FAA Inspection Authorization (IA) cheat sheet

14 CFR 39.7 prohibits operating any product to which an airworthiness directive applies except in accordance with that AD.

An AD is issued under 14 CFR 39.3 when an unsafe condition exists in a product and is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design.

Every AD contains five elements: applicability, the unsafe condition, the required action, the compliance time, and the effective date.

An alternative method of compliance is requested under 14 CFR 39.17 with substantiating data; FAA approval changes the required action, not the applicability of the AD.

Emergency ADs are issued when the unsafe condition requires immediate action; they are effective when issued and are distributed before Federal Register publication.

14 CFR 91.409(a): no person may operate an aircraft unless it has had an annual inspection within the preceding 12 calendar months.

14 CFR 91.409(b): a 100-hour inspection is required for aircraft carrying persons for hire or used for flight instruction for hire; the interval may be exceeded by up to 10 hours only to reach a place where the inspection can be done, and those hours are deducted from the next interval.

14 CFR 65.91: an inspection authorization requires a mechanic certificate with both airframe and powerplant ratings held at least 3 years, recent active maintenance experience, a fixed base of operations, and available tools, equipment, and inspection data.

14 CFR 65.93: renewal is requested on FAA Form 8610-1 within 90 days before expiration and requires at least 8 hours of refresher training plus recent inspection activity.

14 CFR 43.9(a) entry content: a description of the work performed, the date of completion, the name of the person performing the work, and, when approved for return to service, that person's signature and certificate number.

14 CFR 43.11(a) inspection entry content: the type of inspection, the date, the aircraft total time in service, the signature and certificate number of the person approving or disapproving, and either a statement of airworthiness or a list of discrepancies.

14 CFR 43.11 requires that a copy of the inspection record, or the discrepancy list when the aircraft is not approved for return to service, be given to the owner or operator.

14 CFR 91.417(a)(1): the owner or operator keeps records of maintenance, preventive maintenance, alterations, and required inspections for at least 1 year after the work is performed or until the work is repeated or superseded.

14 CFR 91.417(a)(2)(ii): copies of FAA Form 337 and other major repair or major alteration records are retained by the owner or operator.

14 CFR 91.417(a)(2)(v): the current status of each applicable AD, including the method of compliance, the date, and any recurring requirement, is recorded and transferred with the aircraft.

14 CFR 91.417(b)(3): total time in service records for the airframe, each engine, each propeller, each rotor, and each appliance are retained for 1 year after permanent retirement of the aircraft.

Part 43 Appendix B: each major repair or major alteration is recorded on FAA Form 337, executed in duplicate, with one copy to the aircraft owner and one forwarded to the FAA.

Part 121 and Part 135 certificate holders must keep maintenance records under 14 CFR 121.380 and 135.439 in addition to the operating rules of Part 91.

14 CFR 43.5: no person may approve an aircraft, airframe, engine, propeller, appliance, or component for return to service unless the work was performed in accordance with Part 43 and the approving person is authorized.

14 CFR 43.7(a)(1): a certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic may approve for return to service work that the mechanic performed or supervised.

14 CFR 43.7: the holder of an inspection authorization approves for return to service an aircraft or component after performing a required inspection.

14 CFR 43.7 also authorizes repair stations within their ratings, air carrier certificate holders, manufacturers holding a production approval, and the FAA to approve for return to service.

14 CFR 91.405: the owner or operator is responsible for maintaining the aircraft in an airworthy condition, and known discrepancies must be repaired before further flight.

14 CFR 91.407: no person may operate an aircraft that has undergone maintenance or alteration until the work is approved for return to service and a record entry is made.

14 CFR 43.13(a): each person performing maintenance uses the methods, techniques, and practices in the current manufacturer's manual or FAA-approved data; 43.13(b) requires the aircraft to be at least equal to its original or properly altered condition.

The return-to-service signature in the maintenance record is the legal act of approval; an unsigned entry does not return the aircraft to service.

An annual inspection completed during a calendar month is due by the last day of that same month in the following year; the inspection must be completed within the preceding 12 calendar months.

14 CFR 91.409(d): a progressive inspection program is FAA-approved, may be used in lieu of the annual and 100-hour inspections, and must provide complete inspection of the aircraft within 12 calendar months.

14 CFR 43.15(a): each person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection must use a checklist that covers the scope and detail of Part 43 Appendix D.

14 CFR 43.15(b): only the holder of an inspection authorization may perform an annual inspection.

Part 43 Appendix D directs inspection of seven groups: engine and nacelle, fuselage and hull, cabin and cockpit, landing gear, wings and center section, empennage, and appliances.

Appendix D requires that inspection plates, access doors, fairings, and cowling be removed or opened as necessary and the aircraft and engine cleaned before inspection.

Appendix D details items within each group, for example engine mounts, exhaust systems, fluid lines, flight control surfaces and hinges, landing gear shock struts, and appliance installations such as carburetors, magnetos, and generators.

14 CFR 91.411 requires the altimeter and static pressure system to be tested every 24 calendar months for IFR operation in controlled airspace; 14 CFR 91.413 requires the ATC transponder test every 24 calendar months.

14 CFR 91.207 requires an emergency locator transmitter inspection every 12 months for installation, battery corrosion, and battery expiration date.

14 CFR 1.1: a major alteration is one not listed in the aircraft specifications or type certificate data sheet, or one that might appreciably affect weight, balance, structural strength, performance, powerplant operation, flight characteristics, or other airworthiness qualities.

14 CFR 1.1: a major repair is a repair that, if improperly done, might appreciably affect weight, balance, structural strength, performance, powerplant operation, flight characteristics, or other airworthiness qualities.

Part 43 Appendix A lists major repairs and major alterations by category: airframe, powerplant, propeller, and appliances.

Typical examples: changes to a wing spar or box beam, repair of a primary structural member, and any change that moves empty weight or center of gravity beyond the TCDS limits are major.

Part 43 Appendix B requires FAA Form 337 for each major repair or major alteration, executed in duplicate, one copy to the owner and one to the FAA.

A field approval is FAA acceptance of the technical data in block 3 of Form 337 for a specific aircraft when no other approved data exists; it is not a design approval.

Approved data for major work includes supplemental type certificates, manufacturer structural repair manual data, DER-approved repairs, and FAA field approvals; generic advisory circular methods alone are not approved data.

Major alterations that change the aircraft's operating limitations require the limitations to be revised, and the Form 337 is the approval record transferred with the aircraft.

The type certificate data sheet states the type design and its operating limitations: model designation, engine and propeller, weights, center of gravity range, datum, leveling means, fuel and oil capacity, airspeed limits, and required equipment.

14 CFR 91.9: no person may operate an aircraft without complying with the operating limitations in the TCDS, markings, and placards, or the FAA-approved flight manual.

For some older aircraft the FAA issues an Aircraft Specification instead of a TCDS; it serves the same function of listing approved configuration and operating limitations.

14 CFR 43.16: each person performing an inspection or other maintenance must do so in accordance with the manufacturer's maintenance manual or instructions for continued airworthiness, including the airworthiness limitations section.

The airworthiness limitations section contains FAA-approved mandatory inspection and replacement intervals and may not be changed without FAA approval.

Instructions for continued airworthiness are required for Part 23 airplanes and normally include a maintenance and inspection section and an airworthiness limitations section.

ADs and airworthiness limitations are both mandatory; AD compliance is recorded per AD in the maintenance records, while airworthiness limitation compliance is tracked through the ICA.

Structural inspection looks for cracks, loose or missing fasteners, elongated holes, distortion, delamination, and corrosion, with emphasis on highly stressed joints, cutouts, and pressure vessel boundaries.

Nondestructive inspection methods available to the inspector include visual, dye penetrant, magnetic particle, eddy current, ultrasonic, and radiographic, each suited to different materials and flaw types.

Corrosion forms include surface, galvanic, exfoliation, and stress corrosion cracking; common sites are battery compartments, lavatories, bilge and wheel well areas, lap joints, and magnesium components.

Composite structure is checked for delamination, disbonding, impact damage, and moisture in honeycomb cores, often using tap testing and visual inspection of edges and fastener holes.

Engine condition checks include differential compression testing, borescope inspection of cylinders and turbine sections, oil filter and screen examination for metal, and verification of life-limited part times.

Propeller inspection covers blade nicks, cracks, and corrosion within manufacturer limits, blade track, hub and retention hardware condition, and compliance with the manufacturer's repair and overhaul data.

Flight control inspection verifies cable tension against rigging charts, correct turnbuckle safetying, hinge and bearing wear, and control surface travel against TCDS limits.

System inspections verify fuel sump and vent operation, line and fitting condition, hydraulic leaks and servicing, electrical wiring chafing and bonding, and pitot/static system integrity.

Center of gravity is computed as total moment divided by total weight, where each moment is the product of an item's weight and its arm measured from the datum.

Empty weight includes the airframe, engines, required equipment, fixed ballast, unusable fuel, and full oil; it excludes usable fuel, crew, passengers, and cargo.

The TCDS provides the maximum weights, the center of gravity range, the datum, and the leveling means used for weighing.

A repair or alteration that changes empty weight or center of gravity beyond TCDS limits is a major alteration and requires recalculation or reweighing and documentation on Form 337.

Part 121 operators must reweigh aircraft at intervals not exceeding 36 calendar months and keep the weight and balance control program current.

The equipment list identifies required equipment for the specific aircraft; removing or adding equipment requires a check against the TCDS, the equipment list, and 14 CFR 91.213 for inoperative instruments and equipment.

Removable ballast must be placarded and accounted for in the weight and balance, and maximum floor loading and compartment limits must be respected for adverse loading checks.

14 CFR 65.95(a): an inspection authorization holder may perform annual inspections, perform or supervise progressive inspections, and approve aircraft or components for return to service after those inspections.

14 CFR 65.95 also allows the holder to perform major repairs and major alterations under Part 43 and to approve them for return to service when the work conforms to approved data.

An inspection authorization expires on March 31 of each odd-numbered year; renewal applications may be submitted within 90 days before that date.

14 CFR 65.85: a mechanic may not approve for return to service work on a type of aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance for which the mechanic does not hold the appropriate rating; the same rating limits apply to an IA's inspections.

The holder must notify the FAA of a change of address within 30 days so certificates and correspondence reach the holder.

When an aircraft does not meet the inspection requirements, the IA must deny approval, list the discrepancies in the record, and furnish a copy to the owner or operator.

An inspection authorization is a privilege added to a mechanic certificate; if the mechanic certificate is suspended or revoked, the inspection authorization cannot be exercised.