection. An examination of an item and comparison against a specific standard.
4. Functional check. A quantitative check to determine if each function of an item performs within specified
limits. This check may require use of additional equipment.
5. Operational check. A task to determine if an item is fulfilling its intended purpose. This is a failure-finding
task and does not require quantitative tolerances or any equipment other than the item itself.
6. Visual check. An observation to determine if an item is fulfilling its intended purpose. This is a failure-
finding task and does not require quantitative tolerances.
7. Restoration. That work necessary to return the item to a specific standard. Restoration may vary from
cleaning the unit or replacing a single part up to and including a complete overhaul.
8. Discard. The removal from service of any item at a specified life limit.
Maintenance tasks for structural items
Airplanes are subjected to three sources of structural deterioration as discussed below.
1. Environmental deterioration. The physical deterioration of an item’s strength or resistance to failure as a
result of chemical interaction with its climate or environment. Environmental deteriorations may be time
dependent.
2. Accidental damage. The physical deterioration of an item caused by contact or impact with an object or
influence that is not a part of the airplane, or damage as a result of human error that occurred during
manufacture, operation
of the vehicle, or performance of maintenance.
3. Fatigue damage. The initiation of a crack or cracks due to cyclic loading and subsequent propagation of
such cracks.

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Inspection of airplane structures to determine if deterioration due to the above has occurred requires varying
degrees of detail. The MSG-3 process defines three types of structural inspection techniques as follows:
1. General visual inspection. A visual examination that will detect obvious, unsatisfactory conditions or
discrepancies. This type of inspection may require removal of fillets or opening or removal of access doors or
panels. Work stands and ladders may be required to facilitate access to some components.
2. Detailed inspection. An intensive visual inspection of a specified detail, assembly, or installation. It is a
search for evidence of irregularity using adequate lighting and, where necessary, inspection aids, such as
mirrors, hand lenses, etc. Surface cleaning and detailed access procedures may also be required.
3. Special detailed inspection. An intensive examination of a specific location. It is similar to the detailed
inspection but with the addition of special techniques. This examination may require such techniques as
nondestructive inspections (NDIs): dye penetrant, high-powered magnification, magnetic particle, eddy
current, etc. The special detailed inspection may also require the disassembly of some units.
Zonal Maintenance Tasks
The zonal maintenance program ensures that all systems, wiring, mechanical controls, components, and the
installation contained within the specified zone on the aircraft receive adequate surveillance to determine the
security of installation and general condition. The logical process is normally used by type certificate (TC) and
supplement type certificate (STC) holder for developing their maintenance and inspection for zonal maintenance
by using MSG-3 logic to develop a series of inspections, and a numerical reference is assigned to each zone
when it is analysed. Due to aging aircraft, the FAA has established specific damage tolerance criteria based on
inspection of an aircraft operator’s continued airworthiness program. The AC 120-93 provides for detailed
damage tolerance inspection (DTI) for repair and alterations that affect fatigue-critical structure of the aircraft.
The DTI process includes the area to be inspected, the inspection methods and techniques, and the inspection
procedures.
The program packages a number for general visual inspection tasks, generated against the item in the system’s
maintenance program, into one or more zonal surveillance tasks. Zonal maintenance and inspection level
techniques are performed in two types as in the following list.
1. General visual inspection
2. Detailed visual inspection

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1.11 THE CURRENT MSG PROCESS—MSG-3

The MSG-2 process was modified in 1980 in a document released by the Air Transport Association of America.3
The document states “MSG-3 did not constitute a fundamental departure from the previous version, but was built
upon the existing framework of MSG-2 which had been validated by 10 years of reliable aircraft operation using
the maintenance programs based thereon.”
The MSG-3 program adjusted the decision logic to provide a more straightforward and linear progression
through the logic. The MSG-3 process is a top down approach or consequence of failure approach. In other
words, how does the failure affect the operation? It does not matter whether a system, subsystem, or component
fails or deteriorates. What matters is how the failure affects the aircraft operation. The failure is assigned one of
two basic categories: safety and economic. Figure 2-2 is a simplified diagram of the first step in the MSG-3 logic
process.
The maintenance tasks resulting from the MSG-3 approach may include hard time, on-condition, and condition
monitoring tasks similar to those of MSG-2, but they are not referred to by those terms. The MSG-3 approach is
more flexible in developing the overall maintenance program. The flow chart of Fig. 2-2 is used to determine if
the failure is evident to the flight crew or hidden from them (level I analysis). Those failures that are evident are
further separated into safety related and operationally related with the latter split into those that are of economic
significance and those that are not. These types are numbered 5, 6, and 7. The significance of these categories
will be addressed later. Those failures that are determined to be hidden from the crew are divided into safety
related and non-safety related items. These are designated as categories 8 and 9.

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Figure 1-5 MSG-3—level I analysis—failure categories. (Courtesy of Air Transport Association of America,
Inc. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2003 by Air Transport Association of America, Inc. All rights
reserved.)

Figures 1-6 and 1-7 (level II analysis) are used to determine the maintenance tasks required to accommodate the
functional failure. Although the questions are similar, there is a slight difference in the way evident and hidden
failures are addressed. Note that some of the flow lines in Figs. 1-7 and 1-8 are identified as Cat 5 or Cat 8 only.
This requires some explanation. The first question in each chart, regarding lubrication or servicing, must be
asked for all functional failures (categories 5 through 9). Regardless of the answer to this question (Yes or No),
the analyst must ask the next question. For categories 6 and 7 in Fig. 1-6 and category 9 in Fig. 1-7, the questions
are asked in sequence until a Yes answer is obtained. At that point the analysis stops. For categories 5 and 8
(safety related), however, all questions must be answered regardless of the Yes or No response to any of them.

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The last block of Figs. 1-6 and 1-7 also requires some explanation. These flow charts are used for the
development of a maintenance program for a new aircraft or derivative. If progression through the chart ends up
in this block for categories 6, 7, and 9, then a redesign on the equipment involved may be considered by the
design engineers. However, if the item is safety related categories 5 or 8—then a redesign is mandatory. Once
the initial maintenance program is developed, the airline mechanics will use that program.

Figure 1.6 MSG-3—level II analysis—evident failures. (Courtesy of Air Transport Association of America,
Inc. Reprinted with permission. Copyright© 2003 by Air Transport Association of America, Inc. All rights
reserved.)
The MSG-3 process can be best understood through a step-by-step explanation of what the working groups
would do for a given analysis. Each working group will receive information about the systems and components
within their respective groups: (a) the theory of operation; (b) a description of the operation of each mode (if
there is more than one mode); (c) the failure modes of each operational mode; and (d) any data available (actual

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or estimated) on the failure rates, removal rates, etc. [such as mean time between failures (MTBF) and mean
time between unscheduled removals (MTBUR) for repairable parts; and mean time to removal (MTTR) for
nonreplicable parts]. If the system is the same as, or similar to, that used on an existing model aircraft, the group
members may only need refresher training on the operation and on the failure modes. If the equipment is new,
or has been extensively modified for the new model aircraft, the learning process may take a little more time.
The airframe manufacturer is responsible for providing this training to the working groups. The manufacturer is
also responsible for furnishing any available performance and failure rate data to the working groups.
Once the group assimilates this information, they begin to run through the logic diagrams, answering the
questions appropriately and determining the maintenance approach that best suits the problem. Each failure in
each operational mode is addressed. The working group first determines if the failure is hidden to the crew or is
obvious (block 1 of Fig. 2-2). Then they determine whether or not the problem is safety related and, in the case
of evident failures, whether or not it has operational impact. Next, they determine which maintenance tasks
should be applied using Figs. 2-3 and 2-4 (level II analysis). Finally, the group determines at what maintenance
interval that task should be performed. This latter exercise makes use of the failure rate data as well as the
experience of the working group members.

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Figure 1.7 MSG-3—level II analysis—hidden failures. (Courtesy of Air Transport Association of America,
Inc. Reprinted with permission. Copyright© 2003 by Air Transport Association of America, Inc. All rights
reserved.)
1.12 THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM DOCUMENTS
The result of the MSG-3 analysis constitutes the original maintenance program for the new model aircraft and
the program that is to be used by a new operator of that model. The tasks selected in the MSG process are
published by the airframe manufacturer in an FAA approved document called the Maintenance Review Board
Report (MRBR). This report contains the initial scheduled maintenance program for U.S. certificated operators.
It is used by those operators to establish their own FAA approved maintenance program as identified by their
operations specifications.

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The MRBR includes the systems and power plant maintenance program, the structural inspection program, and
the zonal inspection program. It also contains aircraft zone diagrams, a glossary, and a list of abbreviations and
acronyms.
In addition to the MRBR, the manufacturer publishes its own document for maintenance planning. At Boeing,
this document is called the maintenance planning data (MPD) document. McDonnell-Douglas called it the on
aircraft maintenance planning (OAMP) document. At Airbus Industries, it is called the maintenance planning
document (MPD). We will use the acronym MPD/OAMP to refer to all such documents. These documents
contain all the maintenance task information from the MRBR plus additional tasks suggested by the airframe
manufacturer. The MPD/OAMP also sorts the tasks in various ways to aid in planning. This document often
groups by letter check and by hours, cycles, and calendar time.
These manufacturer’s documents also contain diagrams showing the location and numbering of access doors and
panels, aircraft dimensions, and other information to aid the development of maintenance programs and the
planning of maintenance checks. The latter includes man-hour requirements for each task. These are only
estimates of the time required to do the actual work prescribed. They do not include the time required to open
and close doors or panels, position work stands, to analyze or troubleshoot problems, or to correct any
discrepancies found during conduct of the task. These estimated times must be altered by the operator to
accommodate the actual task requirements when planning any given check activity.
MAINTENANCE INTERVALS DEFINED
The maintenance work interval depends on the aircraft manufacturer with the cooperation of the airline’s
operator discretion. Various maintenance checks have been named and defined in the MSG-3 process and are to
be considered standard. However, many airlines have defined their own named intervals, but as long as the
integrity is maintained of the original maintenance required task or an approved FAA deviation. Aircraft
maintenance checks are normally driven by total air time (TAT), the number of hours an aircraft has flown, and
total landing cycles (CYC), which translates into each time an aircraft lands it generates one cycle. Under FAA
oversight, airlines and aircraft operators must prepare a continuous airworthiness maintenance program (CAMP)
under their operations specification. The CAMP program outlines routine and detailed inspection.
Airlines and aircraft operators and airworthiness authorities commonly refer to these types of inspections as
checks. These checks are known as A, B, C, D checks.

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Daily checks
Daily checks consist of the oil level check. The oil level on the aircraft engine must be checked between 15
and 30 minutes after engine shutdown to obtain an accurate reading. This means that the oil level cannot be
checked and replenished prior to the first flight of the day. It can only be done soon after landing. (If one
must check the oil level prior to first departure, the engine must be run for 2 minutes or more to warm up
the oil. Fifteen minutes after shutting down, the oil level can be checked. This is not a normal procedure,
but it is necessary in some cases.) The daily checks also include any time-deferred maintenance items, such
as an aircraft engine being on oil watch. ETOPS-type aircraft also receive a pre departure service check,
which is also part of the daily checks.
48-hour checks
A48-hour check, for most aircraft models, replaces what used to be called a daily check. The 48-hour check
is performed every 48 hours depending on airline operations specifications. This check may include tasks
that are more detailed than the daily checks; for example, items such as wheel and brake inspection,
replenishment of fluids such as engine oil and hydraulic, auxiliary power unit oil replenishment and
inspection, general visual inspection of the fuselage, wings, interior, and flight deck.
Hourly limit checks
Certain checks determined by the MSG analysis have maintenance tasks assigned by the number of hours
the unit or system has been operating: 100, 200, 250 hours, etc. This approach is used for engines, airplane
flight controls, and numerous other systems that are operating on a continual basis during the flight or on
the ground.
Operating cycle limit checks
Other airplane systems are maintained on a schedule determined by the number of operating cycles they
have endured. For example, landing gear is used only during takeoffs and landings, and the number of those
operations will vary with the flight schedule. Airframe structures, power plant/engine components, such as
LP and HP impellors and HP turbine blades and some other components are also subject to cyclic stresses
and will have numerous tasks in this category.
Letter checks
Until the development of the Boeing 777, all aircraft utilizing the MSG-3 processes for maintenance
program development had various letter checks identified in the maintenance program. These checks were

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identified as A, B, C, and D checks. The Boeing 777, using a modified MSG-3 process (called MSG-3,
Revision 2) eliminated the letter checks.6 every task that was not on the transit check was identified by
hours or cycles only, and these tasks were not grouped into letter checks as was done for previous model
aircraft. This produced an optimum maintenance program in that it allowed maintenance to be done at the
most appropriate time for the equipment or system. For the operator, it makes the program more adaptable
to their needs. Some operators, however, still schedule this maintenance in blocks at specific time or cycle
intervals.
Changing Basic Maintenance Intervals
Operational conditions will often require that an operator change the basic maintenance program to better
address the organizational needs and to accommodate the fifth objective of a maintenance For example,
operation in hot humid climates may require that corrosion control tasks be performed more often than the
MRB report indicates while operating the same vehicles in a dry, desert climate may reduce the needed
frequency for these tasks. In the latter situation, however, items sensitive to sand and dust will need
increased attention in the maintenance program.
It is expected that an operator will change the original maintenance intervals for certain tasks or for entire
letter checks whenever in-service experience dictates. However, to do this, the operator must have proof
that a change is warranted. The accepted proof for such maintenance interval changes is in the form of data
collected through the operator’s condition monitoring program or reliability program.

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UNIT-II
AVIATION CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
AND DOCUMENTATION FOR MAINTENANCE &
ENGINEERING
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2.1 AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION:

There are three certificates necessary for full certification of the airplane. These documents—the type
certificate, the production certificate, and the airworthiness certificate—certify, respectively, the aircraft
design, the manufacturing process, and the aircraft itself.
Type certificate (FAA form 8110.9)
To begin with, each aircraft designed and built for commercial as well as private operation must have an
approved type certificate (TC). This certificate is applied for by the designers of the vehicle once the basic
design has been determined. The TC defines the vehicle, engines and/or propellers, and the various
instruments, systems, and equipment that make up the model. If more than one engine type (i.e., derivatives
of existing engines or engines from different manufacturers) is offered for the same vehicle, the TC must
cover the characteristics and limitations of all of them. The same is true on other equipment, systems, and
accessories. The TC also defines the capabilities and limitations of the vehicle, such as passenger and cargo
carrying limits, altitude limits, fuel capacity, and top speed as well as ruising speed. All of these parameters
combined, which define the airframe/engine combination, must be identified on a data sheet attached to the
certificate. The aircraft/engine combination is designed to exacting safety and airworthiness standards set by
the FAA, and this design must be proven to the FAA by means of inspections and test flights. Final FAA
proving flight is conducted before the TC is awarded.
For variations, or derivatives, of a given model, the TC can be amended. Suppose the manufacturer builds
and sells a passenger airplane. After this model enters service, the manufacturer decides to produce an all-
cargo version of the same basic airplane. The resulting design will be different: no passenger windows,
different flooring (to handle cargo pallets), and other variations which change the basic characteristics of the
vehicle. This will require further FAA approval but, instead of issuing a new TC, the FAA will supplement
the original TC which is known as supplemental type certificate (STC).
The STC will define the existing product design change and how the new modification will be affecting the
existing product. The model/type will be added to the certificate and an additional data sheet will be attached
to delineate the new model’s characteristics and differences. A flight test proving of the new configuration
will be required, and a supplemental TC will be issued. The FAA will only issue type certificates (design
approvals) for products manufactured in the United States or for foreign-made products intended for use
under U.S. registry or by U.S. operators under lease or charter. A sample of the TC is shown in Fig. 2-1.

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Figure 2-1 FAA type certificate (sample). (1) Type of product (airplane, engine, propeller); (2) “IMPORT”
if applicable; (3) TC number as assigned; (4) applicant’s name; (5) applicable Federal Aviation Regulation;
(6) product type designation: “Airplane Model 120.” Additional models if applicable; (7) date of original
application; (8) date TC is issued. When later models are added, retain original date and add new date; (9)
signature of manager, FAA accountable directorate.

Figure 2-2 FAA supplemental type certificate (sample).

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This is the first page showing the airplanes covered. Additional information concerning the design is given in
the data sheets (not shown) attached to the TC. The TC remains in effect until superseded, revoked, or a
termination date is established by the FAA. Figure 2-2 shows a an STC.

Production certificate (FAA form 8120-4)

Once the TC is awarded, the manufacturer applies for the production certificate (PC) by submitting application
form 8110.12 to the FAA’s Manufacturing Inspection District Office (MIDO). The production certificate is
awarded after the FAA is satisfied with the quality control system that also consists of necessary manufacturing
and production facilities, effective quality system for compliance as per requirements of 14 CFR part 21, and
approved design data of each unit (aircraft) built to the TC standards. In other industries, it is possible to build a
hand-made prototype of a product which often differs from the mass-produced units. This is then used to
demonstrate the unit’s capabilities. This is not the case in aviation. Each copy of the aircraft must be built to the
type certificate standards.
A manufacturer usually gets one production certificate. Each subsequent aircraft manufactured by that company
will be added to the original PC by the FAA. Figure 2-3 shows the first page of a typical production certificate.
A production certificate may have a production limitation record (PLR), shown in Fig. 2-4, which lists all the
TCs and STCs issued to that manufacturer as well as any limitations. The PC is effective for as long as the
manufacturer complies with the requirements of the original issuance. For new technology, or for derivative or
new aircraft, the FAA may conduct additional inspections of the manufacturer’s facilities and processes if it
deems that to be necessary. The FAA may cancel, suspend, supersede, or revoke the PC for just cause at any
time.

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Figure 2-3 FAA production certificate (sample).

Figure 2-4 FAA production limitation record (sample).

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Figure 2-5 FAA airworthiness certificate (sample).

2.2 DELIVERY INSPECTION

Prior to delivery to a customer, the aircraft usually undergoes an inspection by that customer to ensure that the
vehicle has been built to the customer’s specifications and requirements. This includes basic design, options,
and customer furnished equipment (if any), down to the shape, colour, and positioning of the airline logo. This
inspection by the operator may be cursory or detailed and often includes a test flight by their own flight and
cabin crews. Any discrepancies found should be corrected by the manufacturer before delivery is taken.
Commercial carriers will often fly the aircraft “around the flag pole” at the builder’s delivery centre to perform
this checkout. Some may take the aircraft on a “shakedown flight” from the delivery centre to the carrier’s
home base. Once the customer accepts the aircraft from the manufacturer, that customer is fully responsible for
maintaining the unit in airworthy condition in accordance with its own maintenance program and regulatory
authority rules.

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2.3 OPERATOR CERTIFICATION

An operator cannot just buy an aircraft and enter into commercial service simply by getting a license and
petitioning the market for customers. In aviation, for a prospective operator to enter the business, he or she must
meet the requirements of both the Department of Commerce, with respect to the business aspects of airline
operation, and the Department of Transportation (DOT), primarily the FAA, with respect to the technical aspects.
In short, the prospective operator must provide the necessary information to ensure that he or she understands
the business of commercial aviation; understands the operational and maintenance aspects of commercial
aviation operation; and has the necessary people, facilities, and processes in place needed to carry out that
business.
The secretary of the DOT issues a “certificate of public convenience and necessity” authorizing the recipient to
enter into commercial transportation. The secretary determines that the applicant is “fit, willing, and able” to
perform the service. An operating certificate (OC) is then issued by the Flight Standards District Office (FSDO)
of the FAA to the airline company. This certificate authorizes the carrier to operate scheduled air transportation
service under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 as amended. The operating certificate is not transferable to
another operator.
The OC remains in effect indefinitely unless it is surrendered by the operator, superseded by another certificate,
or revoked by the FAA. The OC states, in part, that the airline is authorized to operate in accordance with the
Federal Aviation Act and its rules and regulations, and “the terms, conditions, and limitations contained in the
operations specification.” In part, the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 requires the airline to develop an operations
specifications document (Ops Specs) for each type of aircraft to be operated in commercial service. The Ops
Specs is a parent document; i.e., in addition to specific information listed in the document, it may identify other
airline documents, by reference, that fully describes certain airline operations that apply to the model. The Ops
Specs outlines such operational activities as (a) the type of service to be offered, passenger, cargo, or
combination; (b) the type of aircraft to be used; (c) the routes to be flown; (d) the airports and alternate airports
that will be used; (e) the navigation and communications facilities to be utilized on each route; (f ) the way points
used in navigation; and (g) the take-off and approach routes, including any alternate approach routes, at each
airport. The Ops Specs must also identify the maintenance and inspection program applicable to the model,
including the scheduled and unscheduled maintenance programs; the inspection program; and the engine and
equipment repair program (off-aircraft maintenance). Other aspects of maintenance, such as the quality assurance

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and reliability programs, will also be defined. If any portion of the aircraft or systems maintenance is performed
by a third party, that agreement must also be addressed in the Ops Specs.
The operations specifications document is a detailed document and is put together by the principal maintenance
inspector (PMI) assigned to the airline by the FAA and by the airline personnel. It is tailored to each operation.
2.4 CERTIFICATION OF PERSONNEL
The minimum requirements for airline operations under part 121 state that the airline must have sufficient full-
time qualified management and technical personnel to ensure a high degree of safety in its operations. The basic
personnel requirements are a director of safety; a director of operations, a director of maintenance, a chief pilot,
and a chief inspector. This is only a suggestion, however. The FAA goes on to say that they may approve any
other number of positions and any other titles as long as the operator can show that it can perform the operation
safely. The people in such positions must have the necessary “training, experience, and expertise”3 for
conducting the business of aviation and must be knowledgeable of the regulatory and airline policies and
procedures as they relate to their specific jobs. The airline identifies the “duties, responsibilities, and authority”4
of these management personnel.
2.5 AVIATION MAINTENANCE CERTIFICATIONS
Training begins with someone who is interested in becoming an aircraft maintenance technician. This normally
starts in high school. Some high schools have contracts with aviation maintenance training schools that allow
student to take classes and graduate with Airframe and Power Plant (A&P) licenses concurrent with their high
school graduation.
The aviation maintenance training schools must train all individuals and certify them in accordance with FAA
regulations. To earn an A&P license, aviation schools must fulfil three requirements, which are the bare
minimum, prior to taking the FAA’s A&P exam. The Avionics/FCC license course is optional.
1. General aviation course
2. Airframe course
3. Power plant course
4. Avionics/FCC license course

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General aviation course

The general aviation course is a building block for or a foundation to aviation maintenance. When a person
starts an aviation program, he or she has never set foot in the world of aviation maintenance and does not
know if they will succeed, since not everyone is suited for this type of work. The general aviation course
provides a systematic training approach to an industry where things change overnight. The history of
aviation, from the Wright Brothers to the moon landing to supersonic flights, has created a desire to better
understand the place of maintenance in aviation. That is where the general aviation fundamental kick starts
and delivers necessary information for one to obtain airframe and power plant ratings. General aviation
courses are easy to understand with cross references, diagrams, and subject matter, and they are an excellent
resource for someone who is starting a career in aviation maintenance. General courses also include Federal
Aviation Regulations (FAR) and Advisory Circulars (AC).
Airframe course
The airframe course book is one of the heaviest text books I have ever come across. It is full of all kinds of
information about aircraft metals, structure, and all other components, excluding the aircraft engines, which
we will discuss in the power plant section. Aircraft construction requires different types of components,
structures, and subassemblies to build an aerodynamic aircraft. Aircraft manufacturers have a systematic
approach to building an aircraft, such as body of the aircraft, tail section, and wings.
Airframe courses provide an understanding of aircraft structures and components. While students are going
through these courses, they are working hands on in shops on aircraft, learning how to cut, tear, weld, and
lubricate aircraft systems and components as they progress through the airframe course. Aviation schools
mimic the aviation maintenance shop that you will find in any aircraft maintenance facility of a repair station
or an airline. An aviation school is where a student would learn how to use complex tooling to remove and
replace components, aircraft instruments, and hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
Power plant course
Power plant history can be traced back to Leonardo da Vinci. The power plant course is an introduction to
aircraft engines, their design, and the construction of reciprocating engines and turbine engines. This course
provides a basic breakdown of power plant system/aircraft engine maintenance, the dismantling and repairing
of reciprocating and turbine engines, and learning knowledge about the future of power plant maintenance.
The power plant course also covers the operation of fuel delivery systems of an engine, functioning of cooling

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and exhaust, and maintenance and troubleshooting of ignition systems. After completion of all three general,
airframe, and power plant courses, the student must take oral and practical exams. Oral and practical tests
are proctored by an FAA flight standard inspector or by an FAA-designate mechanics examiner (DME). Oral
exams are based on knowledge of aircraft and power plants, and there are a series of questions. In the airframe
and power plant practical test, the DME will generate any type of airframe and power plant situation of
inconsistency problem, and the student must use his or her knowledge of airframes and power plants to
correctly fix the problem by using the aircraft maintenance manual as required. The aircraft maintenance
technician goes through a rigorous training and advances to master all the systems. The new training methods
are eliminating the need for avionic technicians. Now an A&P technician can perform avionics functions as
well, due to new training, user friendly manuals, AMT-friendly aircraft, and new troubleshooting systems.
Avionics/FCC license course
Avionics courses are designed to prepare a student for an entry-level position in the electronics/avionics field.
The curriculum is an introduction to electronic and avionic theory and practical applications. Avionics
technicians normally work in a line maintenance environment where they are troubleshooting aircraft
electronic systems, radar, GPWS, terrain collision and avoidance systems, removing and replacing LRUs,
and soldering broken wires. Being an avionics technician requires great attention to detail.
Aviation Industry Interaction
The aviation industry is made up of aircraft manufacturers; manufacturers and vendors of parts, systems, and
accessories for the aircraft; airline operators; third-party maintenance organizations; trade associations, such
as the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA);
flight crew, cabin crew, and mechanics’ unions; and regulatory authorities. This integrated group of
professionals is constantly working together to develop and improve aviation both technically and
operationally. This is somewhat unique compared to other transport modes. This continuous quality
improvement (CQI) concept was in effect in the commercial aviation field long before it became standard
procedure in other industries

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2.6 TYPES OF DOCUMENTATION

The documentation for maintenance is required by the FAA. Advisory Circular AC 120-16E, Air Carrier
Maintenance Programs, refers to the air carrier maintenance manual system, maintenance record/documentation
keeping system, and various other requirements. Controlled documents are used in operation and /or maintenance
of the aircraft in accordance with the FAA regulations. These types of documents have of revisions and active
and rescinded page numbers. The operator is required to use only up-to-date documents. The written information
is provided by the airframe manufacturer and the manufacturer of the systems and equipment installed on the
aircraft. The documents provided by the regulatory authority and the documentation written by the airline itself
detail the individual maintenance processes. We will be discussing the following documentation:
1. Manufacturer’s documentation
2. Regulatory documentation
3. Airline-generated documentation
4. ATA document standard
Manufacturer’s Documentation
Table 5-1 indicates the documents provided to an operator by the airframe manufacturer for the maintenance
of the aircraft. The form and content of the documents sometimes varies from one manufacturer to another.
The table identifies, basically, the type of information the airframe manufacturer makes available to its
customers. Some of the documents can be customized for the airline or operator to only include configuration
and equipment. These are called customized documents by the manufacturer and are noted at the bottom of
Table 2-1. Other maintenance documents that normally accompany aircraft manufacturer documents are the
vendor documents. These documents contain engine manufacturer, flight crew seats, passenger seats, aircraft
galley manuals, and other suppliers’ component repair manuals.

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TABLE 2-1 Manufacturer’s Documentation

Airplane maintenance manual

The airplane maintenance manual (AMM) is a formal document containing all the basic information on the
operation and maintenance of the aircraft and its on-board equipment. It starts with an explanation of how
each system and subsystem works (detailing description and operation) and describes such basic maintenance
and serving actions as removal and installation of LRUs and various tests performed on the system and
equipment, such as functional test, operational check, adjustments, the replenishing of various fluids, and
other servicing tasks. The AMM normally excludes any type of repair which may include structures or
fiberglass panelling. The AMM uses the ATA coding system.
Upon completion of a discrepancy or maintenance task, a technician signs off the log book or non-routine
work card (NRWC) using the AMM reference associated with the ATA chapter and subchapter system. (See
ATA coding later in the section on the ATA document standard).
Component and vendor manuals
Any component built by the airframe manufacturer will be accompanied by a component maintenance manual
(CMM) written by the manufacturer. Normally, the aircraft manufacturers make the aircraft, while other

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systems, such as engines, landing gears, flight crew seats, and passenger seats, are purchased from outside
vendors, but when the aircraft manufacturer sells the aircraft, the other vendors’ CMMs accompany these
items, in case parts need to be repaired or replaced. The CMM shows the breakdown of all components that
make a complete part. The components installed on the aircraft are chosen by the airlines and are installed
during or after the aircraft is completed.
For example, in the flight crew seat, if the vertical adjusting cable is broken the technician refers to the CMM
for the cable part number and removes and replaces it. The maintenance task is accomplished, restoring a
component and bringing it back to a serviceable state. CMM are commonly used in a shop situation, since
airlines normally remove and replace complete part assemblies to save time. The CMM is part of the technical
data normally approved by the FAA.
Fault isolation manual (FIM)
The FIM contains a set of fault isolation trees provided by the aircraft manufacturer to help troubleshoot,
isolate the section where the fault occurred, and identify and pinpoint problems related to various systems and
components on the aircraft. The aircraft faults system normally shows the fault occurrence at the flight deck
on the engine-indicating and crew-alerting system (EICAS) message screen.

Figure 2-6 Example of an FIM.

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The EICAS shows faults in a yellow/amber color, which alerts the flight crew that a fault has occurred. The
FIM is a block diagram that provides a reference to AMM tasks and subtasks. At the end of each task, it will
ask, “Is the fault removed?” The AMT must follow the subsequent arrows indicating Yes or No to further
troubleshoot. If no further maintenance is required, the discrepancy has been resolved and no further action
needs to be taken. The flow diagram is designed to locate many but not all problems within the various
systems.
Figure 2.6 is an example of an FIM:
Example: The hydraulic system does not reach normal operation range of 2900 to 3000 PSI.
Component location manual (CLM)
The CLM provides the location of all the major equipment items of the aircraft. Normally, AMTs know how
to locate a component when replacing it, but the CLM is a great tool for finding the part number of the
component and its location as well. The CLM works with four different sections within the manufacturer’s
manual system: (1) ATA coding system, (2) fin number system, (3) illustrated parts catalog (IPC) system,
and (4) item location figures. The ATA system is used to find or locate the item with the ATA chapters. The
fin number works with the illustrated parts catalog (IPC) system with item location in an alphanumeric
system. This is a great tool for helping avionics technicians to find relays and other hidden items; just type
in the fin number and part name, and the number and manual reference is displayed. The ATA zone is the
zone system designated by the manufacturer as per ATA chapters. The fourth item is the location figure,
where each zone of the aircraft is highlighted upon selection. This presents an overview of the entire zone,
including the components’ pictures and part numbers with their respective locations.
Illustrated parts catalog (IPC) The IPC is produced by the airframe manufacturer and includes list and
location diagrams of all parts used on the aircraft. This includes all parts for all systems and is usually not
customized to the airline’s configuration. However, when the aircraft is customized it will show parts by
figure, part number, and item number with aircraft applicability. Every aircraft is given a serial number, along
with an aircraft registration number, which is used in the IPC for affectivity reason when searching for a part
by using the ATA chapters. The IPC shows assemblies, subassemblies, alternate part numbers, and part
interchangeability along with any modifications if performed on parts by the service bulletin, the IPC will
show these parts as pre- or post-modification.

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Storage and recovery document (SRD)

The SRD contains information needed to address maintenance and servicing of aircraft that are to be out of
service and stored for long periods of time. This includes the procedures for draining certain fluids, moving
the aircraft so that tires will not go flat, and protecting components from the weather. In the older model
aircraft, this document was produced separately by the airframe manufacturer.
Structural repair manual (SRM)
The SRM is an airframe-specific manual that provides the aircraft operator with information regarding
aircraft skin and other specific tolerances and procedures in the event of minor structural damage. The SRM
gives the acceptable dimensions and limits of damage to the aircraft structure so the operator knows when
the damage should be fixed.
For example, when an aircraft incurs damage such as a dent, usually the dent is measured in by its depth and
in relation to its surrounding area to make sure there is no damage to the ribs area and to check for any
evidence of a crack. The operator then looks into the SRM for the area where the dent is located on the
aircraft to see if it will be a minor or a major repair. The SRM provides the damage tolerance which will
determine if the aircraft can fly with a minor dent that can be repaired later. The SRM will also indicate the
number of hours the aircraft can fly with the dent. There are some damages beyond SRM limits, and the
maintenance department will have to contact engineering in order for specific repair schemes to be issued. If
the damages are beyond SRM limits, the airline engineering department is in contact with the aircraft
manufacturer’s engineers. The repair is usually done by using an engineering order (EO) that will guide the
aircraft maintenance department and inspection department on how to repair and sign off, bringing the
aircraft back to an airworthy condition. Maintenance planning data document (MPD) This document (called
the on aircraft maintenance program by McDonnell-Douglas) provides the airline operator with a list of
maintenance and servicing tasks to be performed on the aircraft. It contains all items of the MRB report along
with other information. Some of these tasks are identified as certification maintenance requirements (CMRs)
and are required by the FAA in order to maintain certification of the aircraft. All other tasks, which were
developed by the MSG process (see Chap. 2) are included along with other tasks recommended by the
manufacturer. The tasks are divided into various groupings for older aircraft models—daily, transit, letter
checks, hourly limits, and cycle limits—and are used for planning purposes by the airline. Later models do
not group the tasks by letter checks, only by hours, cycles, and calendar time.

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Schematic diagram manual (SDM)

The SDM contains schematic diagrams of electrical, electronic, and hydraulic systems on the aircraft, as well
as logic diagrams for applicable systems. The diagrams in the AMM and other manuals are usually simplified
diagrams to aid in describing the system and assist in troubleshooting. The schematic manual, however,
contains the detailed information and identifies wiring harnesses, connectors, and interfacing equipment.
Wiring diagram manual (WDM)
The WDM is an essential tool for troubleshooting. The WDM provides information on the wiring runs for
all systems and components containing such elements. Due to the complexity of the modern aircraft and its
electrical system, such control devices as gauges and sensors provide and relay information to the flight deck
in a complicated network of wiring runs like a network system. The WDM shows the wire routing from the
aircraft’s nose to tail and from other sections to different connectors, on-board sensors, and control devices.
Normally wires that are routed in bundles from the airframe side of the aircraft are also shown in the WDM.
The wiring harness is a type of wiring bundle as well, but when referring to the wiring harness, we usually
are referring to the power side of the aircraft.
The wiring harness normally is connected to a fire wall, which is a connection point from the engine wire
harness to the aircraft airframe system. Fundamentals of Maintenance When removing the aircraft engine,
the wiring harness (bundle) stays with the aircraft engine, and only the cannon plugs are disconnected from
the fire wall. (Cannon plugs are the ends of the wire bundles or harnesses where all the wires are connected
by pins that provide electric current to the system when initiated). Wire harnesses are easy to repair and
troubleshoot since they do not exceed more than a few feet in length, versus the aircraft airframe side of the
wires, which can be hundreds of feet in length, depending on their routing. (Wiring harness concepts are also
used for automobile radios and other equipment, which makes for easy installation and troubleshooting.)
Aircraft wires are normally made from standard copper, and in some cases they are coated with different
alloys to prevent corrosion. Due to the large amount of current required for carrying longer distances,
aluminium wire is frequently used. Normally it is insulated by a fiberglass braid.
Unfortunately, there is no set standard for wire identification by the aircraft manufacturers, but there are
markings on aircraft wire every 15 inches or less that indicate a wire’s location and type of circuit, which
can be found in the WDM.

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2.6 REGULATORY DOCUMENTATION

The FAA issues numerous documents related to maintenance of aircraft and their systems. Table 5-2 lists the
more significant of these documents. Federal aviation regulations (FARs) In the United States, Federal laws are
collected into a document known as the code of federal regulations or CFRs. Those laws related to commercial
aviation are under title 14 of this code, aeronautics and space, parts 1 through 200. The regulations relating to
certification and operation of large, commercial aircraft—part 121—would be noted as 14 CFR 121. We usually
refer to this as FAR part 121. In this book we will use the FAR terminology and form since it is so common in
the industry. These FARs address all aspects of the aviation field, including private, commercial, and
experimental aircraft; airports; navigational aids; air traffic control; training of pilots, controllers, mechanics,
etc.; and other related activities. Advisory circulars (ACs) An advisory circular is a document issued by the FAA
to provide assistance to operators on meeting the requirements of various FARs. These ACs are not binding as
law but are merely suggestions as to how to comply with other requirements. An AC often states that it is “a
means, but not the only means” of complying with a regulation. The FAA allows some leeway in how its
regulations are met in order to achieve the desired results without trying to micromanage the operator.
TABLE 2-2 Regulatory Documents

Airworthiness directives (ADs)

The airworthiness directives are substantial regulations issued by the FAA to correct an unsafe condition that
exists in a product (aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance) and a condition that is likely to exist or
develop in other, similar products.1 An AD, whose incorporation is mandatory, may be issued initially
by the FAA when an unsafe condition is noted or it may result from FAA action after the airframe
manufacturer has issued a service bulletin (SB) relative to some noted problem. Incorporation of an SB is
optional but, if it is made into an AD by the FAA, incorporation becomes a mandatory requirement.
Aircraft owners or operators are required to maintain the aircraft in compliance with all ADs.2 Typically, an
AD will include (a) a description of the unsafe condition; (b) the product to which the AD applies; (c) the

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corrective action required; (d) date of compliance; (e) where to get additional information; and ( f )
information on alternative methods of compliance if applicable.
Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)
The NPRM is an FAA process that indicates the intent to change or amend an existing Federal Aviation
Regulation (FAR). This provides an advance notice and invites public comment on proposed rules, which
includes holding public hearings or specific activities, rendering a decision, and issuing a new rule, directive,
or requirement in the form of an FAR.
2.7 AIRLINE-GENERATED DOCUMENTATION
Table 2-3 lists the documentation that the airline will generate in order to carry out its maintenance activities.
Again, these documents may vary in name and actual content from one operator to another, but the information
identified here must be addressed by airline documentation.
Operations specifications
As an FAA requirement for airline certification. It is written by the airline in accordance with strict FAA
requirements and usually with the help of an FAA representative. The Ops Specs is required for each aircraft
type flown by the airline. It is a parent document, which refers to numerous other documents to avoid
duplication and details the airline’s maintenance, inspection, and operations programs.
TABLE 2.3 Airline-Generated Documentation

*May be manufacturer written, customer written, or a combination.

†Issued for maintenance not identified in standard maintenance plan.
Technical policies and procedures manual (TPPM)
The TPPM3 is the primary document for the airline’s M&E operation and, with other documents supplied by
the airframe manufacturer, serves as the FAA requirement for a maintenance manual per AC 120-16E. It is
usually written by engineering, to ensure technical accuracy, from inputs supplied by management

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of the various M&E organizations. It should define exactly how all M&E functions and activities will be carried
out. The TPPM is a detailed document and may be several volumes. Personnel in all units of M&E must be
trained on the TPPM, especially those parts that relate directly to that unit’s operation, so that the operation
will go smoothly.
Inspection manual (IM)
The IM may be a separate document distributed primarily to QC personnel, or it can be a chapter in the TPPM
(usual approach).4 Contents of the IM relate to all inspection activities within M&E: (a) mechanic inspection
tasks from the MPD/OAMP or the MRB report; (b) QC inspector’s tasks; (c) special inspections (hard landings,
bird strikes, etc.); (d) the airline’s required inspection item (RII) program; and (e) the paperwork, forms, and
reports required to carry out these functions. Some IMs may indicate details on the calibration of tools and test
equipment, since these are QC functions, or these may be in a separate chapter of the TPPM.
Quality assurance (QA) manual
The QA manual could be a special manual for QA auditors only, it could be part of the inspection manual, or
it could be a separate chapter in the TPPM as desired. The QA manual defines the duties and responsibilities
of the QA organization and defines the processes and procedures used in the annual quality assurance audits
conducted on the M&E units, suppliers, and outside contractors. Forms used and reports are also covered along
with the procedures for follow-up and enforcement of QA write-ups.
Reliability program manual
An airline’s reliability program, under FAA rules, must be approved by the regulatory authority, so it is usually
published as a separate document. This document defines the reliability program in detail (see Chap. 18) so
that the FAA can evaluate and approve all its elements at one time.
Minimum equipment list (MEL)
The MMEL provided by the aircraft airframe manufacturer includes all equipment and aircraft configuration
information available for the model to which it applies. The airlines pick and choose from the MMEL system
the type of MEL they would rather have due to specifications, weight variants, options installed, software and
hardware upgrades, retrofit status, engines, and airframe configuration, which later in the airline’s version
becomes an MEL. The MEL cannot be less restrictive than the MMEL.
Aircraft are designed with highly reliable equipment and systems with redundancies, but a failure can occur at
any time, and the object of an MEL is to reconcile an acceptance level of safety while operating profitably and

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with inoperative equipment. The MEL book is part of the aircraft library and includes the configuration
deviation list (CDL) and nonessential equipment and furnishing list (NEF). The MEL book is a mandatory
item for any airline’s dispatch. The MEL system is designed as an alleviating document, and its sole purpose
is to discourage the operation of any aircraft with inoperative equipment. It is almost never desirable for any
airline to dispatch aircraft with any inoperative equipment. There are some MELs that when issued require a
big penalty in passenger and cargo carrying capacity. In some such cases, the airline often decides it is better
to keep the aircraft on the ground and fix the aircraft discrepancy rather than to fly the aircraft with such
penalties. The pilot in command has the authority to refuse to fly an aircraft with an MEL such as
pressurization, air-conditioning, and antiskid system malfunctions. An aircraft can also be grounded by the
flight crew and dispatch if the MEL has been opened and closed repeatedly and is o until it is fixed prior to
MEL expiration, or an aircraft is grounded on the last day of MEL. One note to remember: the day the MEL is
issued is not counted. For example, if the MEL is opened on January 15 and the repair is category B the time
interval, which is 3 days, will begin on January 16, and it will expire on January 18 at midnight.
MEL categories may vary from operator to operator. There are four MEL categories:
Category A MEL is normally 1 to 2 days, unless specified for such MEL where it could be a 1-day flight MEL,
depending on the restrictions.
Category B MEL is normally issued for 3 consecutive calendar days.
Category C MELs shall be repaired within 10 days.
Category D MEL items must be replaced in 120 calendar days. This is a part that is normally considered for
replacement.
Task cards
The task cards produced by the airframe manufacturer are usually for one action only. These procedures may
call for the mechanic to open panels, set certain circuit breakers “in” or “out,” turn other equipment “on” or
“off,” etc., prior to the work and to reverse these processes at the completion. Much of the work done
at an airline during an aircraft check, however, involves the combination of several tasks to be performed by
the same mechanic or crew within the same area or on the same equipment. To avoid unnecessary duplication
of certain actions, and the unnecessary opening and closing of the same panels, etc., most airlines write their
own task cards to spell out exactly what to do, using the manufacturer’s cards as a guide. This eliminates the
duplicated or wasted efforts. Some airlines find it sufficient, or perhaps more expedient, to provide mechanics

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with all the manufacturer’s task cards for a given work project and allow him or her to avoid the duplications
during the work activity. Often there will be an airline task card attached to this package of cards with special
instructions for working the group of cards. Whichever approach is used, the engineering section is responsible
for creating these cards to ensure technical accuracy.
Engineering orders (EO)
Any maintenance work not covered in the standard maintenance plan developed by engineering from the MRB
report or Ops Specs data must be made official by the issuance of an EO. This is official paper work, issued
by engineering and approved by QA, and is usually implemented through the production planning and control
(PP&C) organization. In some airlines, the document may be called simply a work order.
2.8 ATA DOCUMENT STANDARDS
Line maintenance people for most airlines, especially those doing contract maintenance for other carriers, will
have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of aircraft during the course of their shift or work week. Since
aircraft doing things. This meant that their maintenance manuals were as different as their aircraft (or perhaps
more so). To reduce confusion on the line, the ATA stepped in and standardized the overall format of the
maintenance manuals so that all manufacturers’ documents would be more compatible. ATA codes are designed
to help understand different systems or system types on aircraft and their subsystems and are assigned a chapter
number. Table 2-4 shows the chapter assignment as per ATA standard. The example will be the aircraft landing
gear, which consists of landing gear, tires, brakes, antiskid system, etc. When aircraft maintenance technicians
perform any type of maintenance, such as replacing a tire, they will need to sign off the maintenance discrepancy
as “remove and replace #1 tire,” not the entire landing gear. The sign-off will consist of ATA code 32 (landing
gear system) subsystem 40 (wheel and tire assembly) and 00 at the end of the sign-off along with TAT and
aircraft cycles. This will help records personnel understand which tire has been replaced at what time and know
the aircraft’s times and cycles. This also can help the continuous analysis and surveillance system (CASS) and
the reliability department keep track of any premature failure and warranty work.

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TABLE 2-4 ATA Standard Chapter Numbers

Source: From Air Transport Association (ATA)

Figure 2.8 ATA format for maintenance manuals. (Source: Air Transport Association of America (ATA);
iSpec 2200. Reprinted with permission.)
These ATA coding systems are uniform for all models and types of aircraft, and all aircraft manufacturers use
the same coding system. The ATA codes are further broken down into three sets of two-digit numbers
followed by a three-digit number. This identifies the chapter, subject, section, and page block, respectively.
Figure 2.8 shows the structure of the number. The first two digits (ATA Chapter) are the same for all
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manufacturers and are used throughout the maintenance manual system. The second (section) and third
(subject) groups may vary from one manufacturer to another and from one model aircraft to another of the
same manufacturer because of differences in the structure of the systems to which they apply. The last group of
digits (page block) is the same for all maintenance manuals. The page blocks refer to specific types of
information contained in the airplane maintenance manual. For example, pages 001–099 are reserved for the
description and operation of the chapter’s systems. Pages 301–399 contain removal/installation procedures for
the various components within the system or chapter (see Table 5-5 for a list of page blocks). The advantage of
this system is quite apparent to a line maintenance mechanic who works on a Boeing 757, then a Douglas MD-
80, an Airbus A320, and then a Lockheed L-1011 in the course of a single day.
TABLE 2-5 Airplane Maintenance Manual Page Block Assignments

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2.9 OBJECTIVES OF A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

Objective 1.
To ensure the realization of the inherent safety and reliability levels of the equipment. This objective is satisfied
by a series of scheduled maintenance tasks. The scheduled maintenance tasks may be developed by the
manufacturer of the equipment, by the maintenance organization of the airline, a third-party maintenance
company, by some industry-supported organization (trade association), or by some combination of these.
Usually, the manufacturer supplies the operator with basic information on how the equipment works and some
basic troubleshooting techniques, as well as servicing, removal/installation procedures, and maintenance
procedures. In the commercial aviation industry, the manufacturers, the vendors, and the operators get together
and develop a maintenance program for the scheduled maintenance. The program developed is based on
knowledge of the equipment, as well as knowledge and experience with the equipment in the operational
environment.
Objective 2.
To restore safety and reliability to their inherent levels when deterioration has occurred. This objective is satisfied
by unscheduled maintenance tasks developed by the MSG process and contained in the manufacturer’s
maintenance manual. Unscheduled maintenance tasks result from a combination of activities: (a) troubleshooting
actions that determine the nature and cause of the problem; (b) removal and replacement of parts or components
to effect repair or restoration; and (c) performance of certain tests and adjustments to ensure proper operation of
the system or equipment after the “fix” has been implemented. Unscheduled maintenance tasks, developed by
the manufacturer, are sometimes modified, in the field, by the operators through experience. Such modifications,
however, must be approved by the FAA. Reports of malfunctions come from operators and users through various
means, usually a logbook kept in the airplane or by verbal or written reports from operators, flight crews, cabin
crews, users, or maintenance personnel. Maintenance tasks that result from data analysis are usually actions that
result from some form of reliability program or other failure-rate analysis activities conducted by quality control
(QC).
Objective 3.
To obtain the information necessary for adjustment and optimization of the maintenance program when these
inherent levels are not met. This objective concerns the adjustment or optimization of a maintenance program
by an operator. If it is not possible to meet the inherent safety and reliability of the

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system, or if failure rates or removal rates of certain items are too high, the problem must be investigated to
determine the reason for this condition. The problem could be in the quality of maintenance performed, the
inferiority of parts or components used in maintenance, the inadequacy of the maintenance processes and
procedures used, or in the maintenance intervals themselves. In some cases, the problem may be electromagnetic
or mechanical interference from other systems in the airplane or on the ground. As a result of such investigations,
the airline may need to adjust its maintenance program, provide additional training to its
personnel, or adjust its parts control procedures to achieve the equipment’s inherent level of safety and reliability.
Objective 4.
To obtain the information necessary for design improvement of those items whose inherent reliability proves in
adequate. This objective is applied when the operator cannot achieve the desired level of reliability due to some
deficiency in the design. If the investigation associated with objective 3 shows no deficiency in the operator’s
program or in the performance of the mechanics, then objective 4 is applied. Coordination with other operators
using the same equipment and with the manufacturer is usually involved here. A joint effort to resolve the
problem usually results in redesign by the manufacturer and subsequent
modification developed by the manufacturer and incorporated by the operator. Other operators of the same
equipment, as well as regulatory authorities, may take part in the investigation and redesign process. (This
objective can also be applied when, in the opinion of the operator, a higher level of performance is deemed
desirable for a given system.)
Objective 5.
To accomplish these objectives at a minimum total cost, including the costs of maintenance and the cost of
residual failures. This objective is important to a good, effective maintenance program. A loose interpretation of
this objective is “do not do any more maintenance than you have to, to meet inherent levels of safety and
reliability; and do not do any less maintenance than necessary to meet those levels.” In other words, a good
maintenance program, to be effective, must provide airworthy vehicles to the operations department
at a reasonable cost. As an example, suppose a component or system is checked daily, in accordance with the
scheduled maintenance program, and a problem is found maybe every 2 or 3 weeks (or even less often). It is
sensible, then, to reschedule this check to perhaps a weekly or even a biweekly interval to reduce maintenance
costs. When it comes to maintenance, more is better but only up to a point. Too little maintenance may lead to

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early degradation and failure. But increasing the maintenance beyond that which restores the inherent level of
safety and reliability will provide no additional benefit, although it will cause increased maintenance costs.
Economy must also be considered when modifications are suggested by the manufacturer or others. Objective 5
requires that the airline weigh the cost of making the modification against the benefits derived from the
modification. The benefits may result in increased operational capabilities and at the same time reduced
maintenance costs. At times, however, the cost of modification may not be justified. If the cost of modification
exceeds the savings, then the modification is not justified unless the measurable increases in performance nd/or
safety can justify the cost.
2.10 AVIATION MAINTENANCE PROGRAM OUTLINED (AC 120-16E)
The AC 120-16E is the type of information provided by the FAA to the aviation community. The FAA requires
each commercial airline to have an operations specifications (Ops Specs) document authorizing maintenance
program, the maintenance manuals required by FAA regulations, and their operational equipment as a
commercial airliner. The AC requirement is under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), part
119, air carrier commercial operation under 14 CFR parts 121 and 135. This AC also applies to each individual
employed or engaged in air carrier maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration of its aircraft.
The following is an example of a maintenance AC 120-16E. It describes the scope and content of an air carrier
aircraft maintenance program. It explains the background of these programs as well as the FAA regulatory
requirements. FAA AC 120-16E describes the elements listed below:
1. Airworthiness responsibility
2. Air carrier maintenance manual
3. Air carrier maintenance organization
4. Maintenance record keeping system
5. Accomplishment and approval of maintenance and alterations
6. Maintenance schedule
7. Required inspection items (RII)
8. Contract maintenance
9. Personnel training
10. Continuous analysis and surveillance system (CASS)

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Airworthiness responsibility
Under FAA regulation, an air carrier or operator is responsible for all maintenance and alteration on that airline’s
aircraft. The airline must have operations specifications for each model aircraft flown and must adhere to the
FAA approved maintenance program the Ops Specs identifies. This program can be modified if the airline can
show through data and records that a change is warranted. The FAA must approve the changes. The airline must
also follow its own policies and procedures as well as those of the regulatory authority in carrying out the
maintenance and inspection program. In certain instances, an airline may have another carrier or third-party
maintenance organization do some or even all of its maintenance under contract. However, the operating airline
is responsible for ensuring that any work done for them by these outside contractors is done to the airline’s own
maintenance schedule, standards, and requirements, and in accordance with the airline’s regulatory authority
requirements regardless of those requirements governing the contracted organization.
In short, the airline (i.e., the operating certificate holder) is responsible for maintaining its own aircraft in an
airworthy condition regardless of who actually performs the work.
Air carrier maintenance manual
The airframe manufacturer and the vendors of equipment installed on the aircraft provide maintenance manuals
for the equipment. The maintenance manuals required by AC 120-16E, however, are the the air carrier’s manual
system and an expansion of the manufacturer’s manuals. While the AC specifies how
to maintain and revise, it also identifies, describes, and defines the manuals and offers detailed procedures for
accomplishing these tasks. The maintenance manuals discussed in the AC involve other areas of concern such
as administration policies and procedures, administration management and accomplishment, audit and
inspection of the maintenance program.
The AC also provides a reference in the event of a flight event, such as severe turbulence extreme maneuvers,
and such ground events as hard landing and overweight landing, and the types of inspection and maintenance
processes that must be performed following these events. The maintenance manual is the primary, all-inclusive
expression of how maintenance will be conducted and how the air carrier maintenance program will be
monitored and improved.

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Air carrier maintenance organization

FAA states that an airline must have a maintenance organization “that is able to perform, supervise, manage
and amend your program, manage and guide your maintenance personnel, and provide direction necessary to
achieve you’re as discussed in the AC are summarized as follows:
1. A director of maintenance (DOM). Responsible for overall maintenance activity. Must hold a current
FAA A&P rating.
2. A chief inspector. Responsible for all RII functions (for part 121 operator).
3. Management duties and responsibilities and their current functions as the maintenance site, including
their names.
4. An organization or process to develop and upgrade maintenance manuals that describes all aspects of the
maintenance program.
5. Procedures to ensure that all aircraft released for service after maintenance are airworthy and properly
maintained with the highest possible degree of safety.
6. Management personnel are qualified and have sufficient experience and expertise to effectively delegate,
manage, and control the maintenance program without any confusion.
7. The inspection function for RII, an integral part of maintenance, must be separated from other routine
inspection and daily maintenance functions.
8. Oversight and management activities to ensure all maintenance functions are being accomplished in
accordance and managements’ effort to ensure that the maintenance program remains effective.
Maintenance record keeping
Commercial aircraft are delivered to the operator with a U.S. standard airworthiness certificate showing that the
aircraft was built to the type certificate standards and is in an airworthy condition at delivery. It is the airline’s
responsibility to keep that aircraft in an airworthy condition. To ensure that this is accomplished, the FAA
requires the operator to keep accurate records of maintenance and alteration activities. Failure to make and keep
accurate records can subject the operator to substantial fines or imprisonment. Two types of records
are required: summary information and airworthiness status information. Other records, in various forms, must
also be kept to conduct a successful program.
One of these is the maintenance logbook. This book is maintained in the aircraft and includes flight information
relative to each leg of the flight and includes flight times, fuel and oil uplift, crew data, etc. It also provides a

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place for the flight crews to identify any maintenance-related problems they encounter during flight. The form
includes space for the mechanic to identify corrective action taken and to release the aircraft for service.
Other records must be maintained in the form of reports for certain types of maintenance problems. These would
include the mechanical reliability report MRR), the mechanical interruption summary (MIS), and reports of
major alterations and major repairs.
Accomplishment and approval of maintenance and alterations
The airline maintenance program as an entity is authorized to perform maintenance on their aircraft. The
maintenance program must include instructions for conducting maintenance on the aircraft, as well as specific
maintenance for engines, propellers, parts, and appliances. This will include scheduled and unscheduled
maintenance. Scheduled maintenance consists of tasks performed according to maintenance time limitations,
including required inspection checks. The unscheduled maintenance must follow procedures, instructions, and
standards for maintenance that occurs on an unforeseen basis. A comprehensive procedure must be followed
when performing unscheduled maintenance. The scheduled and unscheduled maintenance involves both on-
aircraft and off-aircraft (shop level). The airlines also must address major repairs and alterations that they perform
with the approved technical data from the FAA. Although a list does not exist for composite structures, airlines
are allowed to use their manuals to evaluate composite repairs or alterations of aircraft structures on a case by
case basis. Aircraft structures are divided on primary or secondary basis. The airlines
are encouraged to address aging aircraft and corrosion problems. The RII process is heavily involved when
performing modifications, major repair, or alterations to the aircraft and components. There must be a designated
RII. The FAA defines it as “those items which could result in unsafe operation of the aircraft if maintenance is
not performed correctly or if improper parts are used.”2 These RIIs appear in all elements of the operator’s
maintenance program and receive the same consideration regardless of when or where they occur. The FAA does
not specify what should be on an operator’s RII list, but it does require an airline to identify its own unique items
and to identify in writing the names of qualified and authorized personnel to perform those inspections.
Maintenance schedule
The FAA requires airlines to have maintenance time limitations or a maintenance schedule which identifies what
maintenance will be done, how it will be done, and when or how often it will be done. These regulations are
broad enough to permit airlines to tailor and organize all these individual maintenance tasks into a series of
scheduled work packages. Normally, the airlines receive maintenance task schedules from the airframe

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manufacturers which are identified in the maintenance review board (MRB) report, an FAA approved document.
Additional information and tasks related to maintenance may also be provided in other manufacturer documents,
such as the maintenance planning data (MPD) document (Airbus or Boeing). Maintenance tasks are divided into
groups based on suggested intervals—flight hours, flight cycles, or calendar items. Maintenance checks may be
done daily, after each flight, or for a specific period of operation, such as every 200 or 300 flight hours, or every
100 cycles. The manufacturer documents, however, are only guidelines. Each operator is different: airplane
configuration, operational and environmental conditions, even the quality and extent of operations and
maintenance differ from one airline to another. For these reasons, the maintenance program requirements and
the schedule for when tasks must be performed will vary from airline to airline. It is an airline’s responsibility
to adjust the initial MRB schedules to comply with the airline’s needs.
Required inspection items (RII)
The FAR 121.369(b) and 135.427(b) require airlines to designate maintenance tasks as required and deemed
necessary for RII. The RII items are directly related to flight safety and airworthiness and, if not performed
correctly as per the airlines’ manuals, could jeopardize the safety of flight due to improperly performed
maintenance tasks, parts failure, or system malfunction. The RII items’ functions are related to scheduled and
nonscheduled items, which can arise anytime during line maintenance or hangar operations. The airlines’
manuals must be designed to identify the RII procedures and RII authorization within the air carrier’s
organization. The airline must identify the RII requirement on work forms, job cards, and engineering orders
(EO). The RII inspectors must be trained in the inspection items, and they can exercise their authority to accept
or reject any item that requires an RII.
Contract maintenance
Although an airline is responsible for all maintenance on its aircraft, it does not perform all of the maintenance
itself. Very often, some or all of the maintenance may be performed under contract with some other airline, repair
station, or a third-party maintenance organization. Contract maintenance could be done on a regular basis, as is
most often the case, but there are instances when the aircraft in need of servicing in a location where the airline
has no maintenance activities of its own. In these cases, the airline will enter into a temporary, short-term, or
permanent contract agreement with a repair organization. Prior to entering into any contract type, an airline must
determine that the contract maintenance provider complies with requirements of part 121, and/or part 135 as
indicated in AC 120-16E. These requirements are demonstrated by an on-site audit, inspection of the facility and

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equipment, and the service provider having competent personnel to perform the necessary tasks as the airline’s
maintenance policies indicate. The airlines must perform random audit samples to determine risk factors which
demonstrate the work performed is satisfactory. It is the airline’s responsibility to make these arrangements to
ensure that the work is done properly, according to the airline’s own program and procedures, and maintenance
actions must be properly signed off and documented The airline is responsible for providing these outside
maintenance contractors with proper training on the airline’s policies and procedures for showing clear authority,
responsibility, direction, and for assuring that these outside maintenance personnel have the skills, facilities, and
knowledge of airlines maintenance manuals to perform the work required
Personnel training
The FARs are rather brief in stating the airline’s training requirements for aviation maintenance. Part 121, subpart
L of the FAR states, in part, that airlines should “have a training program to ensure each person (including
inspection personnel) who determines the adequacy of work done for you is fully informed about procedures and
techniques and new equipment in use and is competent to perform his or her duties. The AC 120-16E provides
more information. When an AMT is hired, he or she must go through an initial training, which normally includes
indoctrination or company orientation maintenance departments, policies and procedures, a course on the aircraft
systems, ground equipment, and hazardous materials training. The airlines must validate the AMT’s skills by
using appropriate testing methods to ensure that he or she is capable of performing maintenance tasks. Airlines
are also required to provide recurrent training, specialized training which focuses on the inspection process of
RII, boroscope, and non-destructive testing or aircraft flight controls rigging. This training is provided to
maintain their standard of competence. The airline training requirements also imply that any changes to
equipment, procedures, or regulations, must be addressed by the airline’s training organization to ensure that the
AMTs are up to date in all aspects of their job.
Continuing analysis and surveillance system
In FAR 121.373 and 135.431, continuing analysis and surveillance, the FAA indicates the need for monitoring
the airline’s activity to ensure that the inspection, maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alteration programs
outlined in Ops Spec are effective. Many operators interpret this to mean the establishment of a quality assurance
program and a reliability program. The FAA’s Advisory Circular AC 120-79A addresses the subject of
developing and implementing an air carrier CASS. It is summarized in AC 120-16E as part of the suggested
airline maintenance program.

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Essentially, CASS is a program to detect and correct deficiencies in maintenance program effectiveness and
performance through surveillance, analysis, and corrective action. It looks at possible problem areas, determines
the corrective action required, and tracks the activity afterward to determine the effectiveness of the correction.
This is accomplished through data collection and analysis and through the monitoring of all activities in the
maintenance function of the airlines, its suppliers, and its contractors. Since the CASS program is a coordinated
effort and system which includes several other departments, each department performs a CASS function and is
responsible for updating policies, procedures, and guidelines as they see fit. These departments may include
quality control (QC), quality assurance (QA), and maintenance reliability. The CASS system requires audits and
analysis of its effectiveness at identifying deficiencies, continuous cycles of surveillance, safety management,
risk management, investigation analysis, corrective action, and follow-ups
2.11 SUMMARY OF FAA REQUIREMENTS
1. To ensure the realization of the inherent safety and reliability levels of the equipment
2. To restore safety and reliability to their inherent levels when deterioration has occurred
3. To obtain the information necessary for adjustment and optimization of the maintenance program when
these inherent levels are not met
4. To obtain the information necessary for design improvement of those items whose inherent reliability
proves in adequate
5. To accomplish these objectives at a minimum total cost, including the cost of maintenance and the cost
of residual failures
To meet these objectives, an organization must perform certain scheduled maintenance tasks (objective 1) to
maintain the equipment capability. Unscheduled tasks are done whenever the equipment has deteriorated below
acceptable standards or has completely failed (objective 2). Objective 3 requires that the operator have some sort
of data collection program in place to monitor reliability levels of the equipment and investigate problem areas
to effect maintenance program improvement when applicable. Objective 3 can also address deficiencies in the
management and administrative aspects of the maintenance program. Objective 4 requires that the operator
initiate action to effect redesign if reliability standards cannot be met and this deficiency is not attributed to the
operator’s maintenance program. Objective 5 indicates that the maintenance program should be a direct asset to
the organization in that the operator does not waste time, money, or manpower performing unnecessary or
ineffective maintenance but performs only that maintenance which is necessary and performs it in a timely

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manner. To accomplish the above objectives, the programs and processes required by the FAA as described
above must be put into place. An effective maintenance program is developed for the equipment and systems
based on the best knowledge and ability of the manufacturers’ and the industry’s representatives. This
maintenance program is then employed by the operator in an effort to maintain the equipment in top operating
condition. Through the collection and analysis of performance data during actual operation, and through
monitoring the effects of maintenance within the operator’s own environment, the maintenance program can be
tweaked and adjusted, as necessary, to optimize the entire set of processes.
2.12 ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
In addition to the maintenance program elements described in the previous sections, there are a number of other
activities needed to carry out an effective maintenance and engineering program. The basic structure of the
organization discussed here may not be adequate for all maintenance organizations. Some organizations may
need to expand or combine activities, out of necessity, as dictated by the size of the specific operation. The
important thing to remember is that, regardless of the organizational arrangement, these functions are necessary
to carry out an effective and efficient maintenance and engineering program. These additional activities and their
implementing organizations are generally called engineering, material, planning, maintenance control, training,
computing, and publications. We will discuss each of these in subsequent sections.
Engineering
The primary purpose of the engineering section of the maintenance organization is to establish the initial
maintenance program from the manufacturer’s maintenance manual and other documents and to
continually upgrade the program over time. Engineering will also provide technical assistance in
troubleshooting equipment problems; develop workable maintenance processes and procedures when
required; review manufacturer’s service bulletins and other maintenance tips, changes, or suggestions;
and provide engineering expertise to the company or its hired consultants in designing and modifying the
maintenance facilities (i.e., hangars, shop, ramps, etc.).
Material
The function of the material section is to provide the maintenance organization with parts and supplies
necessary to carry out the maintenance activities. This would include the purchase and warehousing of
the necessary spare parts, supplies, and tools for the maintenance activities; issuance of parts to

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mechanics as needed; handling of warranty claims on parts, equipment, and tools; and passing repairable
components to the appropriate workshop or vendor for repair.
Planning
The planning section is responsible for planning all of the scheduled maintenance activities, including
the manpower, facilities, and supplies needed for these activities. Planning also collects data on the time,
manpower, and facilities actually used in the performance of the maintenance to accurately readjust these
requirements for use with subsequent maintenance planning activities.
Maintenance control center
The maintenance control center (MCC), sometimes called the maintenance operations control center
(MOCC), is the nerve center of the line maintenance organization; it is responsible for keeping track of
all vehicles in operation. Vehicle location, maintenance and servicing needs, and other requirements are
monitored by the MCC during the operational phase of activity via telephone, radio, facsimile, and any
other available means of communication. The MCC keeps track of the vehicles and coordinates with key
units throughout the operations, maintenance, and engineering activities so that maintenance, when
needed, can be coordinated and expedited to minimize delays and down time. The MCC locates and
dispatches the necessary personnel within the company who can provide whatever maintenance,
troubleshooting, or parts assistance that is needed to support the operational phase of the activity.
Maintenance crews at outstations can coordinate maintenance actions, the borrowing or buying of parts
locally, and even the contracting of temporary third-party maintenance personnel through the MCC at
the home base.
Training
Maintenance training is an ongoing process. Although maintenance mechanics receive initial training
through certain formal training schools to qualify for the job, continual training is required to keep them
current, to refresh their skills when necessary, and to develop new skills and learn new processes and
procedures as these are developed. The training section can be part of the maintenance and engineering
organization or it can be part of the airline’s overall training program that also covers the non-
maintenance training requirements. If a centralized training unit is used, maintenance and engineering
should appoint one of their own managers as the training focal point so that M&E needs are met. The
training section keeps records of the training received by all personnel. The training section is also

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responsible for training engineers, supervisors, managers, and inspectors, as required, so that they can
carry out their respective duties within the company’s maintenance and engineering operation.
Computing
The computing section provides the equipment, the software, the training, and the support for all
computing activities within the maintenance and engineering organization. In some airlines this section
may be included within the company’s computer organization. It is recommended, however, that
computer support for maintenance have dedicated personnel and that they work closely with, if not
directly for, the maintenance and engineering organization. Various computer programs are available for
maintenance activities, which include modules for data collection on malfunctions; for parts tracking and
control; for collecting and manipulating reliability data, such as failure rates, removal rates, and time
limitations for parts, etc.; for tracking of serial numbered parts; and for numerous other traceable
information needs for monitoring maintenance activities. All maintenance activities need to be
coordinated and tracked and the maintenance computer systems should be under the control of people
who know maintenance as well as computers.
Publications
The publication section (or technical library) of the maintenance and engineering organization is
responsible for keeping all technical publications up to date, whether they are on paper, microfilm, or
electronic media. The publications section receives all publications and is responsible for distributing the
documents or revisions (partial or complete) to the appropriate work centers. The work center personnel
are responsible for inserting changes and disposing of obsolete pages, but technical publications
personnel should spot check the work centers to see that this is being done.

2.13 ORGANIZATION OF MAINTENANCE AND ENGINEERING

The structure for an effective maintenance and engineering organization will vary with the size and type of
organization. It may also vary with the management philosophy of the company. But one thing must be kept in
mind: the organizational structure must allow the company to meet its goals and objectives and each unit within
the company must be endowed with sufficient personnel and authority to carry out those objectives and meet
those goals.

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The following structure was determined, from experience and observation, to be the most efficient and effective
one for a midsized commercial airline. For application to large or small airlines, this structure will have to be
modified;
2.14 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The basic organizational structure for our midsized airline is shown in Fig. 2.9. There are three basic concepts
underlying the structure we have defined. Two of these come from traditional management thinking. These are
the concepts of span of control and the grouping of similar functions. The third concept is somewhat unique to
aviation: the separation of production activities (maintenance and engineering) from the oversight functions of
inspection, control, and monitoring (quality assurance, quality control, reliability, and safety).
Span of control
The span of control concept may be considered passé to some, but it is still a useful concept. This concept
states that a supervisor or manager can effectively

Figure 2.9 Typical maintenance and engineering organization.

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Supervise or control three to seven people. Any less than three would be ineffective use of time and manpower,
and any more than seven would spread the boss too thin. In the organizational structure shown in Fig. 2.9, we
have adhered to this concept. The VP of maintenance and engineering supervises five directors.
Each director has the necessary number of managers under him or her to carry out the prescribed functions of
the directorate. We find that by limiting the number of people that a manager has to supervise, the
organization’s work is divided into pieces that are more easily managed without losing the people to- people
contact that is so necessary for a happy and efficient work force. At the lower levels of the organization, where
the actual maintenance work is performed by workers with many different skills, the span of control is usually
not so narrow. Aline or hangar maintenance supervisor may have as many as 20 or 30 of these specialists to
supervise. But at the upper management levels, we like to keep the span of control at the lower number. This
is not to say that a wider span cannot be utilized, however. All management activities must be organized to
work with the available resources and within the current management’s capabilities and philosophy.
Grouping of similar functions
The second basic concept of the organizational philosophy we are using is the grouping of similar functions
under one director, manager, or supervisor. What this comes down to is that all maintenance activities (line,
hangar, and MCC) are under one manager. All maintenance overhaul shop functions (electrical and electronics
shops, mechanical shops, hydraulics, etc.) are likewise grouped. All inspection activities—whether it is
inspecting the company’s workers, inspecting parts, or inspecting the suppliers of parts—are grouped into one
organization (maintenance program evaluation functions). Those handling the purchase of supplies, those
performing engineering work, and those doing the planning are also grouped accordingly so that the managers
and directors can maintain proper surveillance and control over areas in which they have expertise.
Separation of production and oversight functions
A third concept that is applied here may be unique to the maintenance organization. Under the FAA
philosophy, an airline receives certification to operate as a commercial air transport company and that
authorization is, for all practical purposes, permanent. Some foreign airlines must be recertified by their
regulatory authority annually. Under the FAA rules, for an airline to be certificated, it must have certain
programs in place, including a self-monitoring function to ensure that it is performing according to the rules
(its own rules as well as those of the regulatory authority). This alleviates the FAA from having to recertify

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each airline every year. This requirement for self-monitoring is usually in the form of quality assurance (QA),
quality control (QC), reliability, and safety programs.
2.15 THE M&E ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
Figure 2.9 is the basic organizational chart for the maintenance and engineering organization of our “typical”
midsized airline. We will briefly discuss each layer and each function. The structure starts with the VP level and
continues downward with designations Director, Manager, and Supervisor as appropriate. Your organization
may have other titles that their operatives prefer to use but the structure should be similar to Fig. 2.9.
General Groupings
Vice president of maintenance and engineering
The head of the entire maintenance and engineering function within the airline should be at a relatively high
level of the airline’s structure. He or she should be directly under the head of the airline or under the head of
the company’s operational activity (President, Chief Operating Officer, or whatever title is used). The VP of
M&E position should also be at the same level as the head of flight operations (VP Flight Ops or whatever
he or she is called). Flight operations and maintenance are considered to be two sides of the same coin; they
complement each other and carry equal weight.
The flight operations department is responsible for conducting the air transportation operations; i.e., the
flying. Maintenance and engineering, on the other hand, is responsible for delivering airworthy vehicles to
the operations department to meet the flight schedule. The M&E department is responsible for conducting
all scheduled maintenance, modification, etc. on the vehicles within the specified limits of the maintenance
schedule and still meet the operations department’s flight schedule. Without maintenance, flight operations
would be quite limited in their activities; without flight operations, maintenance wouldn’t have much purpose
in maintaining the equipment. They need each other and the airline needs both.
Directors of major functions
The five major functions shown in Fig. 2.9 are, in the order addressed in this book, technical services (which
includes engineering, planning, training, technical publications, and computing); aircraft maintenance (flight
line, hangar, outstations, and the maintenance control center); overhaul shops (for off-aircraft maintenance,
repair, and overhaul); material services (responsible for ordering and maintaining supplies, handling
warranties, and moving repairable and consumable parts through the system); and maintenance program

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evaluation (the monitoring activity for the organization, its workers and its suppliers). As you can see, there
is more here than just maintenance and engineering. We will discuss each of these in more detail later.
Managers and supervisors
Within each directorate, there are several managers. Each of these managers has a specialized area of
responsibility within the overall scope of the directorate’s function. Specific activities within each manager’s
area of responsibility require staffs of specialists with supervision by knowledgeable people. In some large
organizations, the supervisor may need additional separation of activities or duties and appoint “leads” or
“straw bosses” to decrease his span of control to a workable size. However, for most operators, the span of
control can be much wider at this level.
2.16 MANAGER LEVEL FUNCTIONS—TECHNICAL SERVICES DIRECTORATE
The technical services directorate contains numerous activities and services that support the maintenance and
inspection functions. In the typical setup of Fig. 2.9, we have identified various activities for each directorate.
Each activity is under the direction of a manager. There may be further echelons of management, such as
supervisors and leads as necessary.
Engineering
The manager of engineering is responsible for all engineering functions within the M&E organization. This
includes (a) the development of the initial maintenance program (tasks, intervals, schedules, blocking, etc.);
(b) the evaluation of service bulletins (SBs) and service letters (SLs) for possible inclusion into the airline’s
equipment; (c) oversight of the incorporation of those SBs and SLs that they deem beneficial; (d) overseeing
the incorporation of airworthiness directives (ADs), the modifications that are required by the regulatory
authority; (e) the evaluation of maintenance problems determined by the reliability program and for problems
(if any) resulting from the maintenance checks performed by maintenance; and (f ) for establishing the policies
and procedures for the M&E organization. The engineering department employs a cadre of engineering
specialists, usually enough to cover, with a high degree of expertise, any and all specialties
within the aircraft’s technical realm: power plant, structures, avionics, aircraft performance, and systems
(hydraulic, pneumatic, etc.). These positions are at the supervisor level with several engineers in each group
with their own specialties, if required.
The engineering department is also involved in the planning of facilities (new hangars, maintenance shops,
storage facilities, buildings, etc.) for the airline, which are to be used by the M&E organization. Although

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engineering usually will not actually do the design and engineering work, they will work with the engineering
consulting firm or contractor that has responsibility for the project to ensure that the final result meets the
airline’s requirements.
Production planning and control
The manager of production planning and control (PP&C) is responsible for maintenance scheduling and
planning. This function must plan and schedule the manpower, parts, facilities, tools, and any special assistance
required for all maintenance or modification activities. Included in the functions of PP&C are
the following: (a) all planning activities related to maintenance and engineering (short, medium, and long term);
(b) the establishment of standards for man hours, material, facilities, tools, and equipment; (c) work scheduling;
(d) control of hangars; (e) on-airplane maintenance; and (f) monitoring of work progress in the support shops.
Training
The manager of technical training is responsible for curriculum, course development, administration, and training
records for all formal training attended by the M&E unit’s employees. The organization coordinates any training
required outside the unit (vendor training) and coordinates with line and hangar maintenance personnel for the
development of on-the-job training and remedial or one-time training activities. The training section must be
able to establish new and special training courses to meet the needs of the airline. These course requirements are
often the result of problem investigation by reliability, incorporation of new equipment or modifications, or the
addition of aircraft types to the fleet.
Technical publications
The manager of technical publications is responsible for all technical publications used by the M&E organization.
The technical publications (Tech Pubs) keeps a current list of all documents received from manufacturers and
vendors, as well as those produced in-house by the airline. Also on record are the number of copies, in paper,
microfilm, or compact disc (CD) format, that each work center should receive. The Tech Pubs organization is
also responsible for ensuring that appropriate documents and revisions are distributed to these various work
centers. Work centers are responsible for keeping their own documents current, but Tech Pubs usually conducts
periodic checks to see that this is being done. Tech Pubs is also responsible for maintaining the main technical
library and any satellite libraries within the airline’s system, including those at outstations.

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Computing services
The manager of computing services is responsible for the definition of the M&E organization’s computing
requirements: (a) selection of software and hardware to be used, with usage information and requirements inputs
from the individual units; (b) training of maintenance, inspection, and management personnel on computer usage;
and (c) provide continuing support to the using organizations.
2.17 MANAGER LEVEL FUNCTIONS—AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE DIRECTORATE
The aircraft maintenance directorate has responsibility for the major aircraft maintenance activities: maintenance
on the flight line and maintenance performed in the hangar. Three managers’ report to the director of airplane
maintenance: one for each of these activities and one for MCC. For airlines with different model aircraft or with
two or more maintenance bases, the number of aircraft maintenance managers may be increased as necessary for
the scope of the operation.
Hangar maintenance
The manager of hangar maintenance is responsible for compliance with the airline’s policies and procedures
relative to all work done on the aircraft in the hangar, such as modifications, engine changes, “C” checks (and
higher), corrosion control, painting, etc. The hangar maintenance function also includes various support shops
(welding, seat and interior fabric, composites, etc.), as well as ground support equipment.
Line maintenance
The manager of line maintenance is responsible for compliance with the airline’s policies and procedures
relative to the work done on the aircraft on the flight line while the aircraft is in service. Such activities include
turnaround maintenance and servicing, daily checks, short interval checks (less than “A” check interval),
and “A” checks. Sometimes, simple modifications can be done by line maintenance in order to avoid
unnecessary use of the hangar. Line maintenance may also be utilized to perform line maintenance activities
for other airlines under contract.
Maintenance control center
The function known as the maintenance control center (MCC) keeps track of all aircraft in flight and at
outstations. All maintenance needs of these vehicles are coordinated through the MCC. The MCC also
coordinates downtime and schedule changes with the flight department. Some airlines might have a supervisor
of line stations to coordinate outstation activities, but he or she is often part of the home base MCC operation.

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2.18 MANAGER LEVEL FUNCTIONS—OVERHAUL SHOPS DIRECTORATE

The overhaul shops directorate consists of those maintenance shops that perform maintenance on items removed
from the aircraft. These shops include engine shop(s), electrical shop, electronics (or avionics) shop, and various
mechanical shops. These may be separate shops or some may be combined for convenience, depending on the
operation. Some of these shops may also perform contract work for other airlines.
Engine shops
The manager of the engine overhaul shops is responsible for all maintenance and repair done on the
organization’s engines and auxiliary power units (APUs). If more than one type engine is used, there may be
a separate engine shop for each type performing the work, but these would usually be under one senior
manager with a supervisor for each engine type. The engine build up activities would generally come under
the engine shop manager.
Electrical and electronics (avionics) shops
The manager of electrical/electronic shops is responsible for all off-aircraft maintenance of electrical and
electronics components and systems. There are a variety of components and systems in this field with wide
variations in the equipment and in the skills needed to address them. There may be several shops (radio,
navigation, communications, computers, electric motor–driven components, etc.) with separate supervisors.
Shops are combined at times, however, to optimize manpower and space and to reduce test equipment
inventories.
Mechanical component shops
The manager of mechanical component shops has responsibilities similar to those of the manager of avionics
shops. The only difference, of course, is that these shops would address mechanical components: actuators,
hydraulic systems and components, aircraft surfaces (flaps, slats, and spoilers), fuel systems, oxygen,
pneumatics, etc.
Structures
The structures shop is responsible for maintenance and repair of all aircraft structural components. This
includes composite material as well as sheet metal and other structural elements.

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2.19 MANAGER LEVEL FUNCTIONS—MATERIAL DIRECTORATE

The material directorate is responsible for the handling of all parts and supplies for the M&E organization: (a)
purchasing; (b) stocking and distribution (stores); (c) inventory control; and (d) shipping and receiving of parts
and supplies used by the M&E organization. This includes not only the parts and supplies used in the
maintenance, servicing, and engineering of the aircraft but also the supplies used for the administration and
management of M&E (i.e., office supplies, uniforms, etc.).
Purchasing
The manager of purchasing is responsible for buying parts and supplies and tracking these orders through the
system. This begins with the initial issue of parts when a new aircraft is added to the fleet and a continual
replenishment of those parts based on usage. The purchasing unit is also responsible for handling warranty claims
and contract repairs.
Stores
The manager of stores takes responsibility for the storage, handling, and distribution of parts and supplies used
by the maintenance personnel in line, hangar, and shop maintenance activities. Stores areas, or parts issue points,
are placed near the various work centers to allow mechanics quick access to parts and supplies and to minimize
the time spent obtaining those parts and supplies.
Inventory control
The manager of inventory control is responsible for ensuring that the parts and supplies on hand are sufficient
for the normal, expected usage rate without tying up excessive funds in nonmoving items and without running
out of stock too soon or too often for commonly used items.
Shipping and receiving
The manager of shipping and receiving is responsible for packing, way bill preparation, insurance, customs, etc.
for outgoing materials, as well as customs clearance, unpacking, receiving inspection, tagging, etc. for incoming
materials. This includes all parts being shipped into and out of the airline

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UNIT-III
TECHNICAL SERVICES

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UNIT – III
TECHNICAL SERVICES

• The technical services directorate is responsible for providing technical support and assistance;
continuous monitoring, updating, and development of maintenance programs for the airline’s
fleet type; maintenance program change; articulating aircraft manuals and their distribution; and
all other M&E activities.
• The main job of engineering is to establish the maintenance program and subsequent schedules
and to provide engineering expertise in new notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), new
airworthiness directives (ADs) review, aircraft manufacturer documents, service letters, notice to
aircraft operators, service bulletins, and to provide technical assistance to all other units within
the M&E.
• Production planning and control (PP&C), discussed, is the primary force driving the day-to-day
work activities of aircraft maintenance.
• This department is responsible for planning and scheduling all aircraft maintenance activities in
the airline.
• The other functions of technical services are Technical Publications, , which is responsible for
document receiving, distribution, and updates.
• Technical Training , is responsible for all training activities in M&E, including maintenance
management, inspection, auditing personnel, and administrative support.
• Figure shows the organizational chart of the technical services units.

Organizational chart for technical services

➢ Engineering
• Engineering is defined by the Engineers’ Council for Professional Development as the “profession
in which knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by study, experience, and
practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize economically the materials and forces

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of nature for the benefit of mankind.” The Encyclopedia Americana says “Engineers, unlike
scientists, work toward the solution of specific practical problems.”
• The Encyclopedia Britannica adds: “All engineers must have a positive interest in the translation
of the theoretical into the practical.” In other words, an engineer is one who applies mathematics
and scientific principles to the effort of resolving practical problems.
• Engineers are usually identified by some specialty: civil, mechanical, electrical, aeronautical,
transportation, nuclear, to name a few. None of these specialties apply directly to aviation except
aeronautical, and these aero engineers would normally be involved with design and development
of air and space systems and equipment which, as we have said, the airline no longer does.
• The engineering department of an airline can vary widely; they perform many functions for the
airline as a whole and specifically for the M&E organization. In some airlines, engineering is a
corporate unit separate from the M&E operations, and in others it is part of M&E.
• The size of the airline often determines which is most desirable. In those airlines where
engineering is outside the M&E organization, their function is usually oriented toward major
engineering type activities, such as the development and support of buildings and other facilities;
major aircraft modification design; and detailed engineering studies of maintenance problems as
well as other airline technical problems.

• Makeup of Engineering
• The airline engineering department is made up of the more experienced people of the
maintenance organization.
• They must be knowledgeable of the total maintenance operation as well as the airline and
regulatory requirements. Ideally, an airline would have both degreed engineers and senior
licensed mechanics in the engineering department.
• There would be engineering staff for each type of equipment: avionics, electrical, hydraulic,
pneumatic, power plant (engines and APU), structures, and mechanical systems. Avionics may
even be divided into communications and navigation systems; and mechanical systems into flight
controls, hydraulics, etc. Some airlines may have different groups of engineers for each model of
airplane and/or engine.

• Mechanics and Engineers

• Some airlines have engineering departments made up entirely of mechanics, while others have
departments made up entirely of degreed engineers. Neither of these schemes is entirely
satisfactory for our purposes.
• Although the mechanics are fully versed in the details of the systems and components in service,
are experienced in the governing rules and regulations, and understand the idiosyncrasies of their
fleet, they often do not have the same analytical discipline and other training of engineers.
• On the other hand, graduates of engineering colleges, more often than not, lack a suitable
understanding of airplanes, air-craft engines, and the multitude of systems and components
needed to provide airworthy vehicles for air transportation. The engineering curricula provide no
training in maintenance and very little about other engineering disciplines.

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• Engineers and mechanics are trained differently, and each approaches problems in different
ways. While the mechanic’s approach is somewhat reactive, the engineer’s approach is more
proactive. But, it takes both disciplines to run an effective engineering operation at an airline.

• Engineering Department Functions

• The engineering department provides preparation, study, and analysis of various aspects of the
maintenance operation.
• They evaluate maintenance requirements and establish the maintenance program for the airline.
• They also evaluate suggested modifications of aircraft systems for possible incorporation into the
fleet and provide technical assistance to maintenance.
• Engineering prepares the units for handling new equipment and facilities and provides assistance,
where needed, in all other aspects of maintenance.
• These functions are discussed below.

• Development of the maintenance program

• Each airplane model has an initial maintenance program developed by the industry working
groups and defined in the manufacturer supplied documentation.
• This is a suggested maintenance program for new operators and new equipment. Once in the
field, operators can adjust the program to suit their own needs and operational environment
• This initial maintenance program is a generalized program and must be tailored to the individual
operator from the very beginning. The manufacturer produces the FAA approved MRB report and
a maintenance planning document
• It is the responsibility of the engineering department at the airline to package these tasks into
workable units based on such factors as time, space, personnel, fleet schedules, and overall
airline capabilities. For some airlines, the designated letter checks (A, B, C, and D) are sufficient.
• .The fleet is large enough for the airline to schedule people and facilities for continuing checks
(e.g., one airplane per week or per month).
• In small airlines, there are not enough airplanes to allow this continued scheduling of “C” checks.
Due to the higher manpower requirements for the “C” check, it is necessary for the small airline
to adjust the schedule to smooth out the work.
• For most operators, the “A” check is done monthly. The “C” check comes about yearly (every 12
to 18 months for newer models) and requires a concentration of personnel for the 3 to 7 days
required to perform it.
• For the small airline, staffing this annual effort is not feasible.
• To remedy the matter, the “C” check is divided into parts, called phases, and each part is
conducted separately.
• For example, a “C” check could be divided into four phases (C1, C2, C3, and C4), each one carried
out every 3 months until the entire “C” check is performed. An air-line may divide the “C” check
into 12 packages and perform one package a month along with each scheduled “A” check. In
either case, the personnel utilization is more constant throughout the year, the checks are done
within the prescribed time limit, and the airline workload is stabilized.

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• The tasks performed by maintenance at any of these checks can be quite detailed. To ensure that
they are carried out correctly, task cards are issued to the mechanics. Many airlines use task
cards produced by the airplane manufacturers and some write their own cards. Still others
develop a combination of the two. Whichever method is used, it is the responsibility of
engineering to develop these task cards, assemble them into appropriate packages, and ensure
that they are current and effective.

•• Develop technical policies and procedures

Manual for M&E
• This document contains all the necessary information to describe the M&E organization, and its
responsibilities.
• It identifies the organizational structure, provides information on duties and responsibilities of
key personnel and key organizations, and provides a series of maps and layouts of the airline’s
facilities.
• It also gives detailed descriptions of how work is to be carried out, who is to perform the work,
and how it will be managed, inspected, and released (if applicable). Engineering is responsible for
developing this document with inputs from the other M&E units.
• The FAA defines the minimum requirements for the manual in FAR 121.369, but consideration
should be given to additional policies and procedures that provide complete instructions to
maintenance and engineering personnel for the conduct of their work.
• The manual can be a single document in loose-leaf form, it can be a series of separate
documents, or it can be a multiple-volume set

• Evaluate changes in the maintenance program

• From time to time there will be problems with the effectiveness of the maintenance program.
• Individual tasks may be ineffective or less than adequate.
• Some MRB tasks eliminated from the original program may, in retrospect, need to be reinstated.

Evaluate changes in aircraft or system configuration

• From time to time, the airplane, engine, and component manufacturers develop modifications
and improvements for their respective systems, which are intended to improve operations,
reliability, and/or maintenance processes. These are issued as service bulletins (SBs) or service
letters (SLs). If a safety or air-worthiness issue is involved, the modification may be issued by the
FAA as an airworthiness directive (AD).
• Airworthiness directives are mandatory, so there is no need for engineering to evaluate the
change. Engineering will, however, be required to provide the information needed by
maintenance to accomplish the modification regardless of whether it is an AD, SB, or SL. This will
be accomplished by issuing a detailed instruction produced in the form of an engineering order
(EO) which is discussed below.

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• Evaluation of new aircraft added to the fleet

• One of the primary functions of engineering is to evaluate new equipment for the airline.
• When the business people of the airline decide to expand the operation, one of the first
questions to resolve is “What airplane/engine combination should we buy?” Part of this decision
is based on the routes to be flown, the destination cities, the expected market share and, of
course, the cost of the equipment versus the revenue expected. These are operations and
business decisions based on market conditions and airline goals and objectives.
• Another important part of the decision, however, is “What is the best equipment to buy from the
maintenance and engineering standpoint?” The two decisions—business and technical—must be
reconciled to the satisfaction of the overall airline goals. At this point, for the sake of the present
course of study, we will skip the business decision and concentrate on the technical decision.

• Evaluation of used aircraft to be added to the fleet

• If the airline is contemplating the purchase or lease of used airplanes from another airline or
leasing organization, other items must be considered in addition to the above items relating to
equipment differences from the existing fleet. These items would include such information as the
current configuration of the airplane, including engine type; the maintenance program and check
schedule that the current operator is using; status of modifications (ADs and SBs).

• Evaluation of new ground support equipment

• On a smaller scale, the engineering department will also be called upon to evaluate the need for
new equipment in support of aircraft added to the fleet.
• This would include tools, test equipment, stands, electric and pneumatic carts, heaters; tow bars,
tractors, etc. Some existing equipment may or may not be usable with the new airplane models
(purchased or leased). In some cases, the GSE, though usable, may not be available in sufficient
quantity to serve the increased fleet size. Additional purchase would be necessary in such cases.

• Development of new facilities for M&E

• At times, it is necessary for the airline to build new facilities or expand existing ones to support
new equipment, airline expansion, or modernization efforts.
• This would include such projects as hangars, engine test facilities, component shops, storage
facilities for various types of equipment, and storage for special parts.
• The engineering department will not (usually) be involved in the design and construction of these
new facilities. That will be contracted out to more appropriate companies.
• Engineering will, however, have a considerable input into the design in terms of requirements. A
hangar, a workshop, or any other facility must be designed for the express use of the airline and
the M&E organizations that will occupy it. Therefore, the engineering department will act as
liaison between the users and the designers and builders to ensure that the finished product is
acceptable.

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• Issuance of engineering orders

• Any work performed by maintenance in the form of standard checks—daily, 48-hour, transit, “A”
check, “C” check—is done on standing orders from the VP of maintenance and engineering as
identified in the maintenance section of the Ops Specs.
• Any work not included in these standard checks must be assigned by engineering order.
• Some airlines may call this document by another name, such as work order, technical order, or
engineering authorization (EA). This EO is developed by engineering, with inputs from
appropriate work centers, to define the scope of the job and schedule the work. Work performed
as a result of SBs, SLs, ADs, and all work resulting from evaluation of problems defined by
reliability investigations or QC reports, will be issued on an engineering order.
• All work centers involved in the particular project will be defined on the EO: maintenance (line,
hangar, or shop as appropriate); material (for parts, supplies, tools); quality control (inspection of
work if required); training (remedial, upgrade, or new course).
• Engineering releases the EO after all involved organizations (maintenance, material, planning,
etc.) have agreed to its contents.

•• Provide assistance in troubleshooting

•
difficult problems
• The day-to-day problems that mechanics run into on the line, in the hangar, and in the shops, are
often routine and call for well-defined responses.
• At times, the problems are more elusive and the mechanic must apply his or her troubleshooting
skills to resolve the problem. When the problem eludes the mechanic’s expertise, assistance is
available from engineering to get to the bottom of the problem. This assistance can be given to
line, hangar, and shop people, as well as vendor’s handling warranty claims or working on
contract. Parts suppliers who perform repairs on rot able units and contractors doing third-party
maintenance may also require engineering’s assistance.
• It should be noted that this is not the primary responsibility of engineering and should be used
only in difficult circumstances. Engineering is not a substitute or replacement for maintenance.

• Other engineering functions

• Engineering can also provide expertise to training, material, the technical library, or any other
M&E organization needing technical help. They are considered the technical experts of the
organization and are available to lend technical assistance to anyone in the airline needing such
assistance.

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➢ Engineering Order Preparation

Engineering initiates an engineering order for any work not included in the standard
maintenance program plans as established by the Ops Specs. However, the need for an EO can
be generated from various sources. Its implementation can also take various paths depending
on the type and complexity of the work involved.

• For example, EOs related to maintenance modifications and other directives (ADs, SBs, SLs, etc.)
will be scheduled by the planning organization (PP&C).
• Other problems may necessitate changes in the maintenance program (intervals, tasks, etc.);
change in processes; parts procurement activities; or may require training (refresher or upgrade;
classroom or on the job).
• In these cases, the EO might be issued directly to the M&E unit or units involved. The following
eight steps generalize the process:

1. A decision is made to do work based on one of the following: reliability program alert; work
force requirement (QA, QC, maintenance manager, or mechanic); an AD, SB, SL, or fleet
campaign.
2. Engineering analyzes the work requirements (problem and solution): troubleshoot or
investigate the problem to determine scope and needs; analyze AD, SB, SL, etc. if applicable
for time, personnel, etc. requirements.
3. Determine the approach to follow: incorporate work into PP&C check or other scheduled or
unscheduled maintenance activity; schedule other corrective action as necessary; issue EO as
required.
4. Identify the needs for schedule and performance of the work: engineering studies, plans,
etc.; the need for special skills if any (in-house or contract); the need for parts and supplies
(on hand or order, consider lead time for delivery); determine need and availability for
special tools and/or test equipment needed.
5. Identify work required: personnel (maintenance, engineering, contract, etc.); facilities
(hangar space, GSE, etc.); time requirements for work to be done.
6. Call a coordinating meeting to finalize EO (if necessary): all organizations involved in the
work; coordinate and resolve difficulties.
7. Issue engineering order: PP&C will plan work and monitor execution; or EO may go directly to
material, training, etc. as necessary.
8. Engineering closes EO when all work is completed: notification comes from each work center
involved in the particular EO; for fleet campaigns, ADs, etc. involving entire fleets, EO remains
open, PP&C schedules each aircraft for incorporation; engineering closes EO when fleet is
complete.

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➢ Production Planning and Control

• Introduction
• Production is planning and control (PP&C), because of its key role in planning and scheduling, is
the heart of the maintenance and engineering (M&E) organization. Although the title PP&C is
common throughout the airline industry, the activities actually performed sometimes fall short of
the ideal notion of what PP&C should be. The PP&C organization is primarily responsible for
planning and scheduling all aircraft maintenance activity within the airline.

• PP&C Organization
• The planning work can be done by a centralized or decentralized PP&C group.
• In the centralized group, all functions—forecasting, planning, and control—are done within the
organization, with liaisons to the work centers during actual performance of work.
• In a partially decentralized organization, the forecasting and planning would be done by PP&C,
and the control would be done by personnel in the hangar or other work centers. In some
airlines, the PP&C function is entirely decentralized. That is, all the planning and control is done
by each work center.
• If the airline structure and size is such that the planning has to be done by the individual work
centers instead of a centralized group, there must still be some coordination and control at the
M&E organizational level.

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• The M&E organization is normally led by the vice president of maintenance and engineering. The
production planning and control department typically reports to the VP of M&E. The PP&C
department is normally overseen by a man-ager, followed by the maintenance planner, and long-
range planner.

• Manager, PP&C
• The PP&C manager is normally responsible for the planning department and its functions.
• This includes making sure that all assigned maintenance and inspection planning activities are
accomplished according to the airline’s policy and FAR’s and the company’s required
maintenance programs.
• The PP&C manager must have the cross-functional ability to work with other departments within
the airline’s organization; plan, coordinate, and route aircraft to maintenance bases in a timely
manner; and take appropriate and necessary action which may affect the airline’s daily operation

• Maintenance planner, PP&C

• Maintenance planners are assigned to different maintenance bases. One maintenance planner
can track two to three different maintenance bases and is normally the contact for maintenance
bases for planning schedules.
• The maintenance planner’s primary function is to develop all scheduled work and/or work scope
needed for all line maintenance and hangar maintenance aircraft.
• It is the maintenance planner’s duty to track and monitor the completion of all planned work
assigned to a maintenance base and the aircraft.
• The maintenance planner coordinates the aircraft routing to the maintenance base and also
coordinates with the stores department about any logistics required for maintenance planning.

The Production Planning & Control Department’s Function

• The PP&C title is a bit misleading.
• It implies two functions: planning and control.
• PP&C actually has three functions: forecasting, planning, and control.
• Forecasting activities include estimating maintenance workload for the existing fleet, creating
business plans, and being aware of any changes in the forecast period.
Planning involves scheduling upcoming maintenance, and includes planning and scheduling
details (manpower, parts, and facility) and timeframe requirements for such maintenance: less
than “A” check items, daily items, 48-hour checks, and letter checks. These plans would include
incorporation of SBs, fleet campaign directives (FCDs), SLs, and ADs, as well as other maintenance
tasks, such as engine changes, fuel nozzle changes, gear changes, and generator changes deemed
necessary by the airlines.
• The plan is somewhat idealized, however. During the actual performance of maintenance, many
things occur that require altering the plan.

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• The control function allows for adjustments to the plan and keeps (or attempts to keep) a check
on schedule.
• There are several methods of adjusting the plan, including deferral of maintenance to a later
check, addition of personnel to complete the work, or outsourcing the work to a contractor.
Feedback from a check allows PP&C to adjust the planning effort for future checks.
•
• The importance of planning

➢ Forecasting
• Forecasting is concerned with the future workload of the M&E organization.
• The PP&C department is responsible for reviewing and providing upcoming maintenance on the
aircraft fleet.
• This requires workload planning, goal setting, implementing, and monitoring.
• It must also take into account the routine and non routine maintenance requirements, as well as
planned changes in future operations relative to maintenance.
• Any changes in fleet size, routine structure, facilities, manpower, or skill requirements are
tracked.
• Future plans may also accommodate the aging and replacement of equipment, corrosion
prevention control program, addition of new equipment, modification of equipment, and the
upcoming ADs and SBs. Activities throughout M&E will change as these assets and requirements
change.
• The forecast function ensures that M&E and PP&C are up to date on these changes and ready to
adjust their processes and procedures accordingly.
• Forecasts are usually made for the long and short term but often an intermediate term forecast is
also made.

• Production Planning
• While forecasting is long range and general, planning deals with the day-to-day activities of M&E.

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• The goal of M&E is to deliver airworthy vehicles to the flight department in time to meet the
flight schedule, with all maintenance activities completed or properly deferred. In business terms,
this is what we “produce”— airworthy vehicles with all maintenance properly addressed. Thus,
the activities of line, hangar, and shop maintenance constitute the production aspect of M&E.
Production planning, then, is the planning of that work with the stated goals in mind.
• Production planning involves the planning of all maintenance activities: daily, 48-hour, and transit
checks; letter checks; and modifications due to airworthiness directives, service bulletins, service
letters, and engineering orders. It also involves the planning and scheduling of all aspects of these
checks, including manpower, parts, supplies, and facilities. Coordination with flight operations
and with ground handling and support activities is also included in the planning effort.

• “A” check planning

• “A” checks are usually routine.
• The tasks required are defined by engineering using the MRB or Ops Specs document. The time,
manpower, and parts and supplies needed are generally fixed.
• There are variations, however, that must be addressed. When there is a write-up in the aircraft
maintenance log that cannot be addressed at turnaround or on daily or overnight checks, it may
be deferred until a later time. The deferral may be a result of a lack of parts, a temporary lack of
skilled labor, or lack of sufficient time required (at the time of occurrence) to effect resolution. In
these cases, the deferred maintenance is scheduled by PP&C for the next “A” check.
•• The necessary parts, supplies, and personnel should be available at that time.
• Performance of an “A” check may also include, because of time and parts constraints, some “less
than “A” check” items (100 hours, 250 cycles, etc.). These may be near the time or cycle interval
and so are placed with the “A” check for convenience. If there are SBs or SLs that do not require
• extensive
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• The “B” checks, if they are used, are often similar to “A” checks but involve different tasks,
usually at intervals which fall between consecutive “A” checks.
• The planning for these is essentially the same as for “A” checks.

•• “C” check planning

• The “C” check is usually done about once a year (12 to 18 months on the newer model aircraft),
depending on the airline flight schedule.
• The planning effort is more detailed and more elaborate than for the “A” check.
• Normally, a “C” checks will take 4 to 7 days to complete, depending upon the model and the
circumstances. The number of shifts worked, the availability of manpower and parts, and the skill
requirements for the work will affect the length of time involved.
• The check will consist of three categories of tasks: routine, variable routine, and nonroutine.
• Routine tasks are those tasks identified in the MRB document. These are items that must be
performed at the specified interval. Since some of these items are performed every “C” check
and others are performed every second, third, or fourth check (2C, 3C, or 4C), the amount of time

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required to perform each scheduled check will vary from check to check. This scheduling and
variation in time requirements are PP&C’s concern.
• Variable routine tasks are those tasks which vary from one check to another and from one
aircraft to another. These tasks include incorporation of service bulletins and airworthiness
directives, as well as fleet campaigns, items deferred from previous maintenance checks, and any
other one-time maintenance actions required for a particular aircraft. The time required to
accomplish these tasks is generally fixed, so these items are similar to the routine tasks for
planning purposes.
• Non routine tasks are those work items that are generated by the accomplishment of other,
routine tasks.
• For example, if a routine task says to inspect the wheel-well area for hydraulic leaks, the task will
take a certain amount of time (scheduled). If a leak is discovered, however, it must be addressed.
This constitutes the production of a non routine maintenance task and subsequently a non
routine task card. Since the number of non routines can only be estimated and the amount of
time required to complete the non routine item varies with many factors, it becomes an
interesting task for PP&C to properly estimate the time needed to complete these non routine
items and the entire check.

• Below is a list of items that might be included in a “C” check. Not all of these would be included
each time, however.
1. “C” check items from the approved maintenance program (routine)
2. Deferred maintenance from line or other check packages (variable routine)
3. Incorporation of SBs, SLs, ADs (variable routine)
4. Incorporation of airline mods and fleet campaigns (variable routine)
5. Cleaning, painting of aircraft (variable routine)
6. Work generated by inspections and routine items (non routine).
• Once the package is set and the time estimated, PP&C must arrange for and schedule all the
necessary elements for proper execution of the package. That would include the following:
1. Locate and secure hangar space for the duration of the check
2. Obtain a release of the airplane from operations for maintenance purposes (this may be
accomplished by MCC)
3. Arrange for and schedule the washing of the aircraft
4. Secure tow vehicles and manpower needed to move the airplane to the wash rack and then
into the hangar
5. Ensure all parts and supplies needed to carry out the check will be on hand
6. Ensure delivery of those parts and supplies to the hangar at the time needed
7. Identify manpower and skills needed for the check

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➢ Production Control
• The plan produced by PP&C allows a certain amount of time for the performance work based on
past knowledge of the work to be done and also based on the assumption that parts, supplies,
manpower, and facilities will be available when needed.
• The plan also assumes that there is no variation in the flow of work activity. The PP&C planners
can only estimate the amount of time required for non routine items, and this can be less than
accurate. Take, for instance, a routine task that says “check the hydraulic line for leaks.”
• If there are no leaks, the inspection task should take a specific amount of time, but since there is
no way for the planner to determine if there will be leaks or to know the extent of any leak(s)
found, there is no way for him or her to accurately estimate the time required to perform the
nonroutine task of repairing the leaks. The time needed to fix a leak still must be estimated and
scheduled.

➢ Technical Publications
• The technical publication department is vital to aircraft maintenance operations, since this
entity is solely responsible for receiving and distributing publications throughout the airline
maintenance bases, hubs, and smaller stations.

➢ Functions of Technical Publications

The technical publication organization essentially has three functions:

1. To receive and distribute, within the airline, all those publications issued by outside
sources
2. To print and distribute the publications generated by the various organizations within
the airlines
3. To establish and maintain a complete, up-to-date library system for all such
documents needed for M&E operations.

• Outside sources of documents would include airframe and engine manufacturers, vendors and
manufacturers of equipment installed on the aircraft, and manufacturers of special tools and test
equipment used in the maintenance effort.

➢ Airline Libraries
• The primary reason for having a technical publications organization is to ensure that all applicable
publications related to the airline operation are available to the users and are up to date with the
latest changes.
• The most common way to accomplish this is to establish a main library for the M&E organization.
If the M&E organization is of any appreciable size, the location of a single library would be
inconvenient for many users and the number of copies of each document might be limited. For
that reason, the technical publications organization at most air-lines maintains, in addition to the
main library, one or more satellite libraries strategically located to minimize travel times to access
the information needed.

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• Each library—main and satellite—should contain the necessary tables, chairs, shelves, microfilm
readers and printers, computer terminals, and copy machines as needed to serve the users and
the document for-mats (paper, microfilm, electronic) which will be available there.

Satellite Libraries

➢ Control of Publications

• Maintenance-related documents are classified as either “uncontrolled” or “controlled”

documents.
• Uncontrolled documents are issued for general information only and are not used to certify
airworthiness. They do not require any of the tracking system requirements discussed below for
controlled documents.
• Controlled documents are used to certify airworthiness of the aircraft, engines, and components.
Each controlled document will contain a list of effective pages (LEP) and a record of revisions to
the document identifying the revision number or letter and the date of that revision. The LEP will
also reflect the active page numbers of the latest revision. Table below is a typical list of
controlled documents.

Controlled Documents Listing

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➢ Training Organization
• Since all airline personnel require training of one sort or another, it is necessary to have a training
organization to address these needs.
• This organization can take various forms.
• This can be an airline’s training organization, training department, or school at the corporate level
that is responsible for training of all airline personnel; or there can be a separate organization
responsible for maintenance training, flight crews, cabin crews, ground handlers, and
management and administrative personnel.
• Flight crew training is normally contracted out to various flight academies or the aircraft
manufacturer, since they have the classroom facilities, aircraft simulators, and experienced pilots
who train the flight crew.
• This depends on the airline’s size and operations. Some airlines do have in-house simulators with
a check airman pilot who acts as a flight instructor. Cabin crew is similar to aircraft flight crew in
that their training may be performed by the manufacturer or in-house. The cabin crew’s training
emphasizes safety and evacuation of the aircraft with mock-ups and what to do in the event of an
air-craft emergency on land or on water. They learn how to deploy slides and/or rafts.
• The ground handling crews have a separate training department and normally are trained in-
house due to aircraft availability.

➢ Airline Maintenance Training

• An airline maintenance training program is required by the FAA under FAR 121.375, which
requires airlines to provide training to their maintenance personnel. The airline’s maintenance
training department is responsible for having a comprehensive training program that is effective
in teaching its employees and contract maintenance workers how to service and maintain aircraft
• and their systems.
• In a commercial airline, the training department is led by the training manager, who is
responsible for accuracy, functionality, training strategies, and the quality of the maintenance
training program.
• The director of training normally works with the director of maintenance (DOM) and director of
quality control (DQC) for their personnel training. This ensures that employees schedule the
required training, refresher training for aircraft and related systems, and company-required
training in a timely manner.
• The DQC normally works with the training department to comply with any airworthiness training,
• required inspection authorization (RII), and various other QA and QC training.
• For aircraft maintenance personnel, there are several kinds of required training activities.
• The training listed here is given by an airline after hiring an AMT with a valid A&P:
• (a) organizational training;
• (b) manufacturer or vendor training;
• (c) quality training;
• (d ) on-the-job training (OJT);
• (e) equipment operation and safety training; and

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• ( f ) refresher training.

➢ Airframe Manufacturer’s Training Courses

• Whenever an airline buys one or more aircraft from the airframe manufacturer (Boeing,
Lockheed, Airbus, etc.) they usually get, as part of the purchase price, a certain number of
training slots for the manufacturer’s training classes on that model.
• This would include courses on the airframe, power plant, and avionics equipment installed. Who
attends these classes for the airline differs from operator to operator and is often dependent on
airline size and management.
• For small airlines, the mechanics who will be working on the aircraft systems while in service or
their supervisors will attend these classes.
• Very often, both will attend. In larger airlines, some or all of these training slots may be given to
the maintenance instructors of the airline’s training organization.
• The choice, of course, is at the airline’s discretion. If airline training instructors attend, they will
return with the responsibility of creating the airline’s version of the course and presenting the
material to the airline’s mechanics.
• In cases where the new equipment is only partially different from equipment currently in use—a
767-300, for instance, going to an airline that already flies 767-200s—only the differences
between the two models need be taught to the air-line personnel.
• Airframe, engine, and equipment manufacturers may provide a variety of one-time programs at
the airline venue. This might include training on such topics as extended range operations with
two-engine airplanes (ETOPS); corrosion protection and control program (CPCP); maintenance
error detection aids (MEDA); nondestructive test and inspection techniques (NDT/NDI); aviation
safety; reliability programs; and the like.
• Although these courses are presented by outside sources, the airline training office is involved,
since they must provide classroom space and other assistance as necessary and they must update
the training records of those in attendance.

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MALLAREDDY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

(UGC- AUTONOMOUS –Govt. OF INDIA)
IV-B.TECH – I SEMESTER AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING (R15A2125)
Model Paper-I
MAXIMUM MARKS: 75
PART A Max Marks: 25
i. All questions in this section are compulsory
ii. Answer in TWO to FOUR sentences.
1.
a) Define Maintenance (3)
b) Mention two types of maintenance (2)
c) Define type certificate (3)
d) Give a summary of FAA requirements (2)
e) Draw a neat of organizational chart for technical services (3)
f) Explain in brief about “A” check planning (2)
g) What is meant by line maintenance (3)
h) Write contents of Airframe log book (2)
i) What are the types of reliability (2)
j) Define Quality Assurance (3)

PART B Max Marks: 50

a. Answer only one question among the two questions in choice.

b. Each question answer (irrespective of the bits) carries 10M.

2. Explain failure rate pattern with a neat sketch [10]

OR
3. Explain maintenance steering group (MSG) approach in steps in aircraft maintenance management
with the help of line diagram [10]

4. Explain Manager level Functions of aircraft maintenance [10]

OR

5. Explain about additional maintenance program requirements [10]

6. Explain about organization of PP&C [10]

OR
7. Explain functions of engineering department in tech service. [10]

8. explain about the functions that control maintenance and MCC responsibilities [10]
OR

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9. What are the problem areas of hangar maintenance? Brief about operation of overhaul shops [10]

10. Explain about ground support equipment (GSE) in hangar maintenance of aircraft [10]
OR
11. Explain about basic inspection policies in aircraft management [10]

IV – I SEM –AME (R15A2125) Page 9

 AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING – MRCET – UGC - AUTONOMOUS

MALLAREDDY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

(UGC- AUTONOMOUS –Govt. OF INDIA)
IVB.TECH – I SEMESTER AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING (R15A2125)
Model Paper-II
MAXIMUM MARKS: 75

PART A Max Marks: 25

i. All questions in this section are compulsory

ii. Answer in TWO to FOUR sentences.

a) Outline any two maintenance objectives (2)

b) Define OC activity (3)
c) Write ant two FAA requirements (2)
d) Mention any maintenance tasks for aircraft systems (3)
e) Write any two differences of Engineer & Mechanics in their role (2)
f) State any two functions of MCC (3)
g) Mention contents of engine log book (2)
h) Differentiate between line & hangar maintenance (3)
i) Define Quality Control (3)
j) Define quality audits (2)

PART B Max Marks: 50

a. Answer only one question among the two questions in choice.

b. Each question answer (irrespective of the bits) carries 10M.

2. List out differences between intra flight (TRS) & last flight servicing [10]
OR
3. Explain maintenance program documents [10]

4. Explain task oriented maintenance approach [10]

OR
5. Explain about the types of aviation certificate with neat sketches [10]

6. Explain about production control & feedback for planning [10]

OR
7. Explain about multiple checks in production planning [10]

8. What are the functions of material directorate [10]

OR

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 AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING – MRCET – UGC - AUTONOMOUS

9. Discuss about fault isolation and fault report manual [10]

10. What are the elements of reliability program? Explain in brief about safety regulation [10]
OR

11. Explain about maintenance safety program, general safety rules [10]

IV – I SEM –AME (R15A2125) Page 11

 AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING – MRCET – UGC - AUTONOMOUS

MALLAREDDY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

(UGC- AUTONOMOUS –Govt. OF INDIA)
IVB.TECH – I SEMESTER AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING (R15A2125)
Model Paper-III
MAXIMUM MARKS: 75
PART A Max Marks: 25

i. All questions in this section are compulsory

ii. Answer in TWO to FOUR sentences.
1.
a) Write goals of maintenance (3)
b) Define Condition monitoring process (2)
c) Define task cards (3)
d) Explain the outline of aviation maintenance program (3)
e) State two functions of technical service directorate (2)
f) Define controlled documents (2)
g) State line station activity (3)
h) Write any two functions of material directorate. (2)
i) What are general safety rules (3)
j) Explain about ramp operations (2)

PART B Max Marks: 50

a. Answer only one question among the two questions in choice.

b. Each question answer (irrespective of the bits) carries 10M.

2. Explain role of an engineer of aircraft maintenance. [10]

OR
3. Explain role of mechanic in aircraft maintenance and MSG approach [10]

4. Explain steps in detail about airline generated documentation .[10]

OR
5. Explain in detail about functions of technical publications [10]

6. Explain about the airframe manufacturers training course and airline maintenance training
[10]
OR
7. Explain about requirement of Quality Assurance .[10]

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8. Explain about makeup of line maintenance .[10]

OR

9. Write functions of MCC .[10]

10. What are the elements of reliability program? Explain in brief about safety regulation .[10]
OR
11. Write short notes on .[10]
a) FAA and JAA QC inspector
b) general safety rules
.

IV – I SEM –AME (R15A2125) Page 13

 AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING – MRCET – UGC - AUTONOMOUS

MALLAREDDY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

(UGC- AUTONOMOUS –Govt. OF INDIA)
IVB.TECH – I SEMESTER AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING (R15A2125)
Model Paper-IV
MAXIMUM MARKS: 75
PART A Max Marks: 25

i. All questions in this section are compulsory

ii. Answer in TWO to FOUR sentences.
1.
a) Define reliability (2)
b) Write goals of maintenance (3)
c) Draw a neat sketch of M&E organization chart (2)
d) What is aircraft maintenance (3)
e) Define engineering order (2)
f) Draw organization chart of technical services directorate (3)
g) Define Quality control (2)
h) What do you understand by Ground service equipments (3)
i) Define elements of reliability program (2)
j) Define nondestructive test and inspection (3)

PART B Max Marks: 50

a. Answer only one question among the two questions in choice.
b. Each question answer (irrespective of the bits) carries 10M.

1. Explain about establishing a maintenance program. [10]

OR
2. Explain MSG-3 level –I analysis failure category approach
[10]
3. Explain the managerial functions of overhaul shops directorate. [10]
OR

4. Explain about overhaul shop operations [10]

OR
5. Explain the role of Production planning & control in maintenance Management [10]

6. Explain technical training organization [10]

IV – I SEM –AME (R15A2125) Page 14

 AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING – MRCET – UGC - AUTONOMOUS

7. Explain about makeup of line maintenance. [10]

OR

8. Explain about Maintenance Control Center responsibilities. [10]

9. Explain about requirement of Quality assurance. [10]

OR

10. Write short notes on [10]

a)Statistical reliability
b)Dispatch reliability.

IV – I SEM –AME (R15A2125) Page 15

 AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING – MRCET – UGC - AUTONOMOUS

MALLAREDDY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

(UGC- AUTONOMOUS –Govt. OF INDIA)
IVB.TECH – I SEMESTER AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING (R15A2125)
Model Paper-V
MAXIMUM MARKS: 75
PART A Max Marks: 25

i. All questions in this section are compulsory

ii. Answer in TWO to FOUR sentences.
1.
a) Define redesign (2)
b) State two failure pattern (3)
c) Define HT activity (2)
d) Define Zonal maintenance task (3)
e) Define engineering order (2)
f) Draw organization chart of technical services directorate (3)
g) Define management and DOM (2)
h) Explain ramp and terminal operations (3)
i) Define quality assurance (2)
j) State any two QC inspector qualifications (3)

PART B Max Marks: 50

a. Answer only one question among the two questions in choice.
b. Each question answer (irrespective of the bits) carries 10M.

2. Explain goals & objectives of maintenance [10]

OR
3. Discuss concept of reliability and redesign in context of maintenance [10]

4. Explain maintenance task for airframe systems in task oriented maintenance [10]
OR
5. Explain ‘A’ check and ‘C’ check planning in aircraft hangar maintenance [10]

6. Explain manager level functions in technical services directorate and outline of aviation
maintenance program [10]
OR
7. Explain about maintenance planning document [10]

8. Explain about hangar maintenance activity – A typical “C” check up [10]

IV – I SEM –AME (R15A2125) Page 16

 AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING – MRCET – UGC - AUTONOMOUS

OR
9. Explain about overhaul non-routine parts, parts availability & saga of parts robbing [10]

10. Explain about organization structure &TPPM [10]

OR
11. Explain about ISO-9000 quality standards in aircraft maintenance management [10]

IV – I SEM –AME (R15A2125) Page 17