BR-ANAC-CMS key terms

A mandatory directive issued by an authority requiring inspection, repair, or modification of an aircraft or component to correct an unsafe condition. Compliance is legally required within stated time or usage limits.

The set of processes and requirements ensuring an aircraft remains in a condition compliant with its type design and safe to operate throughout its service life, from delivery to retirement.

An approval issued by a civil aviation authority confirming that an aircraft, engine, or propeller design meets the applicable airworthiness standards for its category and intended use.

An approval granted for a significant change to an already type-certificated product, such as a major modification, when the change is not covered by the original type certificate.

An authority approval allowing a company to produce replacement parts that meet the design and performance requirements of the approved type design, enabling use on certificated aircraft.

An organization formally approved by the competent authority to perform maintenance, inspection, and related work on aircraft or components within the scope of its approval.

A document describing how an approved maintenance organization structures, controls, and performs its work, including procedures, responsibilities, and quality arrangements, as required by regulation.

Personnel authorized by the organization or authority to certify that maintenance work has been completed satisfactorily and that the aircraft or component is ready for release to service.

The planned structure of responsibilities, procedures, and resources established to ensure maintenance work consistently meets regulatory and organizational requirements, including independent audits and corrective action.

A scheduled plan of maintenance tasks, intervals, and inspections approved for a particular aircraft type, designed to keep it airworthy and based on manufacturer recommendations and regulatory requirements.

A maintenance policy in which components or systems must be removed, overhauled, or replaced after a fixed operating time or cycle limit, regardless of their observed condition.

A policy where an item is inspected or tested at defined intervals and remains in service as long as it meets specified limits, rather than being replaced at a fixed life.

A maintenance approach that collects and analyses operating data and failure information to detect trends and decide when intervention is needed, without fixed scheduled removal.

A structured process that tracks maintenance effectiveness and component failure rates, adjusting task intervals when data show the approved programme is not achieving its intended results.

The primary structure of an aircraft, including the fuselage, wings, empennage, and landing gear attachments, excluding the engines and certain systems installed within it.

Any element of the aircraft that contributes significantly to carrying flight, ground, or pressurization loads, and whose failure could endanger the aircraft.

The gradual deterioration of metal through chemical or electrochemical reaction with its environment, commonly accelerated by moisture, salt, and dissimilar metal contact, requiring regular inspection and treatment.

Progressive structural damage caused by repeated cyclic loading, which can initiate cracks at stress concentrations even when loads are below the material's static strength limit.

Inspection methods such as eddy current, ultrasonic, radiographic, and dye penetrant techniques that reveal internal or surface defects without damaging the part being examined.

A visual examination performed with an optical instrument inserted into an engine or enclosed structure, allowing internal components to be inspected without disassembly.

A systematic process of gathering symptoms, testing hypotheses, and isolating the cause of a fault so that correct corrective action can be taken and recurrence avoided.

A maintenance document that guides technicians through logical steps, tests, and decision points to identify the cause of a reported system malfunction efficiently.

A change to an aircraft that may appreciably affect weight, balance, structural strength, performance, powerplant operation, flight characteristics, or other airworthiness qualities, requiring approved data.

Technical information accepted by the authority for use in maintenance or modification, such as type certificate data, service documents accepted by the authority, or specific engineering approvals.

A manufacturer document providing approved repair methods, allowable damage limits, and procedures for restoring structural strength on a specific aircraft type.

The formal act of certifying that an aircraft or component has been maintained or repaired in accordance with approved data and is airworthy and safe for operation.

A signed certification confirming that specified maintenance has been completed and the aircraft or component is considered ready to return to service, often recorded in the technical log.

An aircraft-carried record used to document defects, maintenance actions, and releases, providing a continuous link between flight crew reports and maintenance activity.

A document authorizing and describing a specific maintenance task, recording the work performed, parts used, and sign-offs by the personnel who carried it out.

The ability to follow a part or maintenance action back through records to its origin, showing its history, approvals, and handling at each stage.

A component or material that conforms to an approved design and is eligible for installation on a certificated aircraft, supported by documentation proving its status.

A formal framework of policies, risk management processes, assurance activities, and promotion that enables an organization to identify hazards and control safety risk proactively.

The process of estimating the likelihood and severity of consequences from an identified hazard, then determining whether the resulting risk is tolerable or requires mitigation.

The study of how human capabilities, limitations, and behaviour interact with equipment, procedures, and environment, applied to reduce error and improve safety in maintenance work.

An organizational approach that encourages reporting of errors and hazards by distinguishing honest mistakes from reckless or intentional violations, and responding fairly to each.

A widely used list of twelve human-factor precursors to maintenance error, including fatigue, pressure, distraction, lack of communication, and complacency, used in awareness training.

A person's accurate perception and understanding of the current state of the task and environment, including aircraft status, ongoing work, and emerging risks.

An approved document specifying which instruments or equipment may be inoperative for a limited period, with conditions, while still permitting safe operation of the aircraft.

A manufacturer-issued document recommending inspection, modification, or replacement to improve reliability or safety; it becomes mandatory only when adopted by an authority directive or regulation.