For aircraft operated under FAR Part 91 with a FAA Standard
Airworthiness Certificate:
Private pilots or higher are permitted by Part 43
(Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Rebuilding, and
Alterations) section 43.3(g) of the Federal Aviation Regulations
to only perform "preventive" maintenance on any aircraft owned
by or operated by that pilot and not used under Parts 121, 127,
129, and 135.
Part 1 defines "Preventive Maintenance" as simple or minor
preservation operations and the replacement of small standard
parts not involving complex assembly operations.
3. Thirty-two preventive maintenance job functions are
identified in appendix A of Part
43.
4. Pilots, like mechanics, are required to be trained to perform
the preventive maintenance tasks before accomplishing the tasks
alone.
5. Private pilots or higher are required by section 43.7 to
approve an aircraft for return to service after preventive
maintenance is performed.
6. The approval for return to service logbook entry for preventive
maintenance must have the following information to comply with
section 43.9:
Date of completion of work
Description of work performed
Data used to perform the work
Signature and certificate number of the pilot approving the
aircraft for return to service. Sample entry should read as
follows:
Powerplant Logbook for Swiftfire 200 N2195T
November 30, 2000, Tach 2445.7 hours.
Drained oil and replaced with 8 quarts of (name brand of oil).
Removed oil filter and replaced with a new (name brand of) oil
filter and safetied. Cleaned spark plugs and regapped and
installed new spark plug gaskets. Spark plugs installed using
recommended torque. Spark plug leads secured. Replaced air filter
with a new (name brand of) filter. All work done in accordance
with current Swiftfire 200, and (name engine make and model)
current maintenance and parts manuals. Operational run-up and leak
check okay.
Patrick Poteen, Private Pilot
Certificate #180359122
7. The pilot’s name and certificate number constitutes an
"approval for return to service statement" only for the preventive
maintenance work performed. [ref: section 43.9(a)(4)]
8. The performance standard for quality of work the pilot must
meet is found in section 43.13, Performance rules. The standards
are:
Use the methods, techniques, and practices found in the
current manufacturer’s maintenance manual or instructions for
continued airworthiness.
Use the recommended tools, equipment, and test equipment to
accomplish the work in accordance with standard industry
practices.
If special tools are required to perform a task, then that
tool or its equivalent must be used to accomplish that task.
The work performed must be of such a quality that the
condition of the part worked on is equal to the original or
properly altered condition.
NOTES:
The pilot is required by section 21.303 of the Federal Aviation
Regulations to use replacement parts produced by the manufacturer
or parts produced under a Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) or
Technical Standard Order (TSO). The pilot can also use standard
aviation parts such as aircraft hardware, safety wire, etc. Do not
use automotive or marine parts because these are considered
suspected unapproved parts and once installed on your aircraft the
airworthiness certificate may not be valid.
There is one other rule in Part 43 that is argumentatively the
most important rule in the entire part. The rule is section 43.12
(Maintenance records, falsification, reproduction, or alteration).
Paraphrasing the rule language, the rule prohibits any individual
from making a fraudulent or intentionally false entry in any
required aircraft maintenance record. The rule also prohibits the
alteration or reproduction of aviation records for fraudulent
purpose. If a pilot is found guilty of violating section 43.12,
his/her pilot certificate can be suspended or revoked by the FAA.
Any questions? Please contact your nearest FSDO or call Bill
O’Brien at (202) 267-3796.
Bill O’Brien is an Airworthiness Aviation Safety Inspector in
Flight Standards at FAA headquarters in Washington, DC. He can be
reached at (202) 267-3796.
Appendix A to
Part 43 -- Major Alterations, Major Repairs, and Preventive
Maintenance
(c) Preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance is
limited to the following work, provided it does not involve
complex assembly operations:
(1) Removal, installation, and repair of
landing gear tires.
(2) Replacing elastic shock absorber cords on
landing gear.
(3) Servicing landing gear shock struts by
adding oil, air, or both.
(4) Servicing landing gear wheel bearings, such
as cleaning and greasing.
(5) Replacing defective safety wiring or cotter
keys.
(6) Lubrication not requiring disassembly other
than removal of nonstructural items such as cover plates,
cowlings, and fairings.
(7) Making simple fabric patches not requiring
rib stitching or the removal of structural parts or control
surfaces. In the case of balloons, the making of small fabric
repairs to envelopes (as defined in, and in accordance with, the
balloon manufacturers' instructions) not requiring load tape
repair or replacement.
(8) Replenishing hydraulic fluid in the
hydraulic reservoir.
(9) Refinishing decorative coating of fuselage,
balloon baskets, wings tail group surfaces (excluding balanced
control surfaces), fairings, cowlings, landing gear, cabin, or
cockpit interior when removal or disassembly of any primary
structure or operating system is not required.
(10) Applying preservative or protective
material to components where no disassembly of any primary
structure or operating system is involved and where such coating
is not prohibited or is not contrary to good practices.
(11) Repairing upholstery and decorative
furnishings of the cabin, cockpit, or balloon basket interior when
the repairing does not require disassembly of any primary
structure or operating system or interfere with an operating
system or affect the primary structure of the aircraft.
(12) Making small simple repairs to fairings,
nonstructural cover plates, cowlings, and small patches and
reinforcements not changing the contour so as to interfere with
proper air flow.
(13) Replacing side windows where that work
does not interfere with the structure or any operating system such
as controls, electrical equipment, etc.
(14) Replacing safety belts.
(15) Replacing seats or seat parts with
replacement parts approved for the aircraft, not involving
disassembly of any primary structure or operating system.
(16) Trouble shooting and repairing broken
circuits in landing light wiring circuits.
(17) Replacing bulbs, reflectors, and lenses of
position and landing lights.
(18) Replacing wheels and skis where no weight
and balance computation is involved.
(19) Replacing any cowling not requiring
removal of the propeller or disconnection of flight controls.
(20) Replacing or cleaning spark plugs and
setting of spark plug gap clearance.
(21) Replacing any hose connection except
hydraulic connections.
(22) Replacing prefabricated fuel lines.
(23) Cleaning or replacing fuel and oil
strainers or filter elements.
(24) Replacing and servicing batteries.
(25) Cleaning of balloon burner pilot and main
nozzles in accordance with the balloon manufacturer's
instructions.
(26) Replacement or adjustment of nonstructural
standard fasteners incidental to operations.
(27) The interchange of balloon baskets and
burners on envelopes when the basket or burner is designated as
interchangeable in the balloon type certificate data and the
baskets and burners are specifically designed for quick removal
and installation.
(28) The installations of anti-misfueling
devices to reduce the diameter of fuel tank filler openings
provided the specific device has been made a part of the aircraft
type certificiate data by the aircraft manufacturer, the aircraft
manufacturer has provided FAA-approved instructions for
installation of the specific device, and installation does not
involve the disassembly of the existing tank filler opening.
(29) Removing, checking, and replacing magnetic
chip detectors.
(30) The inspection and maintenance tasks
prescribed and specifically identified as preventive maintenance
in a primary category aircraft type certificate or supplemental
type certificate holder's approved special inspection and
preventive maintenance program when accomplished on a primary
category aircraft provided:
(i) They are performed by the holder of at
least a private pilot certificate issued under part 61 who is the
registered owner (including co-owners) of the affected aircraft
and who holds a certificate of competency for the affected
aircraft (1) issued by a school approved under § 147.21(e) of this
chapter; (2) issued by the holder of the production certificate
for that primary category aircraft that has a special training
program approved under § 21.24 of this subchapter; or (3) issued
by another entity that has a course approved by the Administrator;
and
(ii) The inspections and maintenance tasks are
performed in accordance with instructions contained by the special
inspection and preventive maintenance program approved as part of
the aircraft's type design or supplemental type design.
(31) Removing and replacing self-contained,
front instrument panel-mounted navigation and communication
devices that employ tray-mounted connectors that connect the unit
when the unit is installed into the instrument panel, (excluding
automatic flight control systems, transponders, and microwave
frequency distance measuring equipment (DME)). The approved unit
must be designed to be readily and repeatedly removed and
replaced, and pertinent instructions must be provided. Prior to
the unit's intended use, and operational check must be performed
in accordance with the applicable sections of part 91 of this
chapter.
(32) Updating self-contained, front instrument
panel-mounted Air Traffic Control (ATC) navigational software data
bases (excluding those of automatic flight control systems,
transponders, and microwave frequency distance measuring equipment
(DME)) provided no disassembly of the unit is required and
pertinent instructions are provided. Prior to the unit's intended
use, an operational check must be performed in accordance with
applicable sections of part 91 of this chapter. (Secs. 313, 601
through 610, and 1102, Federal Aviation Act of 1958 as amended (49
U.S.C. 1354, 1421 through 1430 and 1502); (49 U.S.C. 106(g)
(Revised Pub. L. 97-449, Jan. 21, 1983); and 14 CFR 11.45)
