Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations and CAAP Requirements
The Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations (PCAR) are issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) under Republic Act No. 9497, the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008. This domain tests whether you can locate the governing rule, apply the right part, and document maintenance so the aircraft is legally airworthy.
Rule structure you must know
- PCAR Part 43 governs maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding and alteration, and the records that go with them.
- Part 91 contains general operating rules; Parts 121 and 135 apply to air carrier and commuter operations.
- Part 65 covers certification of airmen other than flight crewmembers, including mechanics; Part 145 covers approved maintenance organizations; Part 147 covers maintenance training organizations.
- Airworthiness directives are mandatory. Service bulletins are manufacturer recommendations and become mandatory only when an AD, the operator's approved program, or a CAAP requirement makes them so.
Approved versus acceptable data
Approved data includes the type certificate data sheet, supplemental type certificates, ADs, and manuals approved by CAAP. Acceptable data, such as AC 43.13-1B, may be used only when approved data does not exist and the method is appropriate.
Worked example
A mechanic replaces a worn main landing gear torque-link bushing. This is maintenance, not preventive maintenance, so Part 43 applies. The approved data is the aircraft maintenance manual, which specifies the reaming tolerance and torque. Those values govern; generic AC 43.13 values do not override them. The mechanic records the work with date, description, total time, signature and certificate number, then signs a release to service. Returning the aircraft to service without that release is a violation.
Traps that cost marks
- Treating a service bulletin as automatically mandatory.
- Assuming AC 43.13-1B is approved data for a major repair.
- Signing for work not performed or not inspected.
- Omitting a record entry because the task was "only preventive maintenance".