On Sept. 11, the FAA issued a legal interpretation in response to a request for clarification whether a part 145-certificated repair station may prepare an airworthiness release on behalf of an air carrier for work it performed on an aircraft. The agency affirmed that a repair station, defined as a “person” in 14 CFR § 1.1, may “prepare, or cause to be prepared” an airworthiness release or an appropriate aircraft log entry.

Repair station “personhood” had already been established by ARSA: In 2009, the agency responded to an inquiry from the association with the same analysis regarding the legal status of a maintenance provider.  The new interpretation adds that the person signing the airworthiness release must be an appropriately-certificated mechanic or repairman authorized by the air carrier. Obviously, no domestic repair station may authorize an individual to issue an approval for return to service (i.e., the airworthiness release or log book entry) unless that person has an appropriate certificate – mechanic or repairman – under part 65.

To read the interpretation, click here.

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