Documentation, Records & Parts
Aircraft Maintenance Documentation
An incomplete entry carries the same legal consequence as work not done.
THE 4 MODULESOne at a time, video and slides
- Writing the record entry Maintenance Record Requirements and Regulatory Compliance.
- Recording AD compliance Airworthiness Directive (AD) Compliance Documentation.
- Human factors and the checklist Human Factors and Documentation Quality.
- Shift and task turnovers Executing Effective Shift and Task Turnovers.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO4 things, on the job
- Write compliant record entries.
- Document AD compliance accurately.
- Check entries before signing.
- Standardize shift turnovers.
TEST YOURSELFA question from module 1
After replacing a nose landing gear shock strut seal, a technician drafts the entry "Replaced strut seal per manufacturer data" and signs below it. What must the entry still contain before it is complete?
A The completion date, the exact data reference such as the manual chapter, the performer's name, and certificate number and kind.
Right. 14 CFR 43.9 requires the work description or a specific data reference, the date of completion, the performer's name, and the approver's signature, certificate number and kind of certificate.
B An airworthy or unairworthy statement, because every maintenance entry needs one.
Not quite. that statement is what 14 CFR 43.11 adds for inspection entries; it is not one of the four 43.9 elements.
C Nothing more, because the signature already approves the aircraft for return to service.
Not quite. a signature approves return to service only for the specific work documented, and an incomplete entry carries the same legal consequence as not performing the work at all.
D Only the certificate number, since "per manufacturer data" is an acceptable reference.
Not quite. the course says a vague reference such as "per manufacturer data" does not satisfy 14 CFR 43.9; the entry must identify the exact data, such as a manual chapter.
Stuck? In the course, Crew Chief, your AI tutor, explains it.
HANGAR CARDUnlocks when you pass
HANGAR CARD
A signature on an incomplete entry equals work not done.
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| 4 | required elements in every 14 CFR 43.9 record entry |
| 43.11 | inspection entries add the airworthy or unairworthy statement |
| 91.417 | the Part 91 AD-status rule — AD number, revision date, method, next due (air carriers: 121.380) |
| 60 days | certificate suspension for one non-compliant avionics entry |
| $10.2 M | Southwest 2008, proposed penalty — 46 aircraft, 59,791 flights on overdue ADs |
| 47 screws | left out after a verbal handover — Continental Express 2574, 14 lives |
Unlocks when you pass this course
BUILT ONThe standards behind it
- 14 CFR 43.9maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding and alteration records: the four elements every entry must contain and the option to reference data acceptable to the Administrator.
- 14 CFR 43.11records for inspections: the explicit airworthy or unairworthy statement that inspection entries add to the work description.
- 14 CFR 91.417(a)(2)(v)current status of applicable ADs, method of compliance and the time or date of the next required action; the course cites 14 CFR 121.380(a)(2)(v) for air carriers.
- 14 CFR Part 39Airworthiness Directives: the regulation under which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues ADs to correct known unsafe conditions.
- FAA Maintenance Personal Minimums Checklistthe Before the Task and After the Task questions from the FAA Aerospace Human Factors Research Division, used as a documentation quality gate.
- NTSB/AAR-92/04the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report on Continental Express Flight 2574 (1991), the course's case for shift turnover failures.
QUESTIONSWhat technicians ask first
- Who is this course for?
- Maintenance technicians and mechanics: licensed aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs), aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs) and apprentice mechanics. It assumes experience as an AMT, familiarity with general aircraft maintenance procedures and access to the applicable technical data and regulations.
- What must every 14 CFR 43.9 entry contain?
- A description of the work performed or a reference to data acceptable to the Administrator, the date of completion, the name of the person who performed the work, and the signature, certificate number and kind of certificate of the person approving it. An inspection entry under 14 CFR 43.11 also needs an explicit statement that the aircraft is airworthy or unairworthy.
- Can I write "per manufacturer data" instead of describing the work?
- You can cite data acceptable to the Administrator in place of a full description, but the entry must identify the exact data used, for example "IAW Beechcraft Maintenance Manual, Chapter 33-40-00." A vague reference to manufacturer data does not satisfy 14 CFR 43.9.
- How do I write the next-due entry for a recurring AD?
- Calculate the threshold and record it in the AD's own terms, such as "Next inspection due at 3,845.6 hours or June 15, 2024, whichever occurs first." "Next inspection due in 600 hours" gives only the interval, so it is not enough. Recording the total time in service or cycles at compliance is good practice, because it is the basis of the threshold. In 2008 the FAA proposed a then-record $10.2 million civil penalty against Southwest Airlines after 46 Boeing 737s flew 59,791 flights with overdue fuselage fatigue cracking AD inspections, a breakdown in documentation control where next-due thresholds were not calculated and recorded precisely.
- What does my signature on an entry approve?
- It approves the aircraft for return to service only for the specific work documented in that entry, nothing more and nothing less. Never sign an entry unless the work was performed satisfactorily and the aircraft is verified safe for return to service.
- What makes a shift turnover safe?
- Stop at a safe point, never in the middle of a safety-wiring or torquing sequence, and record completed and uncompleted steps on a standardized turnover form, with removed hardware tagged or bagged and its location noted. Then debrief face to face, walk to the aircraft together to point out the state of the work, and have both technicians sign or acknowledge the form. On Continental Express Flight 2574 in 1991, an inadequate turnover meant 47 screws removed from the horizontal stabilizer were never replaced; the stabilizer failed in flight and 14 people died.
