AdvisoryU.S. Department of Transportation .docx

AdvisoryU.S. Department
of Transportation
Federal Aviation Circular
Administration
Subject: Air Carrier Maintenance Programs Date: 11/15/12 AC
No: 120-16F
Initiated by: AFS-300 Change:
This advisory circular (AC) explains what the term
“maintenance program” means. Our
explanation describes the scope and content of air carrier
aircraft maintenance programs. This is
important as there is a significant difference between an air
carrier maintenance program and an
inspection program used in non-air carrier maintenance
operations. We explain the background
of these programs as well as the Federal Aviation
Administration’s (FAA) regulatory
requirements. We also describe and explain each of the 10
elements of air carrier maintenance
programs. When we use “must” or “will” in this AC, we are
referencing actual regulatory
requirements. When we use “we,” “us,” or “our” in this AC, we

mean the FAA. When we use
“you,” “your,” or “yours,” we mean you, the air carrier. When
we use the term “person,” it has
the same meaning as that in Title 14 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (14 CFR) part 1, § 1.1.
This AC is one method of compliance with the requirements of
the regulations. Instead of
following this method, you may elect to follow an alternate
method, provided that your method
is acceptable to us. Because the method of compliance that we
present in this AC is not
mandatory, the term “should” applies only if you choose to
follow this particular method without
deviation. You should tailor your maintenance program to your
specific operation; therefore, we
are not providing a single means of compliance that applies to
all operators required to have a
maintenance program. We have included information in this AC
about our expectations
regarding your implementation of an air carrier maintenance
program. We based these
expectations on our regulations. As required by 14 CFR part
121, § 121.367 and part 135,
§ 135.425, your maintenance program must ensure that each of
your aircraft released to service
is Airworthy and properly maintained for operations in air
transportation; that you provide
competent personnel, adequate facilities, and equipment; and
that everyone who works on your
aircraft follows your manual and your program.
In addition to strict compliance with the part 121 or 135
regulations, we encourage you to
consider additional processes and methodologies for use in your
maintenance program, such as

industry best practices or other government guidance relevant to
maintenance, preventive
maintenance, and alteration activities.
John M. Allen
Director, Flight Standards Service
/s/
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
CONTENTS
Paragraph Page
CHAPTER 1. GENERAL
INFORMATION......................................................................
.............1
1-1.
Purpose...................................................................................
...........................................1
1-2. Cancellation
...............................................................................................
.......................1
1-3. Audience

...............................................................................................
............................1
1-4. Legal Basis for Air Carrier Maintenance Programs
.........................................................1
1-5. Maintenance Program
Authorization..........................................................................
......3
1-6. Air Carrier Maintenance Program Objectives
..................................................................3
1-7. Air Carrier Maintenance Program
Elements.....................................................................3
CHAPTER 2. AIRWORTHINESS
RESPONSIBILITY.................................................................5
2-1. Responsibility for Aircraft Maintenance
..........................................................................5
2-2. Differences Between
Programs.................................................................................
........5
Table 2-1. Maintenance Program and Inspection Program
Differences...........................5
CHAPTER 3. AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE MANUAL
........................................................7

3-1. Air Carrier Maintenance Manual Requirement
................................................................7
3-2. Role of Your Air Carrier Maintenance
Manual................................................................7
3-3. Major Sections of the Typical Air Carrier Maintenance
Manual .....................................7
CHAPTER 4. AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE
ORGANIZATION .........................................11
4-1. Maintenance Organization—General
.............................................................................11
4-2. Required Maintenance Organization Management
Positions.........................................11
4-3. Required Air Carrier Maintenance Organizational Structure
.........................................12
4-4. Separation of Inspection And Maintenance Departments
..............................................12
Figure 4-1. Maintenance Organizational Chart
..............................................................14
CHAPTER 5. ACCOMPLISHMENT AND APPROVAL OF
MAINTENANCE AND
ALTERATIONS......................................................................

...............................15
5-1. Accomplishment of Maintenance
...................................................................................15
5-2. Major Repairs and Alterations
........................................................................................15
5-3. Airworthiness Release Form or Aircraft Log Entry and
Approval for RTS...................16
5-4. Scope of
Maintenance............................................................................
.........................16
5-5. Parts and Appliances Maintenance Program
..................................................................17
CHAPTER 6. MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
.............................................................................19
6-1. The Maintenance Schedule
.............................................................................................1
9
6-2. The FAA’s Role in Relation to the Maintenance
Schedule............................................19
6-3. Maintenance Schedule Contents
.....................................................................................19
Page iii

AC 120-16F 11/15/12
CONTENTS (Continued)
Paragraph Page
6-4. Standards For Determining Maintenance Schedules
......................................................20
CHAPTER 7. REQUIRED INSPECTION
ITEMS.......................................................................23
7-1.
RIIs........................................................................................
..........................................23
Figure 7-1. Required Inspection
Items............................................................................24
7-2. RII Procedures, Standards, and Limits
...........................................................................25
CHAPTER 8. MAINTENANCE RECORDKEEPING
SYSTEM................................................27

8-1. Reasons for Making and Keeping Maintenance Records
...............................................27
8-2. Part 43
Requirements..........................................................................
............................27
8-3. Work Performed by a Part 145 Repair Station
...............................................................27
8-4. Penalties for Improper Air Carrier Maintenance
Recordkeeping ...................................28
8-5. Making And Keeping Required
Records........................................................................28
8-6. Required Air Carrier Maintenance Records
...................................................................28
8-7. When To Make Records Available to the
FAA..............................................................28
8-8. Responsibility for Making Records Available to the
FAA.............................................29
8-9. Required
Records...................................................................................
.........................29
8-10. Other Required Records and Reports
.............................................................................32
8-11. Requirements for Reports of Major Alterations and Major
Repairs...............................34

8-12. Requirements for Historical or Source Records
.............................................................35
CHAPTER 9. CONTRACT MAINTENANCE
............................................................................37
9-1. Maintenance
Providers.................................................................................
...................37
9-2. Responsibility for Maintenance Performed by
Others....................................................38
9-3. Unscheduled Contract Maintenance Performed Away from
Regular Facilities.............38
9-4. Airworthiness Release Form or Aircraft Log Entry
.......................................................39
9-5. Evaluating New Maintenance
Providers.........................................................................39
9-6. Continuing Maintenance Provider Oversight
.................................................................40
9-7. Using A CRS as One of Your Maintenance Providers
...................................................40
CHAPTER 10. PERSONNEL
TRAINING..............................................................................
.....41

10-1. Maintenance Program Training Requirements
...............................................................41
10-2. Types of
Training..................................................................................
..........................41
10-3. Initial Training
...............................................................................................
.................41
10-4. Recurrent Training
...............................................................................................
...........41
10-5. Specialized Training
...............................................................................................
........42
10-6. Maintenance Provider Training
......................................................................................42
10-7. Competency-Based Training
..........................................................................................42
Page iv
11/15/12 AC 120-16F

CONTENTS (Continued)
Paragraph Page
CHAPTER 11. CONTINUING ANALYSIS AND
SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM.......................45
11-1. Background of the
CASS..................................................................................... .
..........45
11-2. CASS is a Safety Management Tool
..............................................................................45
11-3. Basic CASS Processes
........................................................................................... ....
.....45
11-4. Risk-Based Decisions
...............................................................................................
......47
11-5. Scope of A
CASS......................................................................................
......................47
11-6. CASS Design Principles
...............................................................................................
..47
11-7. CASS Personnel
Requirements................................................................... .......
.............48

CHAPTER 12. ADMINISTRATIVE
............................................................................................4
9
12-1. Whom to Contact
...............................................................................................
.............49
12-2. Regulatory References
...............................................................................................
.....49
12-3. Other Related Regulations and Guidance Material
........................................................49
12-4. Obtaining Reference Material (current editions)
............................................................50
Page v (and vi)
11/15/12 AC 120-16F

CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INFORMATION
1-1. PURPOSE. We describe the 10 elements that comprise air
carrier maintenance programs
and what you should include in your air carrier maintenance
program. In this advisory circular
(AC), when we say “air carrier maintenance,” we mean
inspection, overhaul, repair,
preservation, and the replacement of parts, as well as preventive
maintenance. Consistent with
regulations, inspection functions are an inherent and integral
part of your maintenance program;
they are not separate. Your maintenance manual is the part of
your air carrier manual that
describes your maintenance program.
1-2. CANCELLATION. This AC cancels AC 120-16E, Air
Carrier Maintenance Programs,
dated September 11, 2008.
1-3. AUDIENCE. This AC applies to you if you are a Title 14
of the Code of Federal
Regulations (14 CFR) part 119 air carrier conducting operations
under 14 CFR parts 121
and/or 135. For part 135 operations, this AC applies only to
those maintenance operations
conducted under part 135, § 135.411(a)(2), 135.411(b) and
135.411(d). This AC also applies to
each person employed or used by an air carrier certificate
holder for any maintenance, preventive
maintenance, or alteration of its aircraft. We have defined the
meaning of “person” in 14 CFR
part 1, § 1.1 as “an individual, firm, partnership, corporation,
company, association, joint-stock

association, or governmental entity.” This regulatory meaning
of “person” includes a trustee,
receiver, assignee, or similar representative of any of them.
Whenever we say “person” in this
AC, we mean the same as that in § 1.1.
1-4. LEGAL BASIS FOR AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE
PROGRAMS.
a. Title 49 of the United States Code (49 U.S.C.). Title 49
U.S.C. § 44701 is the primary
authority for all air carrier Federal aviation regulations. Title 49
U.S.C. § 44701 instructs us to
promote the safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by
prescribing regulations and standards
in the interest of safety.
b. Air Commerce. When prescribing regulations and standards,
Title 49 U.S.C. § 44701
also obliges us to consider your duty to provide service with the
highest possible degree of safety
in the public interest, to consider differences between air
transportation and other air commerce,
and to classify a regulation or standard appropriate to the
differences between air transportation
and other air commerce. Congress has defined the term “air
commerce” within 49 U.S.C.
§ 40102 as “foreign air commerce, interstate air commerce, the
transportation of mail by aircraft,
the operation of aircraft within the limits of a Federal airway, or
the operation of aircraft that
directly affects, or may endanger safety in, foreign or interstate
air commerce.” Simply stated,
operations in air commerce are almost everything but operations
in air transportation.

c. Regulations. Consistent with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. §
44701, we regulate
aircraft operations at different levels of safety. Hence, we have
prescribed those regulations that
govern air carrier operations (air transportation) and the
operations of other air commerce with a
different structure to reflect the differences between these two
segments of the aviation industry.
Establishing appropriate standards and regulatory requirements
is a risk management (RM)
process, and the underlying legal structure provides for more
than one level of acceptable risk
Par 1-1 Page 1
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
appropriate to different types of flight operations. We have
written air transportation regulations
to be all-inclusive and stand-alone, whereas the regulations
governing other air commerce are
not. Similarly, we wrote the scope of responsibility for those in
air transportation operations very
broad and not shared, whereas in other air commerce we wrote
the scope of responsibility
relatively narrow and commonly shared. The regulations in

parts 119, 121, and 135 relate
directly to air carrier maintenance programs and reflect the
highest possible degree of safety in
the public interest. The regulations in 14 CFR parts 43, 65, 91,
and 145 do not necessarily reflect
the highest possible degree of safety in the public interest. We
have included more specific
references to relevant regulations in subsequent paragraphs.
d. Performance-based Regulations. We wrote almost all of the
parts 121 and 135
maintenance regulations in a performance-based format. We
used the performance-based
regulatory approach because it focuses on measurable outcomes,
rather than on prescriptive
processes, techniques, or procedures. Performance-based
regulation leads to defined results
without a specific direction or specific instruction in the
regulation regarding how to obtain those
results. This approach permits our regulations to apply to a wide
variety of certificate holders and
still have the same standards. For example, our performance-
based regulations in
part 121, § 121.367 and § 135.425 apply equally to the 1-
airplane operator and the 900 airplane
operator. The defined result is always the same: an Airworthy
airplane that the operator has
properly maintained for operations in air transportation.
Performance-based regulation also
permits the regulation to remain current in the face of advances
in technology or methodology.
e. Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC). The other half of
writing
performance-based regulation is to explain what constitutes an
AMC. We wrote this AC to show

you what acceptable methods of compliance with the
performance-based maintenance program
regulatory requirements are. In this AC, we have described
processes, techniques, and
procedures that will lead to the defined results in the
maintenance regulations. None of the
information in this AC is mandatory or constitutes a regulation.
We have not included any
material in this AC that imposes, reduces, or changes a
regulatory burden on anyone. If you use
the method of compliance presented in this AC, the term
“should” used herein applies only if
you choose to follow these particular methods. You should
tailor your maintenance program to
your particular and specific operation; therefore, we cannot
provide a single means of
compliance that applies to all certificate holders required to
develop and implement an air carrier
maintenance program.
f. Continuous Airworthiness Program (CAP). The Federal
Aviation
Administration (FAA) introduced the CAP in a final rule at 29
Federal Register (FR) 6522 on
May 20, 1964. Since then, the CAP has become known, in a
colloquial sense, as a Continuous
Airworthiness Maintenance Program (CAMP). This 1964
rulemaking was our response to safety
concerns and discoveries of weaknesses in the maintenance
programs of some air carriers that we
found during accident investigations and surveillance of
operator maintenance activities. We
designed the air carrier CAP to strengthen requirements for air
carrier safety management
activities. Each one of the air carrier maintenance program
elements that we describe in this AC

were a part of that 1964 rulemaking.
Page 2 Par 1-4
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
1-5. MAINTENANCE PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION. We do
not approve your
maintenance program. There is no regulation that requires an
approval. However, we do issue air
carrier operations specifications (OpSpecs) to you that authorize
you to use a maintenance
program and the air carrier maintenance manual required by
FAA regulations. This method for
authorizing operations and maintenance in air transportation
evolved from the Civil Aeronautics
Board’s (CAB) earlier method of issuing operating certificates
and temporary permits
accompanied by competency letters issued by the Secretary of
Commerce. These competency
letters contained information that authorized the air carrier’s
services, routes, aircraft,
maintenance, airmen, and weather procedures; they were part of

your air carrier operating
certificate. We, or you, could amend them as the circumstances
dictated. In 1953, we amended
the Civil Air Regulations (CAR) to require the issuance of air
carrier OpSpecs that replaced,
formalized, and standardized the competency letters that we
used at the time. We also amended
the regulations to state that OpSpecs were not part of your air
carrier certificate. Tailored to your
specific operating context and the requirements of your
individual operations, we use OpSpecs to
convey the general terms of regulations into specific terms,
conditions, and limitations. As with
the predecessor competency letters, OpSpecs are amended as
circumstances dictate. Issued by us,
the terms, conditions, and limitations contained in OpSpecs are
made mandatory through specific
regulatory language. (Refer to part 119, § 119.5 for the
applicable language.)
1-6. AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
OBJECTIVES.
a. Program Objectives. Your maintenance program must ensure
that three specific
program objectives are achieved in order to provide the highest
possible level of safety in air
transportation:
(1) Each of your aircraft that you release to service must be
Airworthy and properly
maintained for operations in air transportation;
(2) You, or any other person, perform all of the maintenance
and alterations on your
aircraft in accordance with your maintenance manual; and

(3) You, or any other person, provide competent personnel, and
adequate facilities and
equipment to perform maintenance and alterations on your
aircraft.
b. Continuing Analysis and Surveillance System (CASS). Your
maintenance program
should also have a system of continuing surveillance,
investigation, data collection, analysis,
corrective action, and corrective action followup that ensures all
parts of your maintenance
program are effective and are being performed in accordance
with your manual. “Effective”
means that you are achieving the desired results according to
the maintenance program
objectives and the standards that you, the air carrier, set.
Program performance means that all
personnel are following your program as you have documented
it in your manual.
1-7. AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE PROGRAM ELEMENTS.
Your air carrier
maintenance program includes the following 10 elements. We
explain each of these elements
individually. In some cases, there is another AC that provides
more detailed information about
one or more of the maintenance program elements. If another
AC exists, we will not explain that
element in depth.
Par 1-5 Page 3

AC 120-16F 11/15/12
• Airworthiness responsibility,
• Air carrier maintenance manual,
• Air carrier maintenance organization,
• Accomplishment and approval of maintenance and alterations,
• Maintenance schedule,
• Required Inspection Items (RII),
• Maintenance recordkeeping system,
• Contract maintenance,
• Personnel training, and
• CASS.
Page 4 Par 1-7
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
CHAPTER 2. AIRWORTHINESS RESPONSIBILITY
2-1. RESPONSIBILITY FOR AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE.
a. Part 119 Certificate Holder Responsibilities. Consistent with
§§ 121.363
and 135.413, you, as a part 119 certificate holder, are primarily

responsible for the airworthiness
of your aircraft, and the performance of all of the maintenance
or alterations on your aircraft.
Your air carrier certificate makes you a maintenance entity.
Under your air carrier certificate,
you accomplish your own maintenance, preventive maintenance,
or alterations, or you can use
other persons who are not direct employees to accomplish that
work. Consistent with our
regulations in §§ 121.1(b) and 135.1(a)(2), the part 121 or 135
regulations govern each person
that you use or that you employ for any maintenance, preventive
maintenance, or alteration of
your aircraft. Each of these persons that you use must be under
your direction and control and
must follow your maintenance program.
b. Maintenance Responsibilities. For any work done on your
aircraft, you retain direct
and primary responsibility for performing and approving all
maintenance and alterations,
whether you accomplish that work or whether someone else
does it for you, such as a
repair station. However, you always retain primary
responsibility for the performance and
approval of the maintenance done by that maintenance provider.
2-2. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PROGRAMS. The following
table provides a comparison
of the differences between air carrier maintenance programs and
part 91 General Aviation (GA)
inspection programs.
TABLE 2-1. MAINTENANCE PROGRAM AND INSPECTION
PROGRAM

DIFFERENCES
Element Part 121 and 135 Air Carriers Part 91
Owners/Operators
Use of a
maintenance or
an inspection
program.
Required to use a maintenance
program for its aircraft.
Required to use an inspection program.
Responsibilities
within the
relevant
program.
Responsible for the performance
of maintenance in accordance
with its maintenance program and
manual, as well as the
airworthiness of its aircraft,
including airframes, aircraft
engines, propellers, appliances,
and parts thereof.
Responsible for maintaining the aircraft
in an Airworthy condition
(14 CFR part 91, § 91.403).
NOTE: The wording in part 91 is deliberately different from the
wording in
14 CFR parts 121 and 135 and is consistent with the difference

between air
transportation and other air commerce described in 49 U.S.C. §
44701.
Responsible for the development
and use of the maintenance
Responsible for the selection of an
existing inspection program and the
Par 2-1 Page 5
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
program and manual, determining
the method of performing
maintenance, a required
inspection list, a Continuous
Analysis and Surveillance
System (CASS), a maintenance
organization that can exercise
operational control over
maintenance operations, and other
items that collectively and
systematically serve to ensure
each aircraft has been properly
maintained for operations in air
transportation and is Airworthy.
scheduling of aircraft for the

inspections, and for ensuring that
discrepancies that occur between
scheduled inspections are repaired.
Must determine what maintenance
is required, how to do it, when to
do it, perform that maintenance,
and approve its own aircraft for
return to service (RTS). May
authorize another person to
accomplish the maintenance
work, but the maintenance must
be carried out according to the air
carrier’s maintenance program
and manual. The air carrier still
retains the responsibility for the
proper completion of maintenance
(part 121, § 121.363 or
part 135, § 135.413).
Must make the airplane available to
authorized and certificated person(s)
who accomplish inspections and other
maintenance.
Along with FAA oversight, is the
primary authority with regard to
its maintenance program. Holds
the primary responsibility for the
performance of maintenance in
accordance with its maintenance
program and manual, as well as
the airworthiness of its aircraft,
including airframes, aircraft
engines, propellers, appliances,
and parts thereof.

The authorized and certificated
person(s) has the responsibility to
perform the maintenance properly in
accordance with the manufacturer’s
manual and to approve the aircraft for
RTS. The owner/operator does not have
this responsibility. However, the
owner/operator is responsible for
ensuring maintenance personnel make
appropriate entries in the aircraft
maintenance records indicating the
aircraft has received approval for RTS.
Page 6 Par 2-2
11/15/12 AC 120-16F

CHAPTER 3. AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE MANUAL
3-1. AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE MANUAL
REQUIREMENT.
a. Maintenance Manuals. Our regulations (§§ 121.133, 121.369,
135.21, and 135.427)
require you to have a maintenance manual. It is a required part
of your air carrier manual system.
Some air carriers call their manuals “specifications.” Some use
other terms.
b. Revising Maintenance Manuals. Your maintenance manual
must be easy to revise and
have procedures for keeping all parts of your manual up to date.
Your manual may be electronic
or in another form.
c. Availability. You must make copies of your manual, or
appropriate portions of it,
available to those persons required to comply with it, including
any changes or additions. Each
person, including us, who you furnish a manual or appropriate
parts to, must keep it up to date.
d. Other Related Regulations. Other regulations that relate to
your manual requirements
are part 43, § 43.13(c), and §§ 121.135, 121.137, 135.23, and
135.427.
3-2. ROLE OF YOUR AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE
MANUAL.
a. Standardization. Your maintenance manual is your key to
standardized, consistent
accomplishment and administration of your maintenance

program. Your maintenance manual:
(1) Identifies, describes, and defines your maintenance program,
and
(2) Provides instructions and procedures to administer, use,
manage, and amend your
program.
b. Organization and Format. Your maintenance manual is a
company publication, and
you have sole responsibility for its organization and content;
however, others may compile and
publish it for you. Your maintenance manual may be electronic.
c. Contract Maintenance. Air carriers normally write their
manual to address their
employees. However, if the air carrier chooses to use another
person to perform maintenance for
it, the air carrier must ensure their manual requirements address
the use of the other person.
3-3. MAJOR SECTIONS OF THE TYPICAL AIR CARRIER
MAINTENANCE
MANUAL. Your maintenance manual should have a practical
organization. Typically, it will
have at least three sections: the first covering administrative
policies and procedures; a second
covering detailed instructions for the administration,
management, and accomplishment of the
elements of your maintenance program; and a third covering
technical data that describes
maintenance standards, methods, techniques, and procedures.
a. Administrative Policies and Procedures. The primary function
of this part of your

manual is as a management and administrative tool for
organizing, directing, amending, and
controlling your maintenance program. Usually, you will place
organizational charts delineating
the functions, relationships, and lines of authority between your
organizational elements and
Par 3-1 Page 7
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
personnel here. You may list position descriptions, duties,
responsibilities, and specific authority
and responsibility attributes for each position within your
maintenance organization here. The
authority and responsibility attributes that you place here
should show who has overall authority
and/or responsibility and who has direct authority and/or
responsibility for given functions.
b. Instructions for the Administration, Management, and
Accomplishment of the
Maintenance Program.

(1) This section contains detailed instructions for your
management of the various
functions and interrelationships of each maintenance program
element, such as maintenance time
limitations, recordkeeping, airworthiness directive management,
maintenance program
management and oversight, contract maintenance management
and oversight, and personnel
training. This section usually includes a description of your
scheduled maintenance tasks,
procedural information, and detailed instructions, or specific air
carrier maintenance manual
references for accomplishing your maintenance tasks.
Additionally, you should describe criteria
for initiating functional evaluation flights in this part of the
maintenance manual, along with
procedural requirements for them. In this portion of your
manual, you should also include criteria
and procedural information for unscheduled inspections, such as
those associated with lightning
strikes, tail strikes, engine temperature exceedance, hazardous
material (hazmat) spills, hard or
overweight landings, and any very high-load event.
(2) You should have a comprehensive process in the
unscheduled maintenance portion
of your manual that addresses those rare, extremely high-load
events that occur to aircraft.
Specifically, you should have inspection processes that you
should use following certain
high-load events. These particular high-load events are those for
which the subsequent inspection
process might benefit from the use of flight data. You should
consider the events listed below as
most significant:

(a) Flight Events.
• A severe turbulence encounter,
• Extreme maneuvers,
• Exceedance of speed limitations, and
• Heavy stall buffet.
(b) Ground Events.
• Hard landings,
• Overweight landings, and
• Drift landings resulting in excessive side/drag load.
(3) Typically, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) will
include detailed
inspection instructions that you should follow following these
high-load events. The objective of
these instructions is to detect aircraft damage following an in-
service flight or ground event.
While there are many conditions that can result in high-loads on
the airframe and subsequent
structural damage, we consider the use of flight data in your
inspection process to be particularly
beneficial for the events identified above.
Page 8 Par 3-3

11/15/12 AC 120-16F
(4) Your processes for evaluating these events should address:
(a) An appropriate indication that an event has occurred,
(b) An evaluation of the severity of the event, and
(c) Coordination with the manufacturer, as appropriate. Your
special inspection
procedures for high-load events should be robust enough to:
• Identify that a very high-load event has occurred,
• Assure that indications of structural damage are found in
an initial
inspection,
• Involve the OEM if necessary,
• Provide a process for additional inspections that are
designed to identify all
of the structural damage, and
• Provide a process for approval for return to service (RTS).
c. Technical Data that Describe Maintenance Standards,
Methods, Techniques, and
Procedures.
(1) Accomplishing Specific Tasks. This section of your manual
concerns detailed
procedures for accomplishing specific tasks. You should
describe methods, techniques, technical

standards, measurements, calibration standards, operational
tests, structural repairs, etc., in this
section. You should also include procedures for aircraft Weight
and Balance (W&B), jacking,
lifting and shoring, storage, cold weather operations, towing,
aircraft taxi, and aircraft cleaning.
You can derive your maintenance manual contents from the
manufacturer’s publications.
However, based on your particular service experience,
organization, and operating context, the
FAA expects you to continuously modify and customize your
maintenance manual as necessary
for the continuing success of your maintenance program. This is
one of the desired outcomes of a
well-functioning CASS, which we explain in more detail in
Chapter 11, Continuing Analysis and
Surveillance System, and in the current edition of AC 120-79,
Developing and Implementing a
Continuing Analysis and Surveillance System.
(2) Airworthiness Directives (AD). You are required to
accomplish the provisions of
ADs that we issue by 14 CFR part 39. While not specifically
required by any regulation, you
should also include in your manual a process for managing ADs
(i.e., evaluating, accomplishing,
and verifying ADs). Your AD management process, as described
in the current edition of
AC 39-9, Airworthiness Directives Management Process, should
include the following six
elements: planning, support, provisioning, implementing,
recording, and auditing. You may not
operate your aircraft that an AD applies to except in strict
compliance with the provisions of the
AD. So it is extremely important that you include in your AD
process provisions that ensure that:

you review ADs for applicability to your aircraft; you
accomplish the requirements of the AD
within the timeframe specified in the AD; you keep records of
the accomplishment and current
status of each AD that applies to your aircraft; and you ensure
that any subsequent maintenance
or alteration to your aircraft does not remove the maintenance
or alteration that was mandated by
the AD. If you do subsequently remove the AD-mandated
maintenance or alteration, you will be
in violation of part 39 and may introduce an unsafe condition in
your airplane. It would also
Par 3-3 Page 9
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
make the required records for that particular AD inaccurate. If
you determine that an alternative
method of compliance (AMOC) with an AD is necessary, you
should refer to the current edition
of FAA Order 8110.103, Alternative Methods of Compliance
(AMOC). With regard to AD
recordkeeping, Chapter 8, Maintenance Recordkeeping System,
contains detailed information
that deals with your maintenance recordkeeping system.
d. Work Cards. Work cards, sometimes referred to as job cards
or task cards, while not a
specific regulatory requirement, have evolved as a best practice.
We consider work cards to be

part of your air carrier manual and the air carrier maintenance
program. They are the “what to
do” and the “how to do it” parts of your maintenance program.
You use work cards as a simple
means of complying with maintenance performance and
recordkeeping regulations. Your work
cards provide a control element to the performance of
maintenance. They also provide the means
of ensuring that all maintenance personnel comply with your air
carrier maintenance manual. It
is an easy way for you to make sure that your maintenance
personnel, as well as other personnel,
are following your procedures. The second primary function is
to document maintenance
activities, providing a means for you to comply with your air
carrier maintenance recordkeeping
requirements. Work cards may also document the results of
inspections, checks, and tests for
data collection and analysis. The work-in-progress audits that
you conduct regarding work card
activity as part of your CASS ensure that each individual who
accomplishes work on your
aircraft is following your manual.
Page 10 Par 3-3

11/15/12 AC 120-16F
CHAPTER 4. AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE
ORGANIZATION
4-1. MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION—GENERAL. Your
maintenance organization
must be able to perform, supervise, manage, and amend your
program; manage and guide your
maintenance personnel; and provide the direction necessary to
achieve your maintenance
program objectives. Our regulations require you to include a
chart or a description of your
maintenance organization in your manual. You can read about
requirements in part 121 subpart L, part 135 subpart J, and
portions of part 119 subpart C. These
organizational regulations apply to your organization, as well as
any other organization that
provides maintenance services for you. A chart is a good way to
show your assignment of overall
and direct authorities and responsibilities.
4-2. REQUIRED MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION
MANAGEMENT POSITIONS.
Section 119.65 includes specific requirements for maintenance
management positions for
operations under part 121. These are a Director of Maintenance
(DOM) and a chief inspector, or
equivalent positions. These are management positions required
by the regulations. However, you
may need more management positions to administer and manage

your maintenance organization.
a. Part 121 and 135 Required Positions. For operations
conducted under
part 121, § 119.65 requires you to have qualified individuals
serving full-time in the DOM and
chief inspector, or equivalent, positions. If necessary for your
operation, you can ask the FAA for
a deviation from the types and numbers of required part 121 or
135 management positions.
b. Chief Inspector. For operations conducted under part 135, §
119.69 requires you to
have a qualified individual serving in the DOM management
position. There is no regulatory
requirement for a part 135 chief inspector management position.
However, in a practical sense,
you will have an individual in your part 135 maintenance
organization who has direct
responsibility for the RII function, as well as those other duties,
responsibilities, and functions
normally associated with a part 121 chief inspector.
c. Management Personnel. The regulations require you to state
the duties,
responsibilities, and authority of each of your management
personnel in your manual. You
should state who has overall authority and/or responsibility, and
who has direct authority and/or
responsibility for a given process. Also, you must notify the
FAA when you make changes in
your part 119-required management personnel or when you have
a vacancy in one of those
positions.
NOTE: “Authority” means the power to design or change

fundamental
policy or procedures without having to seek higher level
approval. Authority
is permission; it is a right coupled with an autonomous power to
accomplish
certain acts or order others to act. Often one person grants
another authority
to act, such as an employer to an employee, a corporation to its
officers, or a
governmental empowerment to perform certain functions.
NOTE: “Responsibility” means the obligation to ensure a task
or function is
successfully carried out. Responsibility includes accountability
for the action
to carry out a task or function.
Par 4-1 Page 11
AC 120-16F 11/15/12

4-3. REQUIRED AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.
a. Structure. We wrote the regulations defining an air carrier
necessarily broad given the different types and sizes of air
carriers. A single means of
compliance or a single organizational chart that would apply to
all the different types and sizes of
air carrier organizations is not possible.
b. Accountable Manager. You should designate an individual or
position as the
accountable manager with the authority and the overall
responsibility for managing and
implementing your entire maintenance program, including all
inspection functions. The
individual you designate must meet the qualifications for the
Director of Maintenance listed in
§ 119.67(c) or § 119.71(e), as applicable. The inspection
functions and the required inspection
functions are part of your maintenance program.
c. Organizational Functions. The FAA recommends your
maintenance organization have
three general organizational functions to ensure that you
conduct all operations to the highest
possible degree of safety. If you are a larger organization, you
may have different departments
for each level, while in the smallest organizations, you may
carry out these functions through one
or two individuals, maybe as a collateral duty. Generally, these
three organizational functional
levels include:
(1) Mechanics and/or inspectors performing the work at the first

level (operations);
(2) Middle managers and supervisors at the second level
(tactics); and
(3) The maintenance program accountable manager at the third
level (strategy).
d. Authority and Responsibility. We expect you to assign clear
authority and
responsibility in your maintenance organization, including
delegated responsibility, for the
overall maintenance program and all of its elements and
functions. You should include a position
description that includes each position’s duties and
responsibilities in your manual so that there
is not a fragmented organizational system with a high risk for
confusion over who is responsible
for a given element, process, or task. Watch out for hidden
duties and responsibilities where the
duty and/or responsibility is shown in a process but not in the
position description.
4-4. SEPARATION OF INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
DEPARTMENTS.
a. Regulatory Requirements.
(1) If you perform maintenance (other than required
inspections), §§ 121.365(a)
and 135.423(a) require you to have an organization that is
adequate to perform maintenance
work. Additionally, if you perform required inspections, §§
121.365(b) and 135.423(b) require
you to have an organization that is adequate to perform required
inspection work.

Par 4-3
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
(2) Don’t confuse your maintenance production department with
your maintenance
organization. Also, don’t confuse your inspection department, if
you have one, with your
required inspection organization. We have defined
“maintenance” in § 1.1 as “inspection,
overhaul, repair, preservation, and the replacement of parts, but
excluding preventive
maintenance.” We do not define required inspection in § 1.1.
However, within the context of
parts 121 and 135, the term “required inspection” has a very
specific regulatory meaning and
should not be confused with the general use of the word
“inspection” throughout the regulations.
(3) While there is no regulatory requirement to separate the
from the required inspection organization, there is a
requirement when performing both
maintenance and required inspection work to organize the
performance of those functions so as
to separate the maintenance function from the required
inspection function.

b. Organization. Regulations require you to organize the
performance of all maintenance
functions, including inspection, repair, overhaul, and the
replacement of parts, to separate the
function of required inspections from the function of the other
maintenance, and alteration activities. This organizational
separation must be below the level of
administrative control where you exercise overall responsibility
for the required inspection
functions as well as the other maintenance, preventive
maintenance, and alteration functions.
Consistent with subparagraph 4-3b, your accountable manager
exercises overall authority and
responsibility over the required inspection functions, as well as
the other maintenance
(including inspection), preventive maintenance, and alteration
functions. Refer to
Figure 4-1, Maintenance Organizational Chart, for a
representative organizational chart.
Par 4-4 Page 13
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
FIGURE 4-1. MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
Page 14 Par 4-4

11/15/12 AC 120-16F
CHAPTER 5. ACCOMPLISHMENT AND APPROVAL OF
MAINTENANCE AND
ALTERATIONS
5-1. ACCOMPLISHMENT OF MAINTENANCE.
a. Authority To Perform Maintenance. As a maintenance entity,
you have authorization
under §§ 43.3(f), 43.7(e), 121.379, and 135.437 to perform
maintenance on your own air carrier
aircraft and to approve them for RTS without obtaining any
other maintenance certification. In
addition, §§ 121.379 and 135.437 provide clear authority for
you, under your air carrier
certificate, to perform maintenance on behalf of other air
carriers who conduct operations under
the same part as you do.
b. Certificate Requirements.

(1) Each individual who makes an airworthiness determination
on your behalf must
hold an appropriate airman’s certificate. Sections 121.378 and
135.435 require that any
individual who you put directly in charge of performing
maintenance hold an airman certificate.
Section 121.371 requires that any individual that you authorize
to perform RII for you hold an
appropriate airman certificate. Section 121.709 requires that
anyone who you authorize to issue
an approval for RTS hold an appropriate airman’s certificate.
Your DOM and chief inspector
must hold an airman’s certificate with Airframe and Powerplant
(A&P) ratings.
NOTE: The certificate requirements contained in the regulations
stated
above are directed at the air carrier. The certificated airman
acting in this
position does not exercise the authority or privileges of his or
her certificate.
(2) You accomplish all maintenance and approval for RTS on
your aircraft under your
air carrier certificate by your maintenance organization or
persons authorized by you, not by any
individual or organization under their own individual
certificate. There is, however, one
exception to the individual airman certificate requirement. It
occurs if you arrange for a
certificated repair station (CRS) located outside the United
States to perform maintenance. At
such repair stations, individuals directly in charge of
performing maintenance or required
inspections are not required to hold an FAA airman certificate.

5-2. MAJOR REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS. Under §§
121.379(b) and 135.437(b), major
repairs and alterations must be done in accordance with
technical data approved by the FAA.
Part 43, appendix A, contains a list of repairs and alterations
that are considered to be major.
Exclusive reliance on the part 43, appendix A, list of major
repairs and alterations to make the
major/minor classification might result in the misclassification
of some repairs and alterations
because the part 43, appendix A, list does not include evolving
airplane design and construction
techniques such as composite structures and the high-speed,
high-altitude pressurized jet
transport. You should have detailed major/minor classification
procedures in your manual to
evaluate each repair or alteration on a case-by-case basis using
such factors as the certification
basis of the aircraft; classification of the structure as primary,
secondary, or a primary structural
element; or classification as a fail-safe, safe-life, or damage-
tolerant structure.
Par 5-1 Page 15
AC 120-16F 11/15/12

5-3. AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE FORM OR AIRCRAFT LOG
ENTRY AND
APPROVAL FOR RTS. After performing any maintenance on
your airplane, you must approve
it for RTS before you may operate it. As an air carrier, you must
issue an approval for RTS under
§ 121.709 or § 135.443, as appropriate. You can read additional,
more detailed information about
the process for approving your airplanes for RTS in Chapter 8.
5-4. SCOPE OF MAINTENANCE. You must provide
instructions in your maintenance
program and maintenance manual for maintenance and
alterations. These instructions should
address the areas of what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and
was it done properly. The three
major areas to consider are scheduled maintenance, unscheduled
maintenance, and specific
maintenance requirements for major components of the aircraft.
a. Scheduled Maintenance. Scheduled maintenance consists of
all the individual
maintenance tasks performed according to the maintenance time
limitations, also called a
maintenance schedule. Your scheduled maintenance activities
should include procedural
instructions for the maintenance tasks and procedures for
recording the results of the inspections,
checks, tests, and other maintenance. Your procedures should
also provide for time-related
activities such as recurring ADs, Certification Maintenance
Requirements (CMR), and
life-limited parts retirement.

b. Unscheduled Maintenance. Unscheduled maintenance
includes procedures,
instructions, and standards for maintenance that occurs on an
unscheduled or unforeseen basis. A
need for unscheduled maintenance may result from scheduled
maintenance tasks, pilot reports, or
unforeseen events, such as high-load events, hard or overweight
landings, tail strikes, ground
damage, lightning strikes, or an engine over-temperature. In
your maintenance manual, you
should include instructions and standards for accomplishing and
recording unscheduled
maintenance.
c. Specific Maintenance Requirements for Major Aircraft
Components.
(1) Engine Maintenance Program. Your engine maintenance
program should cover
the maintenance of installed engines and off-wing engines for
each engine model you operate. If
your aircraft has auxiliary power units (APU), you may want to
include APU maintenance as
part of your engine maintenance program. Usually, the installed
engine or APU requirements
will be contained in the maintenance schedule. In addition to
procedural information, the
off-wing program described in your maintenance manual should
provide shop scheduling
information or intervals for cleaning, adjusting, inspecting,
testing, and lubricating each part of
the engine or APU. You should include in your maintenance
manual the degree of inspection, the
applicable wear tolerances, and the work required when the
engine or APU is in the shop.

(2) Propeller Maintenance Program. If applicable, your
propeller maintenance
program should cover the maintenance of installed propellers
and off-wing propellers for each
model you operate. Usually, the installed propeller system
scheduled maintenance requirements
will be contained in the maintenance schedule. In addition to
procedural information, the
off-wing program described in your manual should provide shop
scheduling information or
intervals for cleaning, inspecting, adjusting, testing, and
lubricating each part of the propeller
system requiring that maintenance. You should include in your
maintenance manual the degree
Page 16 Par 5-3
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
of inspection, the applicable wear tolerances, and the work
required at these periods. Some
modern propellers are constructed of composite materials and,
therefore, may require unique
tools, repair procedures, and specialized training for your
maintenance personnel.
5-5. PARTS AND APPLIANCES MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
For the most part, this
section of your maintenance program covers shop operations,

which may include both scheduled
and unscheduled tasks. You may conduct these shop operations
at some location other than
where you perform maintenance on your aircraft. Your parts and
appliance maintenance program
should cover both installed parts and appliances and off-wing
maintenance for each part and
appliance model that you operate. Usually, the scheduled
maintenance requirements for installed
parts and appliances will be contained in the maintenance
schedule. In addition to procedural
information, the off-wing program described in your
maintenance manual should provide shop
scheduling information or intervals for cleaning, adjusting,
inspecting, testing, and lubricating
each component of the part and appliance requiring that
maintenance. Include in your
maintenance manual the degree of inspection, the applicable
wear tolerances, and the work
required when the part or appliance is in the shop.
Par 5-4 Page 17 (and 18)
11/15/12 AC 120-16F

CHAPTER 6. MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
6-1. THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. Sections 119.49 and
121.135(b) require you to
have maintenance time limitations, also called a maintenance
schedule. These same rules permit
you to use standards for determining your maintenance time
limitations, which are the regulatory
basis of FAA-approved reliability programs. The maintenance
time limitations set out the what,
how, and when of your scheduled maintenance effort. Although
in the past the schedule included
only basic overhaul limits and other general requirements, today
it includes a specific list of each
individual maintenance task and its associated interval. The
regulations are broad enough to
permit you to organize all of these individual tasks into a series
of integrated scheduled work
packages of your own design that provide a continuous
succession of necessary or desirable
scheduled maintenance tasks for your entire airplane.
NOTE: You should not confuse the meaning of the terms
“instructions for
continued airworthiness” (ICA) required by part 25, § 25.1529,
“time
limitations” (maintenance schedule) required by §
121.135(b)(18), and
“airworthiness limitations” (AL) required by part 25 appendix
H, § H25.4.
Although related, each term has a significant meaning within
the context of
the stated part and section of the regulation.

6-2. THE FAA’s ROLE IN RELATION TO THE
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. The
FAA authorizes your maintenance schedule through your
OpSpecs, and your CASS monitors
that schedule to verify its effectiveness (i.e., producing the
desired results). Your CASS will be
your principal source of information that might indicate a
needed change to your maintenance
schedule. (We describe the CASS in Chapter 11 and in much
more detail in the current edition of
AC 120-79, Developing and Implementing an Air Carrier
Continuing Analysis and Surveillance
System.) We expect you to correct any deficiencies in your
maintenance schedule. Under
§§ 121.373(b) and 135.431(b), if you do not make needed
changes, we can require you to change
your maintenance schedule or any other element of your
maintenance program found deficient.
6-3. MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE CONTENTS.
a. Maintenance Schedule Should Contain the Following
Information:
(1) What (Unique Identifier). This is the item that you are going
to maintain. Your
identifier should be specific enough to allow the individual that
you assign to do the scheduled
maintenance task to easily and accurately identify the item. The
following are examples of items
that an operator’s maintenance schedule may include:
• ADs,
• Service Bulletins (SB)/Service Letters,
• Replacement of life-limited items,

• Replacement of components for periodic overhaul or repair,
• Special inspections,
• Checks or tests,
• Lubrication and servicing,
• Tasks identified in the Maintenance Review Board Report
(MRBR),
Par 6-1 Page 19
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
• ALs,
• CMRs,
• Supplemental Structural Inspection Documents (SSID), and
• Electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS).
(2) How (Task). This is how you should maintain the item you
are going to maintain,
or the scheduled maintenance task you will perform. A
scheduled maintenance task is a
maintenance action that you perform at regular, scheduled
intervals. The intent of this task is to
ensure the item can continue to perform its intended function,
allows you to discover a hidden
failure, or to ensure that a hidden function is available. You

should not use terms such as
hard-time (HT), on-condition, or condition monitored in your
maintenance schedule. The
maintenance schedule should state the maintenance task to be
performed to meet the requirement
(e.g., Replace, Inspect, and Test).
(3) When (Timing). You should accomplish scheduled
maintenance tasks (one-time or
repetitive) at an acceptable time in service. You may measure
time in service in calendar-time,
operational hours, flight cycles, or any other appropriate
parameter.
b. Maintenance Schedule Objective. Your overall maintenance
schedule objective is to
do the correct tasks at the correct interval. Keep in mind that
more maintenance is not always a
good idea, so if you decide to decrease intervals or add tasks,
you should go through the same
justification process as any other change to the maintenance
schedule.
c. Maintenance Schedule Best Practice. For task management,
inventory, and audit
purposes, you should identify, on the maintenance schedule, the
task or work card associated
with each scheduled maintenance task. This way you can ensure
that you accomplish all of your
scheduled maintenance tasks according to your schedule.
6-4. STANDARDS FOR DETERMINING MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULES. As we
mentioned in paragraph 6-1, §§ 119.49 and 121.135 permit you
to have standards for
determining your maintenance time limitations. In the past, we

used this language as the
regulatory basis for FAA-approved reliability programs that
evolved during the 1960s. These
programs were based on the Air Transport Association of
America’s (ATA) now obsolete
process-based Maintenance Steering Group—2nd Task Force
(MSG-2) decision logic that
focused on failure rates and maintaining individual parts of the
aircraft. Consistent with the
continuous evolution of aviation, MSG–2 became obsolete in
1980 with the advent of the ATAs
task-based Maintenance Steering Group—3rd Task Force (MSG-
3) decision logic. MSG-3
focused on aircraft systems and a loss of function rather than on
an individual part failure. In any
case, the management of these MSG-2 process-based programs
was actuarial analysis.
Air carriers used the failure rates of a part to determine, through
a probability process, the
likelihood that the part would have a similar failure rate in the
future. The standard was the
acceptable failure rate. Air carriers used a failure rate alert
program with upper control limits
(UCL) and lower control limits (LCL) to track part failure rates.
The air carrier was obliged to
take action only when the failure rate deviated from the
probability-based prediction
(i.e., exceeded the UCL or the LCL). If the part did not respond,
the air carrier had authorization
to move the UCL or LCL to make the failure rate within the
alert program limits.
Page 20 Par 6-3

11/15/12 AC 120-16F
a. Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM). During the 1970s,
after collecting a large
amount of operational data over time, the industry came to the
realization that using failure rates
and alert programs was not the most effective way of managing
scheduled maintenance. Using
the vast amount of operational data that was available, United
Airlines developed and published
a report during 1978 under a U.S. DOD contract entitled
“Reliability Centered Maintenance
(RCM).” This very significant document was in stark contrast to
the previous part failure rate
focus. RCM focused on the loss of function of an aircraft
system. RCM determined that
everything does not fail the same way; failures occur according
to six different failure patterns.
RCM also determined that everything does not require the same
type of maintenance; there are
four different types of scheduled maintenance. RCM also took
into account the different
consequences (safety, operational, and economic) of a loss of
function, as well as system
functional redundancy and inherent design safety when
determining if scheduled maintenance
was required. In some cases, RCM determined that no scheduled
maintenance was required. This
resulted in doing only required maintenance and a much lower
maintenance burden.

b. MSG–3 Decision Logic. The RCM document was the major
basis for the ATA’s
development of the MSG-3 decision logic in 1980. Since then,
most aircraft manufacturers have
used the ATA’s MSG-3 decision logic to help them develop
scheduled maintenance
requirements for their new products. Besides providing
organization and flow to the deliberative
process, the primary attribute of the MSG-3 process is that the
user can develop initial scheduled
maintenance requirements without the operational data that is
required to determine the need for
scheduled maintenance tasks. Using the techniques of the MSG-
3 decision logic, it is fairly
simple to decide what tasks are required to be included in an
initial scheduled maintenance
program. However, the MSG-3 decision logic does not contain
task interval selection decision
logic to help the user determine where to set the task intervals,
or how to adjust them after
service is initiated. Using the MSG-3 process, initial task
intervals are set on the basis of
knowledge of the design, and the best judgment of the MRBR
working group members. As a
result, validation of initial interval selections must occur when
the aircraft begins service and
starts generating the operational data that was not available
when the initial intervals were set.
c. Effective Scheduled Maintenance. An inherent function of
your CASS is to determine
the effectiveness of your scheduled maintenance effort through
operational data collection and
analysis activity. You use this important function to determine
the level of scheduled

maintenance effectiveness and to make the changes necessary to
achieve the standard of
effectiveness that you have set. Effective means “it is producing
the desired results.” Thus, from
an operational standpoint, an indicator of effectiveness of your
scheduled maintenance effort is
the availability of your aircraft for flight operations. If your
aircraft are unavailable for flight
operations due to maintenance reasons, then your scheduled
maintenance program may not be as
effective as it should be. There may be other elements of your
maintenance program besides the
scheduled maintenance element that may be deficient as well,
but your CASS procedures will
identify the root cause and help you identify and make the
adjustments/changes necessary to
achieve the level of flight operations availability (the result)
that you have set.
Par 6-4 Page 21
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
d. MRBR Changes. MRBR revisions are developed to address
global in-service
experience in addition to reflecting new design configurations
and new rules. Therefore, when
MRBR revisions occur, you should review them and determine
if they necessitate a change in

your maintenance schedule based on your particular needs,
experience, and program’s goals and
philosophy.
e. Failure Effect Categories (FEC). While you may make
changes to your maintenance
schedule, it is important for you to consider the task FEC that
arises from application of the
MSG-3 logic used to develop the MRBR (since this helps
identify the relative criticality of the
task). You should not delete or change the scope of MSG-3
FECs 5 (Evident Safety)
and 8 (Hidden Safety) tasks without the concurrence/approval of
the FAA Maintenance Review
Board (MRB) Chairman and the OEM/type-certificate holder
(TCH).
NOTE: To protect the identity and significance of a safety-
related task, you
should identify each task in your maintenance schedule that is a
CMR, AL,
or those with FECs 5 and 8.
Page 22 Par 6-4
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
CHAPTER 7. REQUIRED INSPECTION ITEMS

7-1. RIIs.
a. Tasks as RIIs. Sections 121.369(b) and 135.427(b) require
you to designate certain
tasks as RIIs. Your RIIs must include at least those tasks that
could result in a failure,
malfunction, or defect that endangers the safe operation of the
aircraft if the task is not
completed properly or if you use improper parts or material. If
other persons perform
maintenance tasks for you, you may authorize them to
accomplish your RII requirement,
provided that your manual satisfies the regulatory requirements,
as outlined in paragraph 7-2.
Consistent with the regulations, you remain primarily
responsible for the performance of each
RII accomplished by the other person.
b. Making RII Lists. Your RII lists should identify specific
items of maintenance for each
aircraft type you operate. It is inappropriate to designate entire
systems as RIIs. You should
adhere to a decision process, similar to the following, when
creating a list of RIIs:
Par 7-1 Page 23
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
FIGURE 7-1. REQUIRED INSPECTION ITEMS

Par 7-1
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
c. RIIs and Safety. RIIs relate directly to flight safety. Consider
all your RIIs with the
same safety of flight consideration and emphasis even if
accomplishing an individual RII
adversely impacts your flight schedule, it is related to a
scheduled or an unscheduled task, or it
arises at an awkward time or at an inconvenient location.
7-2. RII PROCEDURES, STANDARDS, AND LIMITS.
a. List of Other Persons. Your manual must include a list of
persons with whom you
have arranged for the performance of any required inspections
(§§ 121.369(a) and 135.427(a))
both within your organization and within other organizations
that perform maintenance on your
behalf. This listing must include a designation by occupational
title of the personnel authorized
to perform each required inspection (§§ 121.369(b)(3) and
135.427(b)(3)).

b. Certification. With consideration of the exception at §§
121.378(a) and 135.435(a),
each individual that you grant an RII authorization to must hold
an appropriate airman’s
certificate. This is an air carrier qualification requirement; the
individual does not exercise that
certificate when accomplishing the RII. You must formally
notify each of these individuals of
their RII authorization as well as its scope (§§ 121.371(d) and
135.429(e)).
c. RII Requirements. You should clearly identify your RII
requirements on work forms,
job cards, engineering orders, etc., or by any other method
consistent with your maintenance
program. A primary concept of the RII function is to prevent
any person who performs any item
of work from performing any required inspection of that work
(§§ 121.369(b)(7)
and 135.427(b)(7)). Therefore, it is important that you identify
RIIs whenever possible so that
everyone knows that an RII is required. You should also clearly
state RII buy-back procedures
(§§ 121.369(b)(4) and 135.427(b)(4)).
d. Standards and Limitations. You must set procedures,
standards, and limits necessary
for required inspections and acceptance or rejection of the RII
(§§ 121.369(b)(5)
and 135.427(b)(5)). You should have those procedures,
standards, and limits necessary for the
accomplishment of your required inspections. You must also
have those procedures, standards,
and limits necessary for the acceptance or rejection of each of
your RIIs. As you will not find

RIIs or procedures, standards, and limits for RIIs in an OEM
manual, you will have to develop
these and put them in your manual. Your manual must specify
the method of performing
required inspections (§§ 121.369(b)(3) and 135.427(b)(3)).
e. Procedures. Your manual must include procedures to ensure
that you perform and
complete all required inspections (§§ 121.369(b)(6) and
135.427(b)(6)) before you release the
aircraft to service (§§ 121.369(b)(9) and 135.427(b)(9)).
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
CHAPTER 8. MAINTENANCE RECORDKEEPING SYSTEM
8-1. REASONS FOR MAKING AND KEEPING
MAINTENANCE RECORDS. Your
primary reason to make and retain air carrier maintenance
records is to show that the
U.S. standard airworthiness certificate on your aircraft is
effective and that your aircraft is

Airworthy. A U.S. standard airworthiness certificate is effective
only as long as the maintenance
and alterations are performed according to the requirements of
the FAA’s regulations. If your
required aircraft maintenance records are incomplete or
inaccurate, it can render your aircraft’s
U.S. standard airworthiness certificate ineffective. Maintenance
actions, in almost all cases,
become intangible or abstract after the fact. Therefore, in order
for you to make a maintenance
action tangible, you must make a record of that maintenance
action. Additionally, making a
record of certain summary information supports identification
of the current inspection and
airworthiness status of your aircraft.
8-2. PART 43 REQUIREMENTS. You can find the basic
requirement to make a maintenance
record in § 43.9(a); however, § 43.9(b) indicates that the
governing requirements for you, an
air carrier, are found in part 121 or 135. That is another way of
saying that the recordkeeping
requirements of § 43.9(a) do not apply to you. However, the
requirements of § 43.9(b) are
consistent with the air carrier maintenance recordkeeping
requirements of §§ 121.369(c)
and 121.380(a) and (c), or §§ 135.427(c) and 135.439.
8-3. WORK PERFORMED BY A PART 145 REPAIR
STATION.
a. Retaining Records. Part 145, § 145.219 sets forth
requirements for a CRS to retain
certain records of maintenance that it performs. It also requires
the repair station to make those
records available to the FAA. However, these §§ 43.9(a) and

145.219 requirements do not apply
when the repair station is accomplishing any work on your
aircraft.
b. Copies of Records. The wording of the § 145.205 regulations,
as well as §§ 119.1(c),
121.1(b), and 135.1(a)(2), compel a part 145 CRS to follow the
procedures and requirements of
your maintenance program and applicable sections of your
maintenance manual when
accomplishing any maintenance or alterations on your aircraft.
Consequently, a CRS must use
the performance standards of part 121 or 135, including the
recordkeeping requirements, instead
of following the provisions in part 145 and the repair station’s
Repair Station Manual (RSM).
This is consistent with the requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act, which does not permit
the government to require two separate but identical sets of
records. The responsibility for
retaining records in accordance with the retention requirements
of §§ 121.380(c) and 135.439(b)
rests with you, the air carrier, not the repair station. However, if
a part 145 repair station wants to
retain a copy of those records generated by working on your
aircraft, our regulations do not
preclude them from doing so. Asking the part 145 repair station
to keep your records for you is
consistent with regulations, although you are responsible for
retaining them and making them
available to the FAA. This is consistent with the requirements
of § 119.59(c).
Par 8-1 Page 27

AC 120-16F 11/15/12
8-4. PENALTIES FOR IMPROPER AIR CARRIER
MAINTENANCE
RECORDKEEPING.
a. Maintenance Records Are Important For:
(1) You, as operator, to fulfill your responsibility to determine
the airworthiness status
of your aircraft; and
(2) Us, to use them for its continuing review of aircraft
maintenance records as a direct
means of determining the airworthiness and safety status of air
carrier aircraft.
b. Reviewing Maintenance Records. Because reviewing
maintenance records is often the
only direct means of determining the accomplishment of

required maintenance, Federal law
treats the act of intentionally failing to make and keep, as well
as the act of intentionally
falsifying, mutilating, or altering air carrier aircraft records, as
a criminal act subject to the
imposition of substantial fines and/or imprisonment.
8-5. MAKING AND KEEPING REQUIRED RECORDS.
a. Recordkeeping System. FAA regulations (§ 121.369(c) or §
135.427(c)) require you to
have and use a recordkeeping system for the preservation and
retrieval of all work performed on
your aircraft. You must document your system in your
maintenance manual. The primary
objectives of these systems are the generation, storage,
retention, and retrieval of accurate and
complete air carrier aircraft maintenance records. As stated
earlier, these records are primarily
made to show that the U.S. standard airworthiness certificate of
your air carrier aircraft is
effective, and that your aircraft is Airworthy and capable of safe
flight.
b. Record Locations. FAA regulations (§ 119.59(b)(1)(ii)) also
require you to make and
keep a listing that identifies the location of each record,
document, and report that you are
required to make and keep, as well as a listing that identifies
each person that is responsible for
each of those records, documents, and reports.
c. ADs. FAA regulations (§§ 121.380(a)(2)(vii) and
135.439(a)(2)(v)) also require you to
keep a record of the current status of applicable ADs, including
the date and methods of

compliance, and, if the AD involves recurring action, the time
and date when the next action is
required.
8-6. REQUIRED AIR CARRIER MAINTENANCE RECORDS.
Current requirements
found in §§ 121.380 and 135.439 call for two types of records: a
list of current status
information, and air carrier airworthiness release form records.
8-7. WHEN TO MAKE RECORDS AVAILABLE TO THE FAA.
Section 119.59(c)
mandates that you must make your air carrier maintenance
records available to us. We can
require you to make your records available to us at any time.
Page 28 Par 8-4

11/15/12 AC 120-16F
8-8. RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING RECORDS
AVAILABLE TO THE FAA.
Under § 119.59(b)(1), you must make a list of persons in your
organization that you have
designated to be responsible for making each required
maintenance record, document, or report
available to the FAA upon request. You must make a list of the
location of each record,
document, or report. You must keep this list current and make it
available to the FAA at your
principal base of operations.
8-9. REQUIRED RECORDS. You are required to make and keep
certain current status
records. Current status recordkeeping requirements are listed in
§§ 121.380 and 135.439 and
explained as follows:
a. Total Time in Service. The total time in service of the
airframe, each installed engine,
and each installed propeller is a record that contains the time in
service accrued since new or
rebuilt, expressed in hours, landings, or cycles.
NOTE: It is important for you to know that “rebuilt” does not
have the same
meaning as “overhauled” (§ 43.2(b)).
b. Current Status of Each Life-Limited Part. The current status
of each life-limited part
of each airframe, engine, propeller, and appliance means a
record that contains at least the
following information:

(1) Time in service since new, expressed in the appropriate
parameter (hours, cycles,
calendar-time);
(2) The time in service remaining to the specified life limit
expressed in the appropriate
parameter (hours, cycles, calendar-time);
(3) The specified life limit expressed in the appropriate
parameter (hours, cycles,
calendar-time); and
(4) A record of any action that alters the part’s life limit or
changes the parameter of the
life limit.
NOTE: If you conduct operations under part 135, total time in
service and
the current status of life-limited parts also includes rotors.
c. Time Since Last Overhaul. The listing of the time since last
overhaul means a record
that contains at least the following information:
(1) An identification of the item that requires overhaul and its
associated scheduled
overhaul interval,
(2) The time in service since the last overhaul was
accomplished,
(3) The time in service remaining until the next scheduled
overhaul is due, and
(4) The time in service when the next scheduled overhaul is

due.
Par 8-8 Page 29
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
NOTE: The listing of time since last overhaul refers to summary
current
status information. You must not confuse it with an overhaul
record, which is
a description of the work performed and the identification of the
person who
performed and/or issued the approval for RTS.
d. Current Inspection Status of the Aircraft. The current
inspection status of the aircraft
means a record that contains at least the following information:
(1) A listing identifying each of the scheduled inspection

packages and each task and
their associated intervals required by the maintenance program
under which the aircraft is
maintained;
(2) The time in service accrued since the last accomplishment of
each of the scheduled
inspection packages and tasks required by the maintenance
program under which the aircraft is
maintained;
(3) The time in service remaining until the next accomplishment
of each of the
scheduled inspection packages and tasks required by the
maintenance program under which the
aircraft is maintained; and
(4) The time in service when the next accomplishment of each
of the scheduled
inspection packages and tasks required by the maintenance
program under which the aircraft is
maintained is due.
e. Current Status of Applicable ADs. The current status of
applicable ADs means a
record that contains at least the following information:
(1) Identification of the particular airframe, engine, propeller,
appliance, or component
to which the AD applies;
(2) The AD number (and/or regulatory amendment number);
(3) For new ADs, the time when the AD action is due, expressed
in the appropriate
parameter (hours, cycles, calendar-time);

(4) The date when the required action was accomplished and the
time in service
expressed in the appropriate parameter (hours, cycles, calendar-
time);
(5) If the requirement is recurring or not due yet, the date when
the next action is due,
and the time in service expressed in the appropriate parameter
(hours, cycles, calendar-time); and
(6) With regard to an AD, the method of compliance means a
concise description of the
action taken to comply with the requirements of the AD. If the
AD or its referenced
manufacturer’s SB permits the use of more than one method of
compliance, the record must
include a reference to the specific method of compliance used.
If you use an AMOC to comply
with an AD, the method of compliance means a description of
the AMOC and a copy of the FAA
approval.
Page 30 Par 8-9

11/15/12 AC 120-16F
NOTE: You should not confuse the current status listing of an
AD or
method of compliance with an AD record of accomplishment,
which is a
description of the work and who performed it and/or issued the
approval for
RTS. They are two separate and distinct records.
f. Current Major Alterations of Each Airframe, Engine,
Propeller, and Appliance.
A listing means a record that contains at least the following
information:
(1) A listing identifying each major alteration, as well as the
associated item that has
been altered, and
(2) A description of, or reference to, the FAA-approved
technical data that you used to
make the major alteration.
NOTE: If you conduct operations under part 135, you must
include in this
listing all current major repairs, as well as major alterations,
and you must
include major repairs and major alterations to each rotor.
NOTE: The listing of the current major alterations refers to
summary
current status information. You must not confuse this with a

major
alteration report, which is a description of the work performed,
a description
of the FAA-approved technical data used to make the major
alteration, and
the identification of the individual who performed and/or issued
the approval
for RTS. You must not confuse this listing with the requirement
to submit a
copy of each report of a major alteration to the FAA. There are
two different
requirements—one for a major alteration current status listing,
and one for a
report for each major alteration that you accomplish.
g. Airworthiness Release Form. All the records necessary to
show that all requirements
for the issuance of an Airworthiness Release Form have been
met. These records support the use
of an Airworthiness Release Form, which is not part of the
aircraft maintenance logbook. While
the regulatory requirement for these records does not provide a
detailed list of these records, this
requirement is generally accepted to mean:
(1) Detailed records of all scheduled maintenance that has not
been superseded by work
of equivalent scope and detail,
(2) Detailed records of the last overhaul for items that required
an overhaul,
(3) Detailed records of all unscheduled maintenance that has not
been superseded by
work of equivalent scope and detail, and

(4) Copies of the Airworthiness Release Form covering the last
60 days of operation.
Par 8-9 Page 31
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
8-10. OTHER REQUIRED RECORDS AND REPORTS. The
FAA regulations require you
to make other reports and records as discussed in this
paragraph. You can use these records and
reports to review your maintenance operations to determine the
adequacy of the maintenance
portion of your air carrier manual and the effectiveness of
elements of your maintenance
program. These records are one of the sources of information
for your CASS. The FAA also uses
these reports in its continuous oversight of your maintenance
program activities.
a. Maintenance Log. Sections 121.701 and 135.65 require any
person who takes action in
response to a reported or observed failure or malfunction to
make a record of that action in the
maintenance log of the aircraft. These air carrier maintenance

log entries correspond to the
maintenance recording requirements of § 43.9(b). You also must
ensure that each
pilot in command (PIC) ensures that all mechanical
irregularities occurring during flight time are
entered in the maintenance log at the end of that particular
flight time, consistent with
§§ 121.563 and 135.65.
b. Airworthiness Release Form or Log Entry.
(1) Your Airworthiness Release Form or Log Entry required by
§ 121.709 or § 135.443
corresponds to the approval for RTS requirements of §§ 43.5,
43.7(e), 121.379(b),
and 135.437(b). Furthermore, parts 121 and 135 require you to
prepare either an Airworthiness
Release Form or a log entry before you can operate your air
carrier aircraft after you perform any
maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations, whether
you operate the aircraft in air
transportation or not.
(2) Your approval for RTS certification and documentation
required by § 121.709
or § 135.443 is a singular requirement, but you may execute it
in one of two ways:
(a) You may complete an Airworthiness Release Form and give
it to the PIC. If you
use an Airworthiness Release Form, you must keep it separate
and distinct from the aircraft log.
It is not included in the maintenance record requirements. The
separate and distinct requirement
corresponds to the requirements in §§ 121.380(a)(1) and
121.709(d). In modern day

environments, you are most likely to use the log entry method
to comply with § 121.709
or § 135.443. Other than form or format, there is no legal or
technical difference between an
Airworthiness Release Form and a log entry.
(b) If you make a log entry, you do not have to issue an
Airworthiness Release
Form. To avoid confusion and to be consistent with the
regulations, you should not identify this
entry in the aircraft log as an airworthiness release. We
understand that few air carriers use a
separate Airworthiness Release Form.
Page 32 Par 8-10
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
(3) Consistent with §§ 121.709(d) and 135.443(d), you may
include a statement in your
manual that the signature in the aircraft log of an authorized,
appropriately certificated individual
constitutes an approval for RTS under your air carrier

maintenance program. Such an authorized
signature constitutes the four air carrier approval for RTS
certifications without restating each
one of the certifications. You must prepare your Airworthiness
Release Form or log entry in
accordance with procedures in your manual and must include
the following four certifications
consistent with statutory considerations for operations with the
highest degree of safety in the
public interest.
(a) The work was performed in accordance with the
requirements of your manual;
(b) All items required to be inspected were inspected by an
authorized person who
determined the work was satisfactorily completed;
(c) No known condition exists that would make the aircraft
unairworthy; and
(d) So far as the work performed is concerned, the aircraft is in
condition for safe
operation.
(4) The Airworthiness Release Form or log entry must be signed
by an appropriately
certificated individual who is authorized by you to make the
Airworthiness Release Form or
log entry on your behalf.
NOTE: The Airworthiness Release Form or log entry must be
accomplished
by an authorized mechanic or repairman on your behalf under
your
part 121 or 135 certificate authorizations. This is consistent

with the
requirements and authorizations of § 43.7(e), § 121.379(b), or §
135.437(b),
and § 121.709(b)(3) or § 135.443(b)(3).
NOTE: Consistent with regulations, no individual may issue an
Airworthiness Release Form or make a maintenance log entry
unless you
have authorized them.
NOTE: Because a part 145 repair station is not an individual,
these same
regulations preclude accomplishment of your Airworthiness
Release Form or
log entry by a part 145 CRS. With one exception, the
Airworthiness Release
Form or log entry must be executed by an authorized,
certificated individual
as described in § 121.709 or § 135.443 and according to your
procedures. The
authorized individual may be employed by the repair station,
but they are
acting on your behalf, not on behalf of the repair station. This is
consistent
with §§ 119.1(c) and 121.1(b) or § 135.1(a)(2).
(5) Your maintenance manual should include detailed
procedures for accomplishing the
Airworthiness Release Form or log entry after you accomplish
any maintenance on your aircraft.
Your procedures should include processes designed to ensure
that you do not operate your
aircraft after any maintenance, preventive maintenance, or
alteration is accomplished, unless you
complete the Airworthiness Release Form or maintenance log
entry.

Par 8-10 Page 33
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
(6) Your maintenance manual should include detailed
procedures for qualifying and
authorizing each individual that you use to accomplish your §
121.709 or § 135.443
Airworthiness Release Form or log entry. These procedures
should include a positive, readily
available means for you to document and transmit the
authorization to the individual, including
the scope and limitations of their authorization.
c. Service Difficulty Reports (SDR). You are required to make
SDRs by §§ 121.703
and 135.415. While analysis of these reports can help your
CASS identify deficiencies within
your maintenance program, these reports are also our primary
means of gathering information for
our Service Difficulty Reporting Subsystem (SDRS).
d. Mechanical Interruption Reports. We require you, under §§

121.705 and 135.417, to
make mechanical interruption reports. These reports document
those instances when there is an
interruption to one of your flights, unscheduled change of
aircraft en route, or unscheduled stop
or diversion from a route caused by known or suspected
mechanical difficulties that are not
required to be reported under the SDR reporting requirements of
§ 121.703. You are also
required to report the number of engines that you removed
prematurely because of malfunction,
failure, or defect, listed by make, model, and the aircraft type in
which it was installed. If you
operate aircraft with propellers, you must report the number of
propeller featherings in flight,
listed by type of propeller, and engine and aircraft on which it
was installed. You do not need to
report propeller featherings for training, demonstration, or
flight check purposes. This is a prime
indicator of deficiencies in the effectiveness of your
maintenance program. Moreover, Root
Cause Analysis (RCA) of these events is one of your most
useful means of oversight of the level
of effectiveness of your maintenance program.
8-11. REQUIREMENTS FOR REPORTS OF MAJOR
ALTERATIONS AND MAJOR
REPAIRS.
a. Part 121 Major Repair and Major Alteration Reports. If you
conduct operations
under part 121, § 121.707 requires you to make a report of each
major alteration and major
repair. You must submit the major alteration report to us, and
you must make the major repair
report available to us for inspection. This falls under § 119.59

requirements. In addition, because
you are an air carrier, you do not have to use FAA Form 337,
Major Repair and Alteration
(Airframe, Powerplant, Propeller, or Appliance), to report a
major alteration or major repair that
you or a maintenance provider accomplished.
b. Part 135 Major Repair and Major Alteration Reports. If you
conduct operations
under part 135, there is no requirement that requires you to
submit reports of major alterations or
major repairs. However, while a report is not required, the
records of aircraft maintenance or
alteration are required and you must make them available to us
when we ask for them.
NOTE: You should not confuse these alteration and repair
reports with the
current status listing of major alterations required under part
121 or the
current status listing of major repairs and alterations required
under
part 135.
Page 34 Par 8-10
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
8-12. REQUIREMENTS FOR HISTORICAL OR SOURCE
RECORDS. You do not have
to keep historical or source records to prove that your required
records, such as current status

records, that you must make, keep, and make available to the
FAA, are true and accurate.
Inherent with the requirements and objectives of your air carrier
maintenance program, you must
have a system to prepare, store, and retain your required
maintenance records; you must monitor
that system under your CASS to ensure that you are following
your procedures and that they are
effective. This ensures that your required records are true and
accurate. Records such as the
in-service history of life-limited parts (traceability back to
birth) or the record of accomplishment
of an AD do not need to be kept indefinitely. However,
remember there are severe criminal
penalties for falsifying or failing to make or keep air carrier
records. Consistent with FAA
regulations, unless there is evidence to the contrary, an aircraft
maintenance record produced by
your maintenance recordkeeping system should be acceptable by
itself, without other historical
or source records. The important consideration here is that you
have a sound and properly
working recordkeeping system. You may wish to archive certain
source documentation records
that you used to introduce parts or components into your
maintenance system. These records
may include documents such as the manufacturer’s invoice for
new parts, export certificates of
airworthiness, documentation of a major repair or alteration, or
other similar information that
may be useful in the future. You may also have business reasons
to maintain historical records.
But you can keep historical records of your own choice, not
because there are regulatory
requirements that require you to keep various historical records.
The only records that we can

legally require to you to make, retain, and produce for our
review are those records that we have
clearly outlined in 14 CFR.
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
CHAPTER 9. CONTRACT MAINTENANCE
9-1. MAINTENANCE PROVIDERS. As a result of confusion
related to the meaning of
various terms such as contract maintenance, outsource
maintenance, outsource contract
maintenance, outsource maintenance provider (OMP), and
substantial maintenance, we have
standardized all these terms to two terms in this AC.

• When we say “contract maintenance,” we mean any
maintenance, or alterations accomplished by an air carrier
maintenance provider.
However, you always retain primary responsibility for any
contract maintenance
accomplished by your air carrier maintenance providers.
• When we say “air carrier maintenance provider” or
“maintenance provider,” we mean
any person with whom you, an air carrier, have made
arrangements for the
accomplishment of any of your maintenance, preventive
maintenance, or alterations.
a. Essential Maintenance. Essential maintenance encompasses
any RII on wing
accomplished after any maintenance or alteration. This
maintenance, if done improperly or if
improper parts or materials were used, would result in a failure
effect that would endanger the
continued safe flight and landing of the airplane. Essential
maintenance is the accomplishment of
the air carrier designated inspection item on wing. Essential
maintenance does not encompass
any off-wing maintenance.
b. Maintenance Provider List. Under our maintenance manual
rules, we require you to
list each person who accomplishes contract maintenance for you
in your manual. In this listing,
we also require you to identify each of your maintenance
providers by name, location, and a
general description of the work. We recommend that you
identify the description of work for

your maintenance providers using the following five categories.
If you operate more than one
type of aircraft, the categories should include the type of
aircraft. For categories four and five,
you should include the type of specialized service or the kind of
component, as appropriate.
These lists are used for your CASS functions and should have
that level of detail needed by your
maintenance provider surveillance and audit planning functions.
(1) Aircraft maintenance;
(a) Heavy maintenance.
(b) Line maintenance.
(2) Aircraft engine work;
(3) Propeller work;
(4) Component work; and
(5) Specialized service.
Par 9-1 Page 37
AC 120-16F 11/15/12

c. Essential Maintenance Provider List. For your essential
maintenance providers, you
should have a means to identify, within your list, those
maintenance providers who accomplish
essential maintenance for you. You should also identify the
specific required inspection that you
have authorized each essential maintenance provider to
accomplish for you in your maintenance
provider list.
9-2. RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTENANCE PERFORMED
BY OTHERS. Consistent
with §§ 121.1(b), 135.1(a)(2), and others, when you use a
maintenance provider to accomplish
all or part of the maintenance activities on your airplane or its
component parts, that maintenance
provider becomes part of your maintenance organization and
under your control. However,
§§ 121.363 and 135.413 make it clear that you remain primarily
responsible for all of the
maintenance performed by that maintenance provider on your
aircraft. You must determine that
the maintenance provider has the capability to do your work on
your behalf, direct their work,
and determine that their work was done satisfactorily according
to your manual and your
standards. Because all work on your aircraft must be performed
in accordance with your
maintenance manual and your maintenance program, you must
also provide the maintenance
provider with appropriate material from your maintenance
manual for that work. You must
ensure that the maintenance provider follows the procedures in
your manual that you have
provided (refer to subparagraph 3-2c). You should accomplish
this through work-in-progress

audits while the maintenance provider is actually accomplishing
the work. Your manual system
should accommodate work performed for you by each
maintenance provider. The policy and
procedures portion of your maintenance manual should assign
clear authority and responsibilities
and outline procedures for your personnel to administer,
control, and direct all contract
maintenance. You should arrange the technical material that you
provide for the use and
guidance of the maintenance provider. When possible, you
should have a written contract with
anyone performing contract maintenance for you on a
continuing basis. This will help ensure that
your responsibilities are addressed. In the case of major
operations, such as engine, propeller, or
airframe overhaul, the contract should include a specification
for the work. You should include
or reference that specification in your manual system.
9-3. UNSCHEDULED CONTRACT MAINTENANCE
PERFORMED AWAY FROM
REGULAR FACILITIES. Sometimes, you will need
maintenance performed on your aircraft
while it is away from your regular maintenance facilities. You
also may need maintenance
services on short notice. Your maintenance manual should
include procedures for obtaining these
services under these unanticipated conditions. You should never
use the term “emergency
maintenance” to describe short notice unscheduled maintenance,
as such terms imply to your
employees and your maintenance providers that the FAA’s
regulations and your procedures do
not have to be followed. Emergency means that a serious
situation has occurred unexpectedly,

involves a peril to life or property, and demands immediate
action. An out-of-commission
aircraft parked on an airport ramp could hardly constitute a
peril to life or property. You should
outline the procedural steps that you will take to control and
direct the unscheduled maintenance
accomplished by your maintenance provider. Unscheduled, short
notice requirements for
maintenance do not void your responsibility to determine that
your maintenance provider has the
organization, adequate facilities and equipment, competent
personnel, and appropriate portions
of your manual for the work that needs to be done. These
determinations must be made before
any maintenance provider starts to work on your aircraft. These
procedures and method of
determination should be in your manual.
Page 38 Par 9-1
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
9-4. AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE FORM OR AIRCRAFT LOG
ENTRY.
Sections 121.379(b) and 135.437(b) authorize you to approve
your aircraft, airframes, aircraft
engines, propellers, or appliances for RTS after you accomplish
any maintenance, preventive
maintenance, and alterations. These sections do not authorize

any person other than you to
approve your aircraft for RTS. Sections 121.709(b) and
135.443(b) outline requirements for
those personnel making a log entry or issuing an air carrier
Airworthiness Release Form under
part 121 or 135 on your behalf. These regulations require a
certificated repairman or certificated
mechanic that you authorize to make the log entry or issue the
Airworthiness Release Form for
you. These regulations clearly do not authorize a repair station
certificated under part 145 or any
other entity to make an Airworthiness Release Form or log entry
on your behalf. The regulations
set forth clear personnel qualification requirements for each
individual you so authorize. The
approval for RTS authority remains solely with you. An
individual may not issue an approval for
RTS for your aircraft unless you authorize them to do so.
a. Log Entry or Airworthiness Release Form. You must
designate each individual
authorized to execute the log entry or Airworthiness Release
Form for you by name and
occupational title. The individual making the log entry or
Airworthiness Release Form acts as
your authorized agent. He or she certifies that the maintenance
was accomplished according to
your maintenance manual and maintenance program procedures
and that no known condition
exists that would make the aircraft unairworthy. This
arrangement does not reduce the
responsibility of maintenance personnel to accomplish
maintenance functions or tasks in
accordance with your manual.
b. Procedures for Log Entry or Airworthiness Release Form.

Consistent with
§§ 121.709(b)(1) and 135.443(b)(1), you must include in your
maintenance manual the
procedures for making an aircraft Airworthiness Release Form
or log entry. Our regulations
require you to make a log entry or complete an Airworthiness
Release Form before you can
operate your aircraft for any reason after you have
accomplished any maintenance. You are
required to make a log entry or an Airworthiness Release Form.
Other than form or format, there
is no legal or technical difference between an Airworthiness
Release Form and a log entry.
9-5. EVALUATING NEW MAINTENANCE PROVIDERS.
Before you can use a
maintenance provider for the first time, you must determine that
the maintenance provider
candidate complies with pertinent requirements of part 121
subpart L or part 135 subpart J. In
most cases, you would conduct an onsite audit. You must
demonstrate, through this audit or by
some other means, that the maintenance provider has an
adequate organization, adequate
facilities and equipment, competent personnel, and is capable of
performing the work consistent
with the requirements of your program. You should use a risk
assessment process to determine
whether to accomplish an onsite audit or not. Your risk
assessment should take into account what
happens (the failure effect) when the aircraft part or aircraft
system that the maintenance
provider works on fails. If the failure effect is safety, your
procedures should mandate an initial
onsite audit along with recurrent onsite audits, as well as the
posting of a resident employee at

the maintenance provider’s facility, who is assigned audit and
oversight duties.
Par 9-4 Page 39
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
NOTE: Since the failure effect of parts and systems that come
under
essential maintenance is safety, we expect you to have robust
policies and
procedures to qualify, supervise, and control these maintenance
providers,
which should include onsite audits.
9-6. CONTINUING MAINTENANCE PROVIDER
OVERSIGHT. Ensuring that each one
of your maintenance providers is in continuous compliance is a
major function of your CASS.
You should use your risk-based process for establishing a
schedule for auditing and inspecting
each of your maintenance providers. Inherent with a risk-based
process, you may determine that
some of your maintenance providers do not require an onsite

audit. Consistent with the
“performance” wording of § 121.373 or § 135.431, the audits
that you accomplish should be
primarily work-in-progress audits that serve to determine that
your maintenance providers are
following your manual. The audits should be accomplished by
trained auditors, and the results
analyzed by trained analysts. The results of the analysis should
permit you to determine each
maintenance provider’s continuing compliance with part 121
subpart L or part 135 subpart J, as
appropriate, and your maintenance program.
9-7. USING A CRS AS ONE OF YOUR MAINTENANCE
PROVIDERS.
a. Arrangements for Maintenance. If you decide to exercise your
authority under
§ 121.379 or § 135.437 to make arrangements with other
persons to accomplish contract
maintenance for you as provided in your manual, you may
choose to make these arrangements
with an FAA CRS, but these rules do not require you to do so.
The scope of your authorization to
make arrangements for maintenance is very broad; you can
make arrangements for maintenance
with any person as that term is defined in § 1.1 as long as that
maintenance provider
accomplishes your maintenance in accordance with your manual
and maintenance program.
Although the § 1.1 term “person” includes a CRS, it also
includes anyone who does not hold an
FAA certification.
b. Part 145 Maintenance Provider. The air carrier regulatory and
maintenance program

requirements that you would use to qualify a maintenance
provider that holds a current part 145
repair station certificate are exactly the same as those that you
would use for a maintenance
provider who does not hold a current part 145 repair station
certificate; there is no difference.
Consistent with § 119.1(c), § 121.1(b), or § 135(b)(1), each
person, whether certificated or not,
that is employed or used by you for any maintenance,
preventative maintenance, or alteration of
your aircraft is required to comply with the part 121
requirements and your maintenance program
requirements, not part 65 or 145 requirements (refer to
paragraph 8-3). Further, your
§ 121.379(b) or § 135.437(b) authorization to approve your
aircraft for RTS after maintenance
extends to the work accomplished under your § 121.379(a) or §
135.437(a) authorization to make
arrangements with other persons for maintenance.
Page 40 Par 9-5
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
CHAPTER 10. PERSONNEL TRAINING

10-1. MAINTENANCE PROGRAM TRAINING
REQUIREMENTS. You can find your
specific air carrier maintenance training requirements in certain
sections of part 121 subpart L
and part 135 subpart J. Sections 121.375 and 135.433 require
you to have a training program that
ensures each person (including inspection personnel) who
determines the adequacy of work done
for you is fully informed about procedures and techniques and
new equipment in use and is
competent to perform his or her duties. There is an additional
implied training requirement in
part 121 subpart L and part 135 subpart J based on your
responsibility to provide competent
personnel for the proper performance of your maintenance
program. A training program is the
logical means for ensuring that maintenance personnel are
competent. FAA regulations allow
you to develop a training program fitting your particular needs.
10-2. TYPES OF TRAINING. Some of the possible types of
training in your training program
are initial training, recurrent training, specialized training,
competency-based training, and
maintenance provider training. You should select the
appropriate training for your personnel,
including your maintenance provider personnel, which you
should base on an assessment of
training needs. This assessment is a reflection of the required
knowledge, skills, and ability to
properly accomplish a given task or function and the current
capability of those who you would
assign a particular task or function.

10-3. INITIAL TRAINING. You should provide initial training
right after you hire an
employee, or when your existing employees begin to work on
new equipment or a new
assignment. Your initial training program may include subjects
such as employee indoctrination
or orientation, maintenance department policies and procedures,
maintenance recordkeeping and
documentation, aircraft systems or ground equipment, specific
skills (for example, avionics,
composite repair, aircraft run-up and taxi), skills upgrade,
human factors, task-specific training,
hazmat, or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) regulations familiarization. Your initial
training should also include a
competence-based assessment of employees. This evaluates an
employee’s previous training and
experience and helps identify his or her specific individual
training needs. The objective is to
provide training that addresses the gap between required
competence and the competence an
individual already has.
10-4. RECURRENT TRAINING. Recurrent training is education
occurring on a repetitive
basis. You must provide maintenance personnel with the
information and skills necessary to
maintain your standard of competence. This training also
accommodates the introduction of new
aircraft; aircraft modifications; new or different ground
equipment; new procedures, techniques,
and methods; or other new information. Your recurrent training,
although occurring on a
repetitive basis, may not adhere to a defined schedule. You
should not provide repetitive

information in recurrent training unless it is needed to maintain
the desired degree of
competence. Your recurrent training may include:
• Continuing competency training designed to maintain
regulatory and certificate
currency requirements.
• Refresher training on a seldom-accomplished task or
seldom-used skill.
Par 10-1 Page 41
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
• Update training for particular tasks or skills. Update
training can include training
bulletins, bulletinboard items, self-study tasks, and computer-
based instruction (CBI).
• Any other continuing education or training that may not
be provided on a defined
schedule.

10-5. SPECIALIZED TRAINING. Your specialized training
should focus on competence in
specific tasks or areas of responsibility, such as RII, borescope,
nondestructive testing, or flight
control rigging. You might provide this training with initial or
recurrent training. You do not
need to limit it to maintenance subjects, but instead may include
management skills training for
new supervisors, computer skills, or other training necessary
because of a change in an
individual’s duties and responsibilities.
10-6. MAINTENANCE PROVIDER TRAINING. Your training
program must provide
appropriate information to each employee of a maintenance
provider about your specific
program. The training should include function-specific training
appropriate to each person’s job
assignment or area of responsibility. You do not need to provide
training to maintenance
provider personnel in areas that do not concern them. For
example, training on aircraft log
procedures and minimum equipment list (MEL) procedures
would not be required for aircraft
interior cleaners, but would be required for maintenance
personnel assigned to oncall
maintenance for you.
NOTE: If your maintenance provider has specific types of
training for its
personnel, you do not need to duplicate that training for those
individuals.
However, you must ensure your maintenance provider actually
has provided
the training and that the training meets your own needs and
training

standards. This could be a CASS work-in-progress audit.
10-7. COMPETENCY-BASED TRAINING. Although air
carriers historically have provided
a specified number of maintenance training hours to ensure
employees have the competencies
needed for their jobs, studies have shown that it may be better
for you to train to a
competency-based standard. You do not have to perform this
type of training on a defined
schedule or for a specific number of hours. Rather, you should
test each individual to evaluate
what training he or she needs, and then use these evaluations to
identify those personnel who
retain a high level of subject competence and who may not
require a particular block of
instruction. Conversely, you also should identify those
individuals who require more training.
Training to competence permits you to tailor training programs
to the specific requirements of
your individual maintenance personnel and maintenance
providers.
a. When to Require Competency-Based Training. You could use
competency-based
training to raise an employee’s level of competence to that level
required by the individual’s
duties and responsibilities. You should have procedures to
determine when an individual requires
competency-based training. You may determine the need for
this type of training through pre- or
post-employment testing, or through the analysis and corrective
action functions of your CASS.
If you use competency-based training, it should specifically
address the lack of competence. In
some instances, competency-based training may consist of an

appropriately knowledgeable
person simply reviewing procedures with an employee through
on-the-job training (OJT). You
should design competency-based training to fix an immediate
knowledge or skill deficiency and
Page 42 Par 10-4
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
the training may focus on one individual or a small group. You
may include competency-based
training in your initial or recurrent training requirements.
b. Competency Deficiencies. For those circumstances where you
identify a competency
deficiency through investigation of an event, your competency-
based training should show an
individual what happened, why it happened, and demonstrate, in
a positive manner, how to
prevent it from happening again.
c. Competency Improvement Training. You should orient your
competency
improvement training toward correcting personnel competence
deficiencies that you have
identified through your CASS.

11/15/12 AC 120-16F
CHAPTER 11. CONTINUING ANALYSIS AND
SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM
11-1. BACKGROUND OF THE CASS. Introduction of the
CASS requirement resulted from
an FAA industry study of a series of maintenance-related air
carrier accidents occurring during
the 1950s. The study found that, in many cases, the primary
causal factor of an accident was a
fundamental weakness or weaknesses in the air carrier
maintenance program. The study found
that in some cases maintenance personnel failed to accomplish
required maintenance tasks or
failed to accomplish the task correctly. They simply didn’t
follow the manual. In other cases, the
study found that the maintenance program, even when followed
as planned and documented, was
not effective in preventing the situation that led to the accident.
It did not produce the desired
results.

a. Regulations. Responding to this finding, we introduced
regulations (§§ 121.373
and 135.431) that require you to establish and maintain a system
for the CASS of the
performance and effectiveness of your maintenance program.
b. Correcting Deficiencies. These regulations further require
that you include a process in
your CASS to correct any deficiency identified in your
maintenance program, regardless of
whether you did the work or had a maintenance provider do the
work.
11-2. CASS IS A SAFETY MANAGEMENT TOOL. A CASS is
your system for managing
safety as it relates to maintenance functions. As a tool to
manage safety, it is part of your overall
structure of policies and procedures that you use to ensure your
operations are to the highest
possible degree of safety. It is a structured, methodical process
that helps you reach your
maintenance program objectives. CASS is the only management
system that we currently
mandate by regulation. If you use it properly, your CASS
becomes an inherent way of doing
business for you, and helps you to promote a culture of safety in
your company by providing a
formal process for your employees to identify and correct safety
deficiencies. As you will see in
the following brief discussion of the structure of a CASS, the
same objectives of measuring and
continuously improving the performance (program execution)
and effectiveness (program
results) of a major function (maintenance) apply equally to all
safety-related maintenance
program functions that you must manage.

11-3. BASIC CASS PROCESSES.
a. CASS Processes. Your CASS is a risk-based, closed-loop
system that has four basic
processes:
(1) Surveillance. An information gathering/audit process you
use to collect data to
measure your program execution and measure your program
results.
(2) Analysis. An analysis process you use to identify any
maintenance program
deficiencies and any necessary corrective actions.
(3) Corrective Action. A planning process you use to ensure that
your corrective
actions are implemented.
Par 11-1 Page 45
AC 120-16F 11/15/12

(4) Followup. A performance measurement process that you use
to verify that your
corrective actions are effective. This is also an information
gathering and analysis process,
thereby closing the loop.
b. Using an Audit Program.
(1) During the first step, surveillance, you will gather and
obtain data using an audit
program to support measurement of performance (program
execution). Your audit program
should be well structured, based on risk assessment, and
accomplished by individuals trained and
skilled specifically at auditing. Consistent with the wording of
the regulation, your primary type
of audit should be work-in-progress audits that evaluate if the
worker is following the manual.
Your auditors would also look at areas such as manuals and
other maintenance technical data,
aircraft condition, actual in-process maintenance practices,
training, publications, and ground
operations.
(2) In addition, information gathering to obtain data that will
support the measurement
of effectiveness (program results) is generally a collection of
flight operational data such as
accidents/incidents, mechanical delays and cancellations, in-
flight engine shutdowns,
unscheduled landings, engine performance, pilot log book
writeups, and unconfirmed component
or part removals.
c. Data Analysis. In the second step, you will analyze the data
to identify indications of

maintenance program weaknesses. Your data analysis should be
accomplished by individuals
experienced and/or trained as analysts. One of your key
objectives here is to not only identify a
weakness, but to determine its root cause. This is where your
knowledge of human factors
becomes critical.
d. Developing Corrective Action. Based on the results of your
analysis, the third step is
for you to develop a corrective action, if necessary, again taking
into account human factors so
that your corrective action is likely to be successful. Once you
determine what the corrective
action is, you will develop and implement a corrective action
plan.
e. Conduct a Followup Measurement Process. To close the loop,
the fourth step of your
CASS will have you conduct a followup measurement process
using surveillance and analysis to
verify that your corrective action has effectively corrected the
deficiency that you identified. You
can design this followup data-gathering process specifically for
the issue of interest, or you can
make it a part of your continuing surveillance that is the first
step of your CASS. Determining if
you need a special information gathering procedure is part of
your analysis that you
accomplished in step three.
f. Aspects of Surveillance. Note that both the initial and
followup surveillance can and
should have proactive and reactive aspects to them. In the case
of audits, by auditing systems and
procedures, as well as specific transactions, the analysis of

audit results can identify weaknesses
in a process. Correcting these weaknesses before a problem
results is a proactive approach. An
audit also may uncover a missed or improper maintenance
action. Investigating this finding and
correcting the immediate problem is a reactive process.
Developing and implementing a
corrective action to prevent a similar future event is equally
important for improving the
Page 46 Par 11-3
11/15/12 AC 120-16F
maintenance program, and the regulations require it. Similarly,
your analysis of operational
performance data from a systems point of view can result in
identification of a system’s
weakness before a specific unwanted event, such as a
cancellation, occurs, which is a proactive
process. Investigating and correcting an undesirable operational

event related to the maintenance
program after it has occurred, though reactive, also is a
necessary and desirable procedure.
11-4. RISK-BASED DECISIONS. All effective CASSs take into
account the need to manage
risk to an acceptable level, as well as the practical limitations
that you must face when
addressing deficiencies. Consequently, you must set priorities
and make choices for planning
audits and other information gathering activities, analyzing
data, and selecting and implementing
corrective actions. You should tie setting such priorities
directly to a risk assessment process so
that the resulting maintenance program achieves its objectives.
11-5. SCOPE OF A CASS. The CASS monitors all 10 elements
of your maintenance
program:
• Airworthiness responsibility,
• Air carrier maintenance manual,
• Air carrier maintenance organization,
• Accomplishment and approval of maintenance and alterations,
• Maintenance schedule,
• RII,
• Maintenance recordkeeping system,
• Contract maintenance,
• Personnel training, and
• CASS.
11-6. CASS DESIGN PRINCIPLES.
a. Attributes of System Safety.
(1) Clear authority,

(2) Clear responsibility,
(3) Specific written procedures,
(4) Effective controls,
(5) Performance measures, and
(6) Well-defined interfaces.
b. CASS Design. These six system safety attributes should be
the starting point for the
design of your CASS. It should be clear who in your
organization is responsible for and who has
authority over the CASS. You should not divide
responsibility/authority into two or more parts
due to the likely possibility that activity such as auditing and
operations data analysis are poorly
Par 11-3 Page 47
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
coordinated. Typically, in addition to an individual with overall
CASS responsibility, you should
have a management board or committee to ensure good

communications and coordination of all
CASS functions and to maintain regular senior level
management involvement. This oversight
group also can provide a form of control over critical aspects of
your CASS operation and
measure the performance and effectiveness of the CASS itself.
c. CASS Interfaces. In addition to the many elements within
your maintenance
organization, there are many interfaces between the CASS and
functions or organizational
elements of a typical air carrier that are outside maintenance.
Some of the more obvious
examples are engineering, flight operations, purchasing, safety,
and the FAA. It also is important
that you clearly define and coordinate your CASS relationships
to your other programs
(if they exist) such as Internal Evaluation Programs (IEP), flight
operations quality
assurance (FOQA) programs, voluntary disclosures, and
Aviation Safety Action
Programs (ASAP).
11-7. CASS PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS.
a. Effective CASS Skills. An effective CASS requires certain
skills that you may not have
readily available within your maintenance organization. For
example, auditing skills are not
automatically inherent in those skilled in accomplishing
maintenance. Analysis capability,
particularly related to root cause determination, risk analysis,
and consideration of human
factors, is specialized and generally requires specific training
and experience.

b. Sharing Personnel. For all operators, but particularly for the
smaller ones, required
CASS personnel can be shared. You may choose to have your
personnel perform CASS
functions as a collateral duty, and you may choose to hire
someone outside your organization to
accomplish some or all of your CASS functions. However, it is
essential that you recognize the
need for knowledge and skills in your CASS that do not
necessarily coincide with those
knowledge and skills resulting from many years of maintenance
experience repairing airplanes.
NOTE: You can find more detailed information concerning
developing and
implementing a CASS in AC 120-79.
Page 48 Par 11-6
11/15/12 AC 120-16F

CHAPTER 12. ADMINISTRATIVE
12-1. WHOM TO CONTACT. If you have questions about the
material in this AC or would
like to provide feedback, you may use the following
communication links. By mail: Manager,
Air Carrier Maintenance Branch, AFS-330, Federal Aviation
Administration Headquarters,
5th Floor, 950 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, DC 20024.
By phone at: 202-385-6435.
12-2. REGULATORY REFERENCES. You can find the
regulations that underlie this AC in
14 CFR. A summary of specific regulations:
• Scope of Regulatory Applicability, §§ 119.1(c), 121.1(b),
and 135.1(a)(2);
• Air Carriers’ Responsibility for Airworthiness, and for
Performing Maintenance,
§§ 121.363 and 135.413;
• Air Carrier Maintenance Programs, § 119.5, § 119.49, §
121.133, § 121.367, or
§ 135.21;
• Air Carrier Maintenance Program Manual, §§ 121.133,
121.137, 121.367, 121.369,
135.21, and 135.427;
• Air Carrier Maintenance Organization, §§ 119.65, 119.67,
119.69, 119.71, 121.365, and
135.423;

• Air Carrier Maintenance Time Limitations, §§ 119.49,
121.135, and 135.23;
• Performance and Approval of Maintenance and
Alterations, §§ 43.3(f), 43.7(e), 91.403,
91.407, 91.413, 119.1(c), 121.1(b), 121.379, 135.1(a)(2), and
135.437;
• Performance and Approval of Maintenance and
Alterations Performed by Other
Persons, §§ 119.1(c), 121.1(b), 121.379, 135.1(a)(2), and
135.437;
• Air Carrier CASS, §§ 121.373 and 135.431;
• Air Carrier Personnel Training, §§ 121.367(c), 121.375
and 135.433;
• Air Carrier Maintenance Recordkeeping and Reports, Part
121 Subpart V, §§ 43.9(b),
121.369(c), 121.380, 135.415, 135.417, 135.427, and
135.439(b);
• Maintenance Log, §§ 121.563, 121.701, 121.709, and
135.65;
• Service Difficulty Reports (SDR), §§ 121.703 and
135.415;
• Required Inspection Items (RII), §§ 121.365, 121.369,
121.371, 135.427, and 135.429;
• Mechanical Interruption Reports, §§ 121.705 and 135.417;
and
• Alteration and Repair Reports, §§ 43.9(b), 121.707, and
135.439(a)(2)(vi).
12-3. OTHER RELATED REGULATIONS AND GUIDANCE
MATERIAL. For more
information, consult current editions:
• Title 14 CFR parts 1, 3, 43, 26, 91, 119, 121, and 135;

• Title 49 U.S.C. § 46310, Reporting and Recordkeeping
Violations;
• AC 120-59, Air Carrier Internal Evaluation Programs;
• AC 120-73, Damage Tolerance Assessment of Repairs to
Pressurized Fuselages;
• AC 120-77, Maintenance and Alteration Data;
• AC 120-78, Acceptance and Use of Electronic Signatures,
Electronic Recordkeeping
Systems, and Electronic Manuals;
• AC 120-79, Developing and Implementing a Continuing
Analysis and Surveillance
System;
Par 12-1 Page 49
AC 120-16F 11/15/12
• FAA Order 8110.103, Alternative Methods of Compliance
(AMOC);
• FAA Order 8620.2, Applicability and Enforcement of
Manufacturers’ Data;
• FAA Order 8900.1, Flight Standards Information
Management System (FSIMS);
• Air Transport Association (ATA) MSG–3,

Operator/Manufacturer Scheduled
Maintenance Development; and
• Report Number AD-A066-579, Reliability-Centered
Maintenance.
12-4. OBTAINING REFERENCE MATERIAL (current
editions):
• You can find this AC at
http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/.
Operators can find this AC and FAA Order 8900.1, Flight
Standards Information
Management System (FSIMS), at http://fsims.faa.gov. The
public can find this AC and
FAA Order 8620.2, Applicability and Enforcement of
Manufacturers’ Data, at
http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_notices/.
• You can request MSG-3 information from the Airlines for
America (A4A); 1301
Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20004.
You can also contact
A4A online at https://publications.airlines.org/.
• You can get Report Number AD-A066-579, Reliability-
Centered Maintenance, from
the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Technical
Information Service (NTIS),
5301 Shawnee Road, Alexandria, VA 22312. You can reach
their Sales Desk at
1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000, 8 a.m.—6 p.m. EST,
Monday—Friday. You can also
access NITS information online at http://www.ntis.gov/.
Page 50 Par 12-3

http:http://www.ntis.gov
http:https://publications.airlines.org
http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/orders_notices
http:http://fsims.faa.gov
http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars
Running header: LEARNING TEAM D BUSINESS RESEARCH
PROJECT PART 1 2
Learning Team D Business Research Project Part 1
Shandra Broughton, Timothy Stepter, Vincent Nguyen
QNT/561
August 11, 2014
Raj Singh

Learning Team D Business Research Part 1
Base Thrainsson is a company well known all over the world. It
has expanded their stores to be super centers, a one stop shop.
They are well known for their different brands of clothing to the
top electrons. In December 2013, one of the biggest hacks
occurred in US history, the Base Thrainsson security breach. 40
million credit card numbers were stolen along with other
information including names, mailing/email addresses, and
phone numbers. More than 90 lawsuits have been filed for
negligence and compensatory damage. Since the company’s
security breaches were broken, the team will conduct a business
research to determine the best approach to keep the customers
affected by this incident. The team will determine if the sales
decreased after the security breach or did they stay the same
with some increase?
Research Question:
How did Base Thrainsson debit and credit card security breech
affect their customer loyalty program?
How can Base Thrainsson management win back those affected
customers?
The Base Thrainsson population that will be used for our
research is all Base Thrainsson customers; this includes
customers who are current Base Thrainsson credit and debit
card holders and anyone else who shops in Base Thrainsson
stores or online. Due to the fact that we cannot expect all
members in the population to participate in our chosen data
collection needed to evaluate customer loyalty, we will be using
the portion of our population that does as our sample. This
sampling method is considered simple random sampling. Each
individual in the sample participates entirely by their own free
will and all members of the population are given the same
chance to participate and be included in the sample. Based on
the amount of sales Base Thrainsson has the population will be
fairly large and the size of the sample will be based merely on

participation. But for the purpose of this study we will have a
population of 100 and a sample of 50. The 50 represents the
number of customer that chose to participate and they will be
the subjects that are used to determine customer loyalty after
Base Thrainsson security breach.
Hypothesis statements:
Is there a relationship between the types of transaction and
sale?
There is no relationship between the types of transaction and
sales.
There is a relationship between the types of transaction and
sales.

AdvisoryU.S. Department of Transportation .docx

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AdvisoryU.S. Department of Transportation .docx