Aviation
8. Maintenance Obligations
Authors: Staff Legal Eagle
Firm / Chambers:
Last updated: 22 Jun 2015
- If you are carrying out maintenance on your aircraft you must ensure it is in accordance with the aircraft’s instructions for continuing airworthiness.
- This means that if you hold a certificate of registration for an aircraft you must ensure that all maintenance is carried out as specified in the aircraft’s approved system of maintenance.
- You are not permitted to commence a flight unless you have a valid maintenance release for your aircraft that covers the duration of the flight. Maintenance releases may be issued only by authorised persons and according to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) rules.
- If you are the holder of a certificate of registration for an aircraft you must keep an aircraft log book. You must make sure that the log book and other relevant documents are available to CASA.
- If you are carrying out the maintenance of an Australian aircraft as an employee and you become aware of a defect in the aircraft you must report the defect to your employer.
- Conversely if you are engaged in the maintenance of an Australian aircraft other than as an employee and become aware of a defect in an aircraft you must report it to the person who has the aircraft registered in their name.
- Importantly if you consider it to be a major defect you are obliged to report it to CASA.
- You are obliged by law to make a defective aircraft or defective aircraft parts available to CASA investigators for inspection. Such defects are likely to be examined by CASA in carrying out its safety obligations.
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