AMC M.A.302(d) Aircraft maintenance programme    

CAA ORS9 Decision No. 1

AMP BASIS AND ASSOCIATED PROGRAMMES

1. An aircraft maintenance programme should normally be based upon the maintenance review board (MRB) report where applicable, the maintenance planning document (MPD), the relevant chapters of the maintenance manual or any other maintenance data containing information on scheduling. Furthermore, an aircraft maintenance programme should also take into account any maintenance data containing information on scheduling for components.

2. Instructions issued by the CAA can encompass all types of instructions from a specific task for a particular aircraft to complete recommended maintenance schedules for certain aircraft types that can be used by the owner/operator directly. These instructions may be issued by the CAA in the following cases:

— in the absence of specific recommendations of the Type Certificate Holder.

— to provide alternate instructions to those described in the subparagraph 1 above, with the objective of providing flexibility to the operator.

3. Where an aircraft type has been subjected to the MRB report process, an operator should normally develop the initial aircraft maintenance programme based upon the MRB report.

4. Where an aircraft is maintained in accordance with an aircraft maintenance programme based upon the MRB report process, any associated programme for the continuous surveillance of the reliability, or health monitoring of the aircraft should be considered as part of the aircraft maintenance programme.

5. Aircraft maintenance programmes for aircraft types subjected to the MRB report process should contain identification cross reference to the MRB report tasks such that it is always possible to relate such tasks to the current approved aircraft maintenance programme. This does not prevent the approved aircraft maintenance programme from being developed in the light of service experience to beyond the MRB report recommendations but will show the relationship to such recommendations.

6. Some approved aircraft maintenance programmes, not developed from the MRB process, utilise reliability programmes. Such reliability programmes should be considered as a part of the approved maintenance programme.

7. Alternate and/or additional instructions to those defined in paragraphs M.A.302(d)(1) and (2), proposed by the owner or the operator, may include but are not limited to the following:

— Escalation of the interval for certain tasks based on reliability data or other supporting information. Appendix I to AMC M.A.302 and AMC M.B.301(b) recommends that the maintenance programme contains the corresponding escalation procedures. The escalation of these tasks is directly approved by the CAA, except in the case of ALIs (Airworthiness Limitations), which are approved by the CAA.

— More restrictive intervals than those proposed by the TC holder as a result of the reliability data or because of a more stringent operational environment.

— Additional tasks at the discretion of the operator.