Changing the rules

Under development
CASR Part 145 – Maintenance organisations

Part 145 is similar to that published in the previous NPRM 0407MS. This Part should be read in conjunction with Part 42.

This Part includes:

  • Privileges and responsibilities of the maintenance organisation;
  • The requirement to authorise staff to perform and/or certify maintenance including special processes and tasks;
  • Public air transport operations using large aircraft must have maintenance performed by a Part 145 approved organisation;
  • Identification of facility requirements;
  • Identification of personnel requirements;
  • A process for preventative and corrective actions of maintenance errors;
  • A management system which is desirably integrated and will produce aviation safety and quality outcomes;
  • A maintenance organisation exposition containing elements on:
    • a management system including quality policy;
    • aviation safety policy;
    • maintenance procedures;
    • methods of certification for maintenance;
    • maintenance data to be held and controlled; and
    • equipment, tools and material control.
  • A staff training program;
  • Definition of the role of Category C licence holders who sign a Certificate of Release to Service after base maintenance; and
  • Alteration to the approval mechanism for specialised maintenance activities e.g. NDT and welding.

Who Part 145 affects

  • Current CAR 30 approval holders;
  • Current maintenance organisations;
  • Prospective maintenance organisations.

Key proposals

  • Accountable manager and responsible manager responsibilities to be introduced into the organisation’s management framework;
  • Safety management and quality assurance systems to be introduced to supplement the current provisions for quality control and internal audit;
  • Operational standards for facilities including documentation and equipment standards to be clarified;
  • Qualification of workshop maintenance technicians, as well as licence holders, to be specified by CASA in a Manual of Maintenance Personnel Standards to remove the need for CASA (individual inspectors) to be satisfied and to comply with ICAO Annex 1 & 6;
  • Need for worksheets to be used for maintenance and requirement to include the worksheets in the aircraft maintenance records;
  • Current requirements to be clarified for continuation (refresher) training of maintenance personnel;
  • Requirements to be clarified for the control of maintenance being carried under contract or way from the major base of the AMO;
  • Provision to be made for workshop maintenance organisations to enable the organisation to issue “authorised release certificates”;
  • Provisions to be made to cover manufacture in the course of maintenance;
  • Specific provisions to be introduced for the approval of foreign maintenance organisations overseas for the maintenance of Australian aircraft and aeronautical products under the Australian regulations;
  • Provision to enable a “paperless” system to be used by the organisations;
  • The CASA issued certificate to adopt a similar format to the European certificates and activity lists.

Contact details

Email: Nicholas Ward
Maintenance Regulations Project

 
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