FAA Inspection Authorization (IA) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

AD applicability

An airworthiness directive applies to every aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance of the type design listed in its applicability section, regardless of where the product was manufactured or registered.

Alternative method of compliance

An AMOC is an FAA-approved substitute for the action an AD requires; it is requested under 14 CFR 39.17 with substantiating data and must be approved before the compliance time expires.

Ten-hour inspection overrun

Under 14 CFR 91.409(b) a 100-hour inspection may be exceeded by no more than 10 hours, only to reach a place where the inspection can be done, and those hours are deducted from the next interval.

Annual inspection interval

No aircraft may be operated unless it has had an annual inspection within the preceding 12 calendar months; an inspection completed in a month becomes due by the last day of that month next year.

Maintenance record content

Under 14 CFR 43.9 each entry states the work performed, the date of completion, the name of the person doing the work, and, when approved for return to service, that person's signature and certificate number.

Inspection record entry

14 CFR 43.11 requires the type of inspection, date, aircraft total time in service, signature with certificate number, and, when the aircraft is not airworthy, a list of discrepancies given to the owner.

Record retention period

Under 14 CFR 91.417 maintenance, alteration, and inspection records are kept for at least 1 year after the work is performed, or until the work is repeated or superseded by other work.

AD status record

The current status of every applicable airworthiness directive, including method of compliance, date, and any recurring requirement, must be recorded and transferred with the aircraft when it is sold.

Return to service authority

Only an authorized person, such as the mechanic who performed or supervised the work, an inspection authorization holder, a repair station, or the FAA, may approve maintenance as returned to service.

Owner operator responsibility

14 CFR 91.405 makes the owner or operator responsible for keeping the aircraft airworthy; known discrepancies must be repaired before further flight rather than deferred by the pilot.

Acceptable maintenance methods

14 CFR 43.13(a) requires the current manufacturer's manual, FAA-approved data, or other methods acceptable to the FAA, and 43.13(b) requires the result to equal the original or properly altered condition.

Appendix D inspection groups

Part 43 Appendix D directs annual and 100-hour inspections of seven groups: engine and nacelle, fuselage and hull, cabin and cockpit, landing gear, wings and center section, empennage, and appliances.

Progressive inspection program

A progressive inspection spreads the complete inspection over a defined cycle so the entire aircraft is inspected within 12 calendar months; the program must be FAA-approved and used instead of the annual.

Inspection checklist requirement

14 CFR 43.15 requires the person performing an annual or 100-hour inspection to use a checklist covering the scope and detail of Part 43 Appendix D.

Altimeter and static check

14 CFR 91.411 requires the altimeter and static pressure system to be tested and inspected every 24 calendar months for IFR flight in controlled airspace.

Major alteration definition

A major alteration is one not listed in the aircraft specifications or TCDS, or one that might appreciably affect weight, balance, structural strength, performance, powerplant operation, flight characteristics, or other airworthiness qualities.

Form 337 purpose

FAA Form 337 documents a major repair or major alteration; Part 43 Appendix B requires it in duplicate, with one copy for the aircraft owner and one forwarded to the FAA.

Field approval

A field approval is FAA acceptance of technical data for a major repair or alteration on one specific aircraft when no other approved data exists, recorded in block 3 of Form 337.

Approved data sources

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

Type certificate data sheet

The TCDS records the type design and its operating limitations, including weight limits, center of gravity range, datum, leveling means, fuel and oil capacity, airspeed limits, and required equipment.

Airworthiness limitations section

The airworthiness limitations section of the instructions for continued airworthiness contains FAA-approved mandatory inspection and replacement intervals that must be complied with and cannot be changed without FAA approval.

Aircraft specification

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

Cylinder compression test

In a differential compression test a cylinder reading below 60/80 indicates a condition needing investigation; leakage heard at the crankcase suggests rings, while leakage at the exhaust suggests a valve problem.

Magnetic particle inspection

Magnetic particle inspection detects surface and near-surface discontinuities in ferromagnetic parts such as steel crankshafts and landing gear components; aluminum parts cannot be inspected by this method.

Eddy current inspection

Eddy current testing detects cracks and corrosion in conductive materials, especially around fastener holes and thin skins, by inducing electromagnetic currents that are disturbed by discontinuities.

Control cable rigging

Cable tension is checked against the manufacturer's rigging chart, turnbuckles are safetied with the correct wire, and control surface travel is verified against the limits in the TCDS.

Center of gravity formula

Center of gravity is found by dividing total moment by total weight; each moment is the product of an item's weight and its arm measured from the aircraft datum.

Empty weight contents

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

Part 121 reweigh interval

Part 121 operators must reweigh each aircraft at intervals not exceeding 36 calendar months and must revise the weight and balance control program when equipment or configuration changes.

Inspection authorization expiration

An inspection authorization expires on March 31 of each odd-numbered year, and the renewal application may be submitted to the FAA within 90 days before that expiration date.

Inspection authorization privileges

An inspection authorization holder may perform annual and progressive inspections, approve aircraft for return to service after inspection, and perform and approve major repairs and alterations under Part 43.

Change of address reporting

The holder of a mechanic certificate or inspection authorization must notify the FAA of a change of address within 30 days so that certificates and official correspondence reach the holder.