U.S. Department
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St. Louis |
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March 2001 |
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www.faa.gov/fsdo/stlfsdo
Thought for the month....
Tact is the ability to say the nastiest thing in the nicest way.
Is he certified?.... How often have you taken your airplane
to your regular mechanic for its annual inspection and only looked at the bill. Never looking at the log book entry
for things he fixed, his annual inspection entry, or all the other stuff required by the regulations. Many airplane
owners have mechanics that they have been working with since they acquired their airplane and rely on that mechanic
to do what needs to be done.
How do you choose your mechanic? Is he recommended to you by a friend? Is he a friend of a friend? Maybe he has
a reputation of not fixing things unless they need fixing just so he can save you money. Or, his reputation is
one that his care of your airplane is absolute and you never have to worry about its airworthiness.
Do you really know your mechanic? Have you ever seen his mechanic certificate? Federal Aviation Regulation Section
65.89 only requires a certified mechanic to present his certificate to a law officer, NTSB representative or the
[FAA] Administrator. But if you were to ask to see it, I doubt he would take offence as long as the spirit in which
you asked is not with suspicion. I have even heard of an instance where a mechanic stated, "In all the years
I have had this certificate you are the first person who has ever asked to see it." Upon saying that he proudly
pulled it out of his wallet and showed his customer. And why shouldn't he feel proud? Don't you feel the same way
when you are asked to show your pilot's certificate? All too often the only people who ever ask mechanics to produce
their certificates are FAA Inspectors. The real purpose of this article however, is not to get aircraft owners
out making mechanics feel good, but to enable you to feel good about who is tinkering with your baby.
Some time ago I offered to give a friend a complimentary review of his airplane's maintenance records. The real
reason for this freebie was because I was going to ride in the aircraft and I wanted to assure myself that I was
in an airplane that was airworthy. Because I am an airworthiness inspector, I often see things in log book entries
that sort of jump out at me and beg me to dig deeper. So it was with the sign-off of an annual inspection on this
aircraft. What I found was that a mechanic who had performed some annuals a few years back did not hold an inspection
authorization (IA).
Part 65 of the CFR's state the privileges of a mechanics certificate. The performance of an annual inspection is
not one of those privileges. In order to perform an annual inspection a mechanic must hold an inspection authorization.
This authorization is renewed yearly and its renewal is predicated on either work activity or training. As long
as an authorized inspector is actively exercising his authority he can use that activity to justify his application
for renewal. If his inspection activity falls below the required number he can either obtain at least 8 hours of
technical training, or he may schedule with an FAA Airworthiness Inspector and renew by an oral evaluation.
A person who wishes to be granted this authorization must apply and be tested. Without testing for issuance of
the authorization that mechanic is not legally permitted to perform an annual. After passing the test he is issued
a card showing his authorization. The front of the card will show its issuance. Renewals are indicated on the backside.
The other privileges of the inspection authorization granted to mechanics are inspections of major alterations
and major repairs as well as supervising progressive inspections. The only other legal entities who may perform
the inspections mentioned above are certified repair stations and the airplane manufacturer.
Regarding the airplane in question, subsequent annual inspections were performed by a legitimate authorized inspector
and the airplane was returned to an airworthy condition. However, that leaves the question about the use of the
airplane when it did not have a legal annual. Section 91.409 states that the annual inspection must be done by
a person authorized to perform that inspection. In addition, the conditions of the Airworthiness Certificate state
that it is in effect only as long as the airplane is maintained in accordance with Parts 21, 43, and 91. Any operation
of that airplane before being inspected by a real authorized inspector was contrary to the rule that says the owner
or operator is responsible for the airworthiness of the airplane (91.7).
Airworthiness is a responsibility shared by the owner/operator and the maintenance technician. How do I ask to
see the certificate of the mechanic who has been fixing and inspecting my airplane all these years without offending
him? Use tact - and lie. "Ya know Bob, I've never seen an IA certificate. What does it look like?" Even
nasty things can be said in a nice way.
Upcoming Events
March 13th
932AAW Auditorium
Bldg. 3650
Scott AFB, IL
The Mystery of Amelia Earhart
6:30PM
March 14th
The Columns Banquet Center
St. Charles, MO
The Mystery of Amelia Earhart
6:00PM. Dinner program.
For reservations call 314-731-0199
Click Here for more information.
March 16th
St. Louis University
Carlos Auditorium
Tegler Building
Working CFI Seminar
8AM to 3PM
March 31st
Southwest Illinois College
Granite City, IL
IFR/VFR and Flying Companion Program
8AM to 1PM
GOOD MAINTENANCE IS NO ACCIDENT
Steven Long
Airworthiness Safety Program Manager
1-800-322-8876 extension 4830
Steven.Long@faa.gov
