How to Perform an Aircraft Safety Audit
The proper inspection and maintenance of aircraft is essential to the safety of any flight. Auditing the aircraft maintenance program is a great tool to use to ensure all aircraft systems have been properly inspected and maintained within the requirement standards of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the aircraft manufacturer. In addition to meeting the required standards, there are sources available from the FAA that provide a history of problems with specific aircraft. An auditor can use these sources to be sure that the inspection includes steps that check for problems discovered and documented from the experience of others.
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Things You'll Need
- Aircraft pilot operating handbook
- Aircraft maintenance log book
- Aircraft minimum equipment list
- Airworthiness Directives
- Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins
- Service Difficulty Reports
- Internal procedures manual
Instructions
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Use of Resources
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1
Gather all of the data for the specific aircraft being audited. Gather the make, model, and serial number of the aircraft, engine, and all installed avionics.
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2
Review the aircraft maintenance log book for required inspections. Look specifically for the 100-hour inspection or progressive inspection if the aircraft is used for commercial purposes, and the annual inspection for all aircraft. Review the FAA regulations specific to the type of flight operation to determine the types of inspections and intervals.
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3
Cross-check the aircraft's minimum equipment list with the equipment on the aircraft. Be sure that all equipment listed is properly installed and operable. If there are any discrepancies, look for any waivers or other approvals for operating the aircraft without a specific item.
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4
Review all FAA Airworthiness Directives (ADs), which are mandatory maintenance items, issued for the aircraft. Inspect the maintenance procedures to ensure that each required directive has been complied with and annotated in the maintenance log.
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5
Review Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins (SAIBs) published by the FAA for the specific aircraft to look for items that have been recommended for inspection, but not required.
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Review maintenance alerts that the FAA receives from other aircraft owners and operators regarding the specific aircraft and all of its systems.
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Review the workshop's maintenance internal procedures. The procedures should have a description describing the types of approved tools and parts they have in inventory to ensure they are in compliance with minimum FAA standards. Look for checks and balances the technicians use to avoid losing parts, overlooking steps in maintenance procedures, and providing other internal quality control measures.
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Tips & Warnings
Create a written checklist for the inspection to improve efficiency and to avoid overlooking any inspection items. Prior to the inspection, separate the required items from the recommended items so that you can quickly demonstrate that the aircraft is in compliance with the minimum standards, and to what degree it exceeds published standards.
Aircraft maintenance is a very complicated and specialized field. Maintenance requirements and the written compliance by maintenance shops can be very complicated to understand. It is advisable to have a licensed mechanic or well-referenced consultant to either assist or conduct the safety audit.
