Overdue 200-Hour Inspection on a Caravan Medevac
A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by a small charter company is based at Mount Hagen. Its approved maintenance programme requires a 200-hour inspection, including detailed inspection of the cargo pod attachment bolts and engine mounts. The aircraft has flown 215 hours since the last inspection. The operator has a medevac flight to a remote village and argues the aircraft is 'only 15 hours over' and the inspection can wait until the weekend. The AME is asked to issue a maintenance release after an oil change and a visual check. The aircraft has a history of cargo pod cracking; a previous service difficulty report was filed. The maintenance programme was approved for the operator, and the AME holds the appropriate type rating. The operator's continuing airworthiness manager is on leave and cannot be reached.
1. Is the aircraft airworthy for the medevac flight? Explain your reasoning.
Read the worked answer
No. The aircraft is not airworthy for the medevac flight. The approved maintenance programme requires the 200-hour inspection at 200 hours. At 215 hours, the inspection is overdue, and the aircraft does not meet its continuing airworthiness requirements. 'Only 15 hours over' is not a legal basis for flight. The maintenance release would be false because the required inspection has not been done. The cargo pod attachment bolts and engine mounts are critical items with a known cracking history; the risk is not theoretical. The AME should not issue a release after only an oil change and visual check.
2. Can the inspection be deferred, and under what authority?
Read the worked answer
A scheduled inspection cannot be deferred unless the operator has an approved deferral or the regulator grants a specific permission. The MEL allows deferral of certain equipment items, not overdue structural inspections. The AME should advise the operator that the aircraft must be grounded until the inspection is completed. If a ferry flight is essential, the operator would need a special flight permit from CASA PNG, with conditions. The AME should not invent a deferral. The continuing airworthiness manager should be contacted, and if unavailable, the organisation's accountable manager.
3. What records and notifications are required?
Read the worked answer
The AME should record the aircraft's hours, the overdue status, and the refusal to release. The operator's maintenance records must show the inspection is due. The organisation should notify the operator in writing and, if there is a continuing airworthiness risk, report through the SMS. CASA PNG may need to be informed if the operator attempts to fly the aircraft. The AME should keep a copy of the communications. The maintenance programme itself should be reviewed to see whether the 200-hour interval is realistic for the remote operations, but any change needs approval.