Who Can Perform Maintenance, Alterations, and Inspections on Experimental Amateur Built or E-LSA |
This from Joe Norris, EAA Staff There is no restriction to who performs maintenance, repair, or modification on an experimental amateur built aircraft or E-LSA. The path to enlightenment on this issue lies in the verbiage found in FAR 43.1(b), which states: "(b) This part does not apply to any aircraft for which the FAA has issued an experimental certificate, unless the FAA has previously issued a different kind of airworthiness certificate for that aircraft." Since both amateur built and ELSA aircraft have never held a different type of airworthiness certificate, 43.1(b) applies. That means that the entirety of Part 43 does not apply to these aircraft. This being the case, there is no restriction on who performs maintenance or returns the aircraft to service. Maintenance, repair, and even modifications can be performed by anyone regardless of whether or not they hold an FAA certificate of any kind. The only time a certificate is necessary is when performing the condition inspection each year. This requirement is found in the operating limitations of the aircraft rather than in the regulations themselves. The operating limitations will require that the person performing the condition inspection hold either the repairman certificate for that individual aircraft, or an A&P certificate. The A&P is not required to hold an inspection authorization (IA) in order to perform the condition inspection on an experimental aircraft. |
What NASA needed! |
What Aircraft Records are Required? |
Joe Norris is correct about Part 43 not being applicable but Part 91 is applicable, including Subpart E, (the 400s). Even though you are not required to comply with Part 43, there are elements and concepts there that are valid in terms of asset management and liability risk control. When you see references to Part 43 in Part 91, you should consider how to incorporate the concepts represented. The concepts in Part 43 that don't work with E-AB and E-LSA deal with "Current Manufacturer's Maintenance Data", who can perform maintenance and alterations, and the requirements to record Major Repairs and Major Alterations with the FAA. You still must have:
No person may operate any aircraft that has undergone maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alteration unless it has been approved for return to service by a person authorized under Sec. 43.7(for E-AB & E-LSA, should read "by the person performing the work) of this chapter; and the maintenance record entry required by Sec. 43.9 or Sec. 43.11 (Valid Concepts), as applicable, of this chapter has been made. No person may carry any person (other than crew members) in an aircraft that has been maintained, rebuilt, or altered in a manner that may have appreciably changed its flight characteristics or substantially affected its operation in flight until an appropriately rated pilot with at least a private pilot certificate flies the aircraft, makes an operational check of the maintenance performed or alteration made, and logs the flight in the aircraft records. (This will likely be addressed in the Operational Limitations and will put you back in Phase 1) Records of the maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alteration and records of the annual condition inspection, for each aircraft (including the airframe) and each engine, propeller, rotor, and appliance of an aircraft. • The records must include:
Records containing the following information: • The total time in service of the airframe, each engine, each propeller, and each rotor. • The current status of life-limited parts of each airframe, engine, propeller, rotor, and appliance. • The time since last overhaul of all items installed on the aircraft which are required to be overhauled on a specified time basis. • The current inspection status of the aircraft, including the time since the last inspection required by the inspection program under which the aircraft and its appliances are maintained. The current status of applicable airworthiness directives (AD) and safety directives including, for each, the method of compliance, the AD or safety directive number and revision date. If the AD or safety directive involves recurring action, the time and date when the next action is required. |
Information on Experimental Altimeter and Transponder checks from Walt Aronow Click Here |
Airworthiness Directives from AC 39-7 |