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In this subpart:

43.101 Persons to certify release-to-service

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), and subject to paragraph (c) and rule 43.54, a person must not certify an aircraft or component for release-to-service after maintenance unless that person—

(1) holds a current aircraft maintenance engineer licence in an appropriate category and an appropriate rating issued in accordance with Part 66; or

(2) holds an appropriate current aircraft maintenance engineer licence and an appropriate rating issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia, and has had that licence registered by the Director in New Zealand under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997; or

(3) is authorised to certify such aircraft or components for release-to-service by the holder of an aircraft maintenance organisation certificate issued with an appropriate rating in accordance with Part 145; or

(4) holds a current certificate of maintenance approval, with appropriate endorsement, issued in accordance with Part 66; or

(5) for maintenance performed outside New Zealand, holds an appropriate current maintenance engineer licence or approval issued under the authority of an ICAO Contracting State, acceptable to the Director, for the type of aircraft or component; or

(6) has performed the maintenance under rule 43.51(b).

(b) A person may certify a glider or glider component for release-to-service after maintenance if that person is authorised by a gliding organisation to certify such a glider or glider component for release-to- service.

(c) A person must not certify an aircraft or component for release-to-service after maintenance unless that person has been relieved from the performance, supervision, or certification of maintenance on an aircraft or component for—

(1) a period of at least 8 consecutive hours in the 24-hour period immediately before certifying the release-to-service; and

(2) at least 4 periods of at least 24 consecutive hours each in the 30- day period immediately before certifying the release-to-service.

43.103 Requirements for certifying release-to-service

(a) A person must not certify an aircraft or component for release-to-service after maintenance unless—

(1) the maintenance has been performed in accordance with this Part; and

(2) the person meets the requirements of rule 43.101; and

(3) in respect of that maintenance, the aircraft or component is fit for release-to-service; and

(4) if the aircraft has undergone maintenance that may have appreciably affected the flight characteristics or operation of the aircraft,—

(i) a satisfactory operational flight check has been carried out in accordance with rule 91.613 and the completion of the flight check is recorded in the aircraft maintenance logbook or worksheet, and the technical log; or

(ii) ground tests, inspections, or both, show conclusively that the maintenance has not appreciably changed the flight characteristics or substantially affected the flight operation of the aircraft and details of the ground tests and inspections, as the case may be, have been recorded in the aircraft maintenance logbook or worksheet; or

(iii) the release-to-service is for the purpose of performing the operational flight check required under paragraph (a)(4)(i).

(b) A person must not certify an aircraft or component for release-to-service after the performance of a major modification or a major repair unless—

(1) the person meets the requirements of rule 43.101; and

(2) the major modification or major repair has been certified for conformity with acceptable technical data in accordance with subpart E; and

(3) in respect of that major modification or major repair, the aircraft or component is fit for release-to-service; and

(4) if the acceptable technical data under paragraph (b)(2) includes changes to the operating limitations or flight data in the flight manual, the changes have been incorporated into the flight manual.

(c) The person responsible for certifying an aircraft for release-to-service under paragraph (a)(4)(iii) for the purpose of an operational flight check must record in the aircraft maintenance logbook or worksheet, and the technical log —

(1) the following statement of release-to-service:

In respect of the recorded work, the aircraft is released-to-service for an operational flight check only; and

(2) adjacent to the statement of release-to-service—

(i) the person’s name; and

(ii) the person’s signature except if the maintenance logbook or worksheet is in electronic format; and

(iii) the person’s licence, approval, or authorisation number; and

(iv) the date of entry.

43.105 Certifying release-to-service after maintenance

(a) Except as required in paragraph (b), a person who certifies an aircraft or component for release-to-service after maintenance must record the following information in the appropriate maintenance logbook or worksheet, and the technical log as may be necessary, immediately adjacent to the details of the maintenance that is required to be recorded under rule 43.69—

(1) the person’s name; and

(2) the person’s signature except if the maintenance logbook or worksheet is in electronic format; and

(3) the person’s licence, approval, or authorisation number; and

(4) the date of entry; and

(5) the following statement of release-to-service if the maintenance logbook, worksheet, or technical log, as the case may be, does not include a preformatted equivalent statement:

“The maintenance recorded has been carried out in accordance with the requirements of New Zealand Civil Aviation Rule Part 43 and in respect of that maintenance the (aircraft)* (component)* is released to service”.

* delete as applicable

(b) If a component is not installed on, or allocated to an aircraft, the person certifying the component for release-to-service must certify the release-to-service on—

(1) CAA Form One – authorised release certificate if

(i) rule 43.54 requires the maintenance to be performed under the authority of, and in accordance with the provisions of, a maintenance organisation certificate issued in accordance with Part 145; or

(ii) the component is to be exported in accordance with the provisions of a maintenance organisation certificate issued in accordance with Part 145 or an aircraft manufacturing organisation certificate issued in accordance with Part 148; or

(2) CAA Form Two – New Zealand domestic part label.

43.107 Inoperative equipment

A person who certifies an aircraft or component for release-to-service that includes inoperative instruments or equipment that are permitted to be inoperative under rule 91.537 must, before signing the statement of releaseto- service as required under rule 43.105,—

(1) list the inoperative instruments and equipment in the technical log; and

(2) place a placard on each inoperative instrument and on or adjacent to the cockpit controls of each item of inoperative equipment, marking each item Inoperative.

43.109 Defects

If a person who is responsible under this Part for certifying an aircraft or component for release-to-service does not certify the aircraft or component for release-to-service because a defect has not been cleared, that person must before further flight of the aircraft—

(1) enter the details of the defect in the technical log if the defect is not already entered in the log; and

(2) if practicable, ensure that defect is entered in the appropriate maintenance logbook; and

(3) adjacent to the details of the defect that the person may have entered under paragraphs (1) and (2), enter—

(i) the person’s name and signature; and

(ii) the person’s licence, approval, or authorisation number; and

(iii) the date of entry.

43.111 Reserved

43.113 Duplicate safety inspection of control system

(a) A person must not certify an aircraft or component for release-to-service after the initial assembly, subsequent disturbance, or adjustment of any part of the control system of the aircraft or the control system of the component unless—

(1) the applicable requirements of Subpart C have been complied with; and

(2) a duplicate safety inspection has been carried out to ensure that—

(i) the control system of the aircraft or the component, as the case may be, functions correctly; and

(ii) in respect of the maintenance that has been performed, the control system is assembled correctly and every required locking mechanism is in place; and

(3) the certification and signatures required by paragraphs (c) and (d) have been completed.

(b) The duplicate safety inspection required by paragraph (a)(2) must be carried out by—

(1) a person who meets the requirement in rule 43.101 to certify the aircraft or component for release-to-service; and

(2) another person who is nominated by the person specified in paragraph (b)(1) and has adequate training, knowledge and experience to carry out the safety inspection, and who holds—

(i) a current aircraft maintenance engineer licence issued in accordance with Part 66; or

(ii) a current certificate of maintenance approval issued in accordance with Part 66; or

(iii) a current pilot licence with a rating on the aircraft type issued in accordance with Part 61; or

(iv) a current authorisation issued by the holder of a maintenance organisation certificate issued in accordance with Part 145; or

(v) a current appropriate maintenance engineer licence or approval issued under the appropriate authority of an ICAO Contracting State; or

(vi) a current glider pilot certificate or an engineer’s approval issued by a gliding organisation.

(c) The person specified in paragraph (b)(1) must enter in the appropriate maintenance logbook or worksheet—

(1) the identification of the control system that has been inspected; and

(2) the detailed scope and extent of the safety inspection that has been carried out; and

(3) the following statement—

“We certify that a duplicate safety inspection has been carried out and the identified control system of the aircraft/component functions correctly, and in respect of the maintenance performed, the control system is assembled and locked correctly.”

(d) The following details of the person specified in paragraph (b)(1) and the person specified in paragraph (b)(2) must be entered in the maintenance logbook or worksheet adjacent to the statement required under paragraph (c)(3):

(1) the name of the person; and

(2) the signature of the person except if the maintenance logbook or worksheet is in electronic format; and

(3) the licence number, approval number, or authorisation number for the person; and

(4) the date of entry.

43.115 Engine performance checks

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c), a person must not certify an aircraft for release-to-service after the following maintenance activities unless an engine performance check has been performed in accordance with the aircraft manufacturer’s recommendations:

(1) a 100-hour, or equivalent inspection carried out in accordance with the aircraft manufacturer’s maintenance schedule:

(2) an engine change:

(3) a propeller change:

(4) any other maintenance if the aircraft manufacturer recommends an engine performance check after the maintenance.

(b) A person who certifies an aircraft for release-to-service after an engine performance check that is required in paragraph (a) must ensure that the following information is recorded in the appropriate maintenance logbook or worksheet:

(1) the ambient conditions of temperature and atmospheric pressure:

(2) the details of the results of the engine performance check.

(c) Paragraph (a) does not apply to an aircraft that is maintained in accordance with a maintenance programme—

(1) approved under Part 119; or

(2) approved under rule 91.607.

 

Subpart B

Subpart D