Maintaining Aging General Aviation Airplanes

1. Maintaining Aging General Aviation Airplanes Presented by: Alabama Northwest Florida Flight Standards District Office

2. Introduction • General Aviation (GA) Fleet of 150,000 averaged more than 30 years old in 2000. • By 2020, the average age could approach 50 years. • Information is targeted for small single-engine airplanes however, this information applies to the entire GA fleet. • Information endorsed by the FAA and Industry.

3. Background • GA fleet is being used well beyond the flight hours and years envisioned when the aircraft was designed. • The bulk of the fleet is designed to Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) 3 standards developed in the 1950s or earlier. • Most airplanes are rarely inspected beyond a non-intrusive annual or 100 hr inspection required by 14 CFR 43.15, Appendix D.

4. Purpose • These recommended practices are similar to suggested physical exams that doctors recommend. • These recommendations provide a baseline airplane-wide checklist of potential aging concerns for critical areas of an airplane. • Promotes the sharing of information among the GA community.

5. Best Practices Two specific best practices can have a fundamental impact on the way maintenance and inspection is approached for aging airplanes. • Airplane records research • Special attention inspections

6. Best Practices: Airplane Records Research • Logbook Entries. (14 CFR 43.9 and 43.11) • Aircraft Records. (14 CFR 91.417)

8. Best Practices: Airplane Records Research • Logbook Entries. (14 CFR 43.9 and 43.11) • Aircraft Records. • Type Certificate Data Sheets. (TCDS)

10. Best Practices: Airplane Records Research • Logbook Entries. (14 CFR 43.9 and 43.11) • Aircraft Records. • Type Certificate Data Sheets. (TCDS) • Airworthiness Directives. (AD)

13. Best Practices: Airplane Records Research • Logbook Entries. (14 CFR 43.9 and 43.11) • Aircraft Records. • Type Certificate Data Sheets. (TCDS) • Airworthiness Directives. (AD) • Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins. (SAIB)

15. Best Practices: Airplane Records Research • Logbook Entries. (14 CFR 43.9 and 43.11) • Aircraft Records. • Type Certificate Data Sheets. (TCDS) • Airworthiness Directives. (AD) • Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins. (SAIB) • Service Bulletins

16. Best Practices: Airplane Records Research • Service Difficulty Reports. (SDR)

23. Best Practices: Airplane Records Research • Service Difficulty Reports. (SDR) • National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Records.

25. Best Practices: Airplane Records Research • Service Difficulty Reports. (SDR) • National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Records. • General Aviation Airworthiness Alerts

28. Best Practices: Airplane Records Research • Service Difficulty Reports. (SDR) • National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Records. • General Aviation Airworthiness Alerts • Supplemental Type Certificate (STC)

32. Best Practices: Special Attention Inspections • 14 CFR 43.15, Appendix D and manufacturers’ inspections (CH-5) are probably not enough. • A detailed inspection or series of inspections, modifications, parts replacements, or a combination of these may be necessary to keep an aging airplane operating properly.

33. Critical Areas

34. Role of Type Clubs • Type Clubs may already have special inspection checklists for your aircraft. • May determine trends specific to demographics such as airplane location, flight hours, etc. • May provide data regarding field approvals for modification and alterations.

36. Special Attention Inspection Example

38. Summary • Records research, development of a special inspection checklist, and inspecting airplanes per the checklist provides the safety benefit. • These benefits can be enhanced when information is shared. • The checklist will be a “living document”.