14 C.F.R. Subpart L—Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, and Alterations
Title 14 - Aeronautics and Space
Source: Docket No. 6258, 29 FR 19210, Dec. 31, 1964, unless otherwise noted.
(a) Except as provided by paragraph (b) of this section, this subpart prescribes requirements for maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations for all certificate holders. (b) The Administrator may amend a certificate holder's operations specifications to permit deviation from those provisions of this subpart that would prevent the return to service and use of airframe components, powerplants, appliances, and spare parts thereof because those items have been maintained, altered, or inspected by persons employed outside the United States who do not hold U.S. airman certificates. Each certificate holder who uses parts under this deviation must provide for surveillance of facilities and practices to assure that all work performed on these parts is accomplished in accordance with the certificate holder's manual. [Doc. No. 8754, 33 FR 14406, Sept. 25, 1968] (a) Each certificate holder is primarily responsible for— (1) The airworthiness of its aircraft, including airframes, aircraft engines, propellers, appliances, and parts thereof; and (2) The performance of the maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alteration of its aircraft, including airframes, aircraft engines, propellers, appliances, emergency equipment, and parts thereof, in accordance with its manual and the regulations of this chapter. (b) A certificate holder may make arrangements with another person for the performance of any maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations. However, this does not relieve the certificate holder of the responsibility specified in paragraph (a) of this section. [Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19210, Dec. 31, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 121–106, 38 FR 22378, Aug. 20, 1973] (a) Each certificate holder that performs any of its maintenance (other than required inspections), preventive maintenance, or alterations, and each person with whom it arranges for the performance of that work must have an organization adequate to perform the work. (b) Each certificate holder that performs any inspections required by its manual in accordance with §121.369(b)(2) or (3) (in this subpart referred to as required inspections) and each person with whom it arranges for the performance of that work must have an organization adequate to perform that work. (c) Each person performing required inspections in addition to other maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations, shall organize the performance of those functions so as to separate the required inspection functions from the other maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alteration functions. The separation shall be below the level of administrative control at which overall responsibility for the required inspection functions and other maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alteration functions are exercised. [Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19210, Dec. 31, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 121–3, 30 FR 3639, Mar. 19, 1965] Each certificate holder shall have an inspection program and a program covering other maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations that ensures that— (a) Maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations performed by it, or by other persons, are performed in accordance with the certificate holder's manual; (b) Competent personnel and adequate facilities and equipment are provided for the proper performance of maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations; and (c) Each aircraft released to service is airworthy and has been properly maintained for operation under this part. [Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19210, Dec. 31, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 121–100, 37 FR 28053, Dec. 20, 1972] (a) Applicability. This section applies to all airplanes operated by a certificate holder under this part, except for those airplanes operated between any point within the State of Alaska and any other point within the State of Alaska. (b) Operation after inspection and records review. After the dates specified in this paragraph, a certificate holder may not operate an airplane under this part unless the Administrator has notified the certificate holder that the Administrator has completed the aging airplane inspection and records review required by this section. During the inspection and records review, the certificate holder must demonstrate to the Administrator that the maintenance of age-sensitive parts and components of the airplane has been adequate and timely enough to ensure the highest degree of safety. (1) Airplanes exceeding 24 years in service on December 8, 2003; initial and repetitive inspections and records reviews. For an airplane that has exceeded 24 years in service on December 8, 2003, no later than December 5, 2007, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 7 years. (2) Airplanes exceeding 14 years in service but not 24 years in service on December 8, 2003; initial and repetitive inspections and records reviews. For an airplane that has exceeded 14 years in service but not 24 years in service on December 8, 2003, no later than December 4, 2008, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 7 years. (3) Airplanes not exceeding 14 years in service on December 8, 2003; initial and repetitive inspections and records reviews. For an airplane that has not exceeded 14 years in service on December 8, 2003, no later than 5 years after the start of the airplane's 15th year in service and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 7 years. (c) Unforeseen schedule conflict. In the event of an unforeseen scheduling conflict for a specific airplane, the Administrator may approve an extension of up to 90 days beyond an interval specified in paragraph (b) of this section. (d) Airplane and records availability. The certificate holder must make available to the Administrator each airplane for which an inspection and records review is required under this section, in a condition for inspection specified by the Administrator, together with records containing the following information: (1) Total years in service of the airplane; (2) Total time in service of the airframe; (3) Total flight cycles of the airframe; (4) Date of the last inspection and records review required by this section; (5) Current status of life-limited parts of the airframe; (6) Time since the last overhaul of all structural components required to be overhauled on a specific time basis; (7) Current inspection status of the airplane, including the time since the last inspection required by the inspection program under which the airplane is maintained; (8) Current status of applicable airworthiness directives, including the date and methods of compliance, and if the airworthiness directive involves recurring action, the time and date when the next action is required; (9) A list of major structural alterations; and (10) A report of major structural repairs and the current inspection status for those repairs. (e) Notification to Administrator. Each certificate holder must notify the Administrator at least 60 days before the date on which the airplane and airplane records will be made available for the inspection and records review. [Doc. No. FAA–1999–5401, 67 FR 72761, Dec. 6, 2002, as amended by Amdt. 121–284, 70 FR 5532, Feb. 2, 2005; Amdt. 121–310, 70 FR 23936, May 6, 2005] (a) The certificate holder shall put in its manual a chart or description of the certificate holder's organization required by §121.365 and a list of persons with whom it has arranged for the performance of any of its required inspections, other maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations, including a general description of that work. (b) The certificate holder's manual must contain the programs required by §121.367 that must be followed in performing maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations of that certificate holder's airplanes, including airframes, aircraft engines, propellers, appliances, emergency equipment, and parts thereof, and must include at least the following: (1) The method of performing routine and nonroutine maintenance (other than required inspections), preventive maintenance, and alterations. (2) A designation of the items of maintenance and alteration that must be inspected (required inspections), including at least those that could result in a failure, malfunction, or defect endangering the safe operation of the aircraft, if not performed properly or if improper parts or materials are used. (3) The method of performing required inspections and a designation by occupational title of personnel authorized to perform each required inspection. (4) Procedures for the reinspection of work performed pursuant to previous required inspection findings (buy-back procedures). (5) Procedures, standards, and limits necessary for required inspections and acceptance or rejection of the items required to be inspected and for periodic inspection and calibration of precision tools, measuring devices, and test equipment. (6) Procedures to ensure that all required inspections are performed. (7) Instructions to prevent any person who performs any item of work from performing any required inspection of that work. (8) Instructions and procedures to prevent any decision of an inspector, regarding any required inspection from being countermanded by persons other than supervisory personnel of the inspection unit, or a person at that level of administrative control that has overall responsibility for the management of both the required inspection functions and the other maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations functions. (9) Procedures to ensure that required inspections, other maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations that are not completed as a result of shift changes or similar work interruptions are properly completed before the aircraft is released to service. (c) The certificate holder must set forth in its manual a suitable system (which may include a coded system) that provides for preservation and retrieval of information in a manner acceptable to the Administrator and that provides— (1) A description (or reference to data acceptable to the Administrator) of the work performed; (2) The name of the person performing the work if the work is performed by a person outside the organization of the certificate holder; and (3) The name or other positive identification of the individual approving the work. [Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19210, Dec. 31, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 121–94, 37 FR 15983, Aug. 9, 1972; Amdt. 121–106, 38 FR 22378, Aug. 20, 1973] (a) No certificate holder may operate an Airbus Model A300 (excluding the –600 series), British Aerospace Model BAC 1–11, Boeing Model 707, 720, 727, 737, or 747, McDonnel Douglas Model DC–8, DC–9/MD–80 or DC–10, Fokker Model F28, or Lockheed Model L–1011 airplane beyond the applicable flight cycle implementation time specified below, or May 25, 2001, whichever occurs later, unless operations specifications have been issued to reference repair assessment guidelines applicable to the fuselage pressure boundary (fuselage skin, door skin, and bulkhead webs), and those guidelines are incorporated in its maintenance program. The repair assessment guidelines must be approved by the FAA Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), or office of the Transport Airplane Directorate, having cognizance over the type certificate for the affected airplane. (1) For the Airbus Model A300 (excluding the –600 series), the flight cycle implementation time is: (i) Model B2: 36,000 flights. (ii) Model B4–100 (including Model B4–2C): 30,000 flights above the window line, and 36,000 flights below the window line. (iii) Model B4–200: 25,500 flights above the window line, and 34,000 flights below the window line. (2) For all models of the British Aerospace BAC 1–11, the flight cycle implementation time is 60,000 flights. (3) For all models of the Boeing 707, the flight cycle implementation time is 15,000 flights. (4) For all models of the Boeing 720, the flight cycle implementation time is 23,000 flights. (5) For all models of the Boeing 727, the flight cycle implementation time is 45,000 flights. (6) For all models of the Boeing 737, the flight cycle implementation time is 60,000 flights. (7) For all models of the Boeing 747, the flight cycle implementation time is 15,000 flights. (8) For all models of the McDonnell Douglas DC–8, the flight cycle implementation time is 30,000 flights. (9) For all models of the McDonnell Douglas DC–9/MD–80, the flight cycle implementation time is 60,000 flights. (10) For all models of the McDonnell Douglas DC–10, the flight cycle implementation time is 30,000 flights. (11) For all models of the Lockheed L–1011, the flight cycle implementation time is 27,000 flights. (12) For the Fokker F–28 Mark 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000, the flight cycle implementation time is 60,000 flights. (b) After December 16, 2008, no certificate holder may operate a turbine-powered transport category airplane with a type certificate issued after January 1, 1958 and either a maximum type certificated passenger capacity of 30 or more, or a maximum type certificated payload capacity of 7,500 pounds or more, unless instructions for maintenance and inspection of the fuel tank system are incorporated in its maintenance program. These instructions must address the actual configuration of the fuel tank systems of each affected airplane and must be approved by the FAA Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), or office of the Transport Airplane Directorate, having cognizance over the type certificate for the affected airplane. Operators must submit their request through an appropriate FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then send it to the manager of the appropriate office. Thereafter, the approved instructions can be revised only with the approval of the FAA Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), or office of the Transport Airplane Directorate, having cognizance over the type certificate for the affected airplane. Operators must submit their requests for revisions through an appropriate FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then send it to the manager of the appropriate office. [Doc. No. 29104, 65 FR 24125, Apr. 25, 2000; 65 FR 50744, Aug. 21, 2000, as amended by Amdt. 121–282, 66 FR 23130, May 7, 2001; ; Amdt. 121–305, 69 FR 45942, July 30, 2004] (a) Applicability. Except as specified in paragraph (b) of this section, this section applies to transport category, turbine powered airplanes with a type certificate issued after January 1, 1958, that as a result of original type certification or later increase in capacity have— (1) A maximum type certificated passenger seating capacity of 30 or more; or (2) A maximum payload capacity of 7,500 pounds or more. (b) Exception. This section does not apply to an airplane operated by a certificate holder under this part between any point within the State of Alaska and any other point within the State of Alaska. (c) General requirements. After December 20, 2010, a certificate holder may not operate an airplane under this part unless the following requirements have been met: (1) The maintenance program for the airplane includes FAA-approved damage-tolerance-based inspections and procedures for airplane structure susceptible to fatigue cracking that could contribute to a catastrophic failure. These inspections and procedures must take into account the adverse affects repairs, alterations, and modifications may have on fatigue cracking and the inspection of this airplane structure. (2) The damage-tolerance-based inspections and procedures identified in this section and any revisions to these inspections and procedures must be approved by the Aircraft Certification Office or office of the Transport Airplane Directorate with oversight responsibility for the relevant type certificate or supplemental type certificate, as determined by the Administrator. The certificate holder must include the damage-tolerance-based inspections and procedures in the certificate holder's FAA-approved maintenance program. [Doc. No. FAA–1999–5401, 70 FR 5532, Feb. 2, 2005] (a) No person may use any person to perform required inspections unless the person performing the inspection is appropriately certificated, properly trained, qualified, and authorized to do so. (b) No person may allow any person to perform a required inspection unless, at that time, the person performing that inspection is under the supervision and control of an inspection unit. (c) No person may perform a required inspection if he performed the item of work required to be inspected. (d) Each certificate holder shall maintain, or shall determine that each person with whom it arranges to perform its required inspections maintains, a current listing of persons who have been trained, qualified, and authorized to conduct required inspections. The persons must be identified by name, occupational title, and the inspections that they are authorized to perform. The certificate holder (or person with whom it arranges to perform its required inspections) shall give written information to each person so authorized describing the extent of his responsibilities, authorities, and inspectional limitations. The list shall be made available for inspection by the Administrator upon request. (a) Each certificate holder shall establish and maintain a system for the continuing analysis and surveillance of the performance and effectiveness of its inspection program and the program covering other maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations and for the correction of any deficiency in those programs, regardless of whether those programs are carried out by the certificate holder or by another person. (b) Whenever the Administrator finds that either or both of the programs described in paragraph (a) of this section does not contain adequate procedures and standards to meet the requirements of this part, the certificate holder shall, after notification by the Administrator, make any changes in those programs that are necessary to meet those requirements. (c) A certificate holder may petition the Administrator to reconsider the notice to make a change in a program. The petition must be filed with the FAA certificate-holding district office charged with the overall inspection of the certificate holder's operations within 30 days after the certificate holder receives the notice. Except in the case of an emergency requiring immediate action in the interest of safety, the filing of the petition stays the notice pending a decision by the Administrator. [Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19210, Dec. 31, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 121–207, 54 FR 39293, Sept. 25, 1989; Amdt. 121–253, 61 FR 2611, Jan. 26, 1996] Each certificate holder or person performing maintenance or preventive maintenance functions for it shall have a training program to ensure that each person (including inspection personnel) who determines the adequacy of work done is fully informed about procedures and techniques and new equipment in use and is competent to perform his duties. Within the United States, each certificate holder (or person performing maintenance or preventive maintenance functions for it) shall relieve each person performing maintenance or preventive maintenance from duty for a period of at least 24 consecutive hours during any seven consecutive days, or the equivalent thereof within any one calendar month. (a) Except for maintenance, preventive maintenance, alterations, and required inspections performed by a certificated repair station that is located outside the United States, each person who is directly in charge of maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations, and each person performing required inspections must hold an appropriate airman certificate. (b) For the purposes of this section, a person directly in charge is each person assigned to a position in which he is responsible for the work of a shop or station that performs maintenance, preventive maintenance, alterations, or other functions affecting aircraft airworthiness. A person who is directly in charge need not physically observe and direct each worker constantly but must be available for consultation and decision on matters requiring instruction or decision from higher authority than that of the persons performing the work. [Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19210, Dec. 31, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 121–21, 31 FR 10618, Aug. 9, 1966; Amdt. 121–286, 66 FR 41116, Aug. 6, 2001] (a) A certificate holder may perform, or it may make arrangements with other persons to perform, maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations as provided in its continuous airworthiness maintenance program and its maintenance manual. In addition, a certificate holder may perform these functions for another certificate holder as provided in the continuous airworthiness maintenance program and maintenance manual of the other certificate holder. (b) A certificate holder may approve any aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance for return to service after maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations that are performed under paragraph (a) of this section. However, in the case of a major repair or major alteration, the work must have been done in accordance with technical data approved by the Administrator. [Doc. No. 10289, 35 FR 16793, Oct. 30, 1970] (a) Each certificate holder shall keep (using the system specified in the manual required in §121.369) the following records for the periods specified in paragraph (c) of this section: (1) All the records necessary to show that all requirements for the issuance of an airworthiness release under §121.709 have been met. (2) Records containing the following information: (i) The total time in service of the airframe. (ii) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the total time in service of each engine and propeller. (iii) The current status of life-limited parts of each airframe, engine, propeller, and appliance. (iv) The time since last overhaul of all items installed on the aircraft which are required to be overhauled on a specified time basis. (v) The identification of the current inspection status of the aircraft, including the times since the last inspections required by the inspection program under which the aircraft and its appliances are maintained. (vi) The current status of applicable airworthiness directives, including the date and methods of compliance, and, if the airworthiness directive involves recurring action, the time and date when the next action is required. (vii) A list of current major alterations to each airframe, engine, propeller, and appliance. (b) A certificate holder need not record the total time in service of an engine or propeller on a transport category cargo airplane, a transport category airplane that has a passenger seat configuration of more than 30 seats, or a nontransport category airplane type certificated before January 1, 1958, until the following, whichever occurs first: (1) March 20, 1997; or (2) The date of the first overhaul of the engine or propeller, as applicable, after January 19, 1996. (c) Each certificate holder shall retain the records required to be kept by this section for the following periods: (1) Except for the records of the last complete overhaul of each airframe, engine, propeller, and appliance, the records specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section shall be retained until the work is repeated or superseded by other work or for one year after the work is performed. (2) The records of the last complete overhaul of each airframe, engine, propeller, and appliance shall be retained until the work is superseded by work of equivalent scope and detail. (3) The records specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section shall be retained and transferred with the aircraft at the time the aircraft is sold. (d) The certificate holder shall make all maintenance records required to be kept by this section available for inspection by the Administrator or any authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). [Doc. No. 10658, 37 FR 15983, Aug. 9, 1972, as amended by Amdt. 121–251, 60 FR 65933, Dec. 20, 1995; Amdt. 121–321, 71 FR 536, Jan. 4, 2006] Each certificate holder who sells a U.S. registered aircraft shall transfer to the purchaser, at the time of sale, the following records of that aircraft, in plain language form or in coded form at the election of the purchaser, if the coded form provides for the preservation and retrieval of information in a manner acceptable to the Administrator: (a) The record specified in §121.380(a)(2). (b) The records specified in §121.380(a)(1) which are not included in the records covered by paragraph (a) of this section, except that the purchaser may permit the seller to keep physical custody of such records. However, custody of records in the seller does not relieve the purchaser of his responsibility under §121.380(c) to make the records available for inspection by the Administrator or any authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). [Doc. No. 10658, 37 FR 15984, Aug. 9, 1972]
Title 14: Aeronautics and Space
PART 121—OPERATING REQUIREMENTS: DOMESTIC, FLAG, AND SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATIONS
Subpart L—Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, and Alterations
§ 121.361 Applicability.
§ 121.363 Responsibility for airworthiness.
§ 121.365 Maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alteration organization.
§ 121.367 Maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations programs.
§ 121.368 Aging airplane inspections and records reviews.
§ 121.369 Manual requirements.
§ 121.370 Special maintenance program requirements.
§ 121.370a Supplemental inspections.
§ 121.371 Required inspection personnel.
§ 121.373 Continuing analysis and surveillance.
§ 121.375 Maintenance and preventive maintenance training program.
§ 121.377 Maintenance and preventive maintenance personnel duty time limitations.
§ 121.378 Certificate requirements.
§ 121.379 Authority to perform and approve maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations.
§ 121.380 Maintenance recording requirements.
§ 121.380a Transfer of maintenance records.
