FAA Heeds ARSA Request, Withdraws Memo On Use of Technical Orders and the Alteration of Data Plates
May 27, 2007
In response to ARSA’s request, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) withdrew a controversial memorandum. The memo indicated that a repair station could not change the identification information of a component to reflect an alteration accomplished using the manufacturer’s component maintenance manual (CMM). It also stated that a repair station could not use Technical Orders (TO) to perform maintenance and approve that work for return to service unless the document was approved by an Aircraft Certification Office (ACO). ARSA argued that the regulations allow both actions.
First, § 43.13 allows minor alterations to articles using acceptable methods, techniques and practices identified in a CMM covering multiple dash numbers. Repair stations must then update the end dash number of the article using the CMM or its own acceptable methods when the CMM is silent (§§ 43.13(a), 45.13(d), and 21.611(c)).
Second, TOs are instructions providing methods, techniques and practices for maintaining military aircraft, many of which are now type certificated by the FAA. Therefore, when a TO describes a minor repair or alteration of a type certificated article it needs no further approval (§§ 43.13(b), 145.201(c)(1)). If it describes a major repair or alteration, the technical data supporting the TO is already approved as part of the type certification process (§ 21.31) and also needs no further approval (§ 145.201(c)(2)) from the ACO.
The FAA considered the arguments and agreed to rescind the memo and conduct a proper regulatory evaluation of both issues. ARSA will keep its members posted on any new developments.
ARSA’s letter and proposed revised memo can be viewed here.
The withdrawn FAA memorandum may be found here.
The FAA’s letter rescinding the memo can be found here.
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