Aircraft Airworthiness Inspection Flashcards

An ASI is conducting a ramp inspection of a turbine-powered aircraft. The operator presents maintenance records showing no entry for the last 100-hour inspection. The aircraft has accrued 115 hours since the last recorded inspection. What is the appropriate ASI action?

Answer: Ground the aircraft for non-compliance with 14 CFR §91.409 inspection requirements until it receives an overdue 100-hour inspection

An aircraft operated past its required 100-hour inspection interval without records of compliance is not airworthy and must be grounded until the overdue inspection is completed.

Which FAA order provides ASIs with the primary guidance for conducting airworthiness inspections on air carrier aircraft?

Answer: FAA Order 8900.1 — Flight Standards Information Management System (FSIMS)

FAA Order 8900.1 (FSIMS) is the comprehensive guidance document for Flight Standards personnel, including procedures for airworthiness inspections of air carrier aircraft.

An ASI finds a corrosion on an aircraft's primary structure that has been stop-drilled and left without further treatment or a corrosion inhibitor. What determination is most appropriate?

Answer: The repair is incomplete — corrosion treatment and inhibitor application are required per AC 43.13-1B to restore airworthiness

AC 43.13-1B specifies that corrosion repairs must include removal of corrosion, treatment of the affected area, and application of corrosion inhibitor — stop-drilling alone is insufficient.

Under 14 CFR Part 145, a certificated repair station's operations specifications (OpSpecs) limit it to airframe work on aircraft under 12,500 lbs. An ASI finds the station has been performing heavy maintenance on a transport category aircraft. What violation has occurred?

Answer: The repair station has exceeded its OpSpec limitations, potentially rendering affected aircraft unairworthy

Operations Specifications define the authorized scope of work for a repair station, and work performed outside those limits is unauthorized and may render the aircraft not airworthy.

When reviewing fuel system records during an airworthiness inspection, the ASI finds that unapproved fuel additives have been used. The operator claims the additives improve performance. What is the regulatory concern?

Answer: The aircraft may not conform to its type design if unapproved materials are used, affecting airworthiness

Using unapproved materials in aircraft systems may cause the aircraft to deviate from its type design, which is a fundamental airworthiness concern under 14 CFR §21.183.

An aircraft is found to have a cracked engine mount that has been welded by a local welding shop without FAA oversight. What makes this repair most problematic from an airworthiness standpoint?

Answer: The weld repair was a major repair on a primary structure performed without approved data and by an unauthorized person, violating Part 43

Engine mount repairs are major repairs on a critical primary structure and must be performed by authorized personnel using approved data per 14 CFR Part 43.

An ASI reviews an aircraft's records and finds a manufacturer's service bulletin (SB) has not been complied with, but no AD has been issued for the same subject matter. What is the airworthiness status of the aircraft?

Answer: Airworthy — unless the SB is incorporated into an AD or the operator's approved maintenance program, compliance is not mandatory

Manufacturer service bulletins are recommendations, not mandatory requirements, unless they are referenced in and incorporated by an Airworthiness Directive or an operator's approved maintenance program.