Caap 43 01 Maintenance Release
Caap 43 01 Maintenance Release
Caap 43 01 Maintenance Release
ADVISORY PUBLICATION
CAAP 43-01 v2.0
Maintenance release
This Civil Aviation Advisory Publication (CAAP) provides guidance, interpretation and explanation on complying with
the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (CAR) or a Civil Aviation Order (CAO).
This CAAP provides advisory information to the aviation industry in support of a particular CAR or CAO. Ordinarily, the
CAAP will provide additional ‘how to’ information not found in the source CAR, or elsewhere.
Audience
This CAAP applies to:
Purpose
The purpose of this CAAP is to describe a method of complying with the directions specified in the
CAR for the issue and use of aircraft maintenance releases and specifically the use of the CASA
Form 918.
Status
This version of the CAAP is approved by the Manager, Airworthiness and Engineering Branch.
Note: Due to the scope of changes made in the current version, amendments are not annotated. The document
should be read in full.
(1) August 1997 This is the second issue of CAAP 43-1. It has been amended by deletion of
one paragraph to remove reference to the pilot-in-command issuing and
signing a maintenance release outside Australian territory under an instrument
of appointment. The procedure has never been utilised or authorised and may
cause confusion.
(0) March 1992 This is the first issue of CAAP 43-1, and will remain current until withdrawn or
superseded.
Contents
1 Reference material 4
1.1 Acronyms 4
1.2 Definitions 4
1.3 References 5
1.4 Forms 6
2 Background 7
2.1 General requirements 7
2.2 Validity period 8
3 Part 1 of the maintenance release 9
3.1 Information 9
3.2 Maintenance required 10
4 Part 2 of the maintenance release 12
4.1 Dealing with required maintenance 12
4.2 Dealing with defects 12
5 Part 3 of maintenance release 14
5.1 Daily inspection 14
5.2 Flight time 14
5.3 Supplementary pages 15
6 Issuing a maintenance release outside of Australian territory 16
6.1 Class A aircraft 16
6.2 Class B aircraft 16
7 Operator considerations 17
7.1 Use of supplementary pages 17
7.2 Retention of maintenance releases and copies 17
1 Reference material
1.1 Acronyms
The acronyms and abbreviations used in this CAAP are listed in the table below.
Acronym Description
TIS time-in-service
1.2 Definitions
Terms that have specific meaning within this CAAP are defined in the table below.
Term Definition
Class A aircraft An Australian aircraft, other than a balloon, that satisfies either or both of the
following paragraphs:
a. the aircraft is certificated as a transport category aircraft;
b. the aircraft is being used, or is to be used, by the holder of an Air
Operator’s Certificate which authorises the use of that aircraft for
the commercial purpose referred to in paragraph 206 (1) (c).
Flight time The time the aircraft is in service, which is defined as the elapsed time that
commences when the aircraft first takes off for a flight and finishes when it
lands at the end of the flight.
Term Definition
42A Manufacturers A schedule issued by the manufacturer of the aircraft that sets out what
maintenance schedule (in maintenance should be carried out on the aircraft and when it should be
relation to an aircraft) carried out.
1.3 References
Regulations
Regulations are available on the Federal Register of Legislation https://www.legislation.gov.au/
Document Title
Regulation 133 of CAR Conditions to be met before Australian aircraft may fly
Advisory material
CASA's Civil Aviation Advisory Publications are available at http://www.casa.gov.au/CAAP
Document Title
CAAP 50A/B-1 Aircraft Log Books and Alternate to Aircraft Log Books
1.4 Forms
CASA’s forms are available at http://www.casa.gov.au/forms
2 Background
The maintenance release is central to safe operation of aircraft that are not maintained
under Part 42 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR). It provides
certificate of registration (COR) holders, and pilots with evidence that an aircraft has
had the required maintenance carried out, provides details of any defects that may
require rectification before a flight can commence and also provides essential
information about any scheduled maintenance actions that may become due before
completion of a planned flight.
The maintenance release also provides a maintainer with a record of deferred defects
and other maintenance actions that require attention during both unscheduled and
scheduled maintenance. The maintenance release also provides a certification record
for the purpose of recording maintenance that has been completed during the life of the
maintenance release.
In order to ensure that the maintenance release is properly used, it is important that
COR holders, pilots and maintainers understand the instructions for use of the
document and properly follow them.
Instructions for the use of the CASA Form 918 are published as Appendix 3 to Civil
Aviation Order (CAO) 100.5 and a summary of those instructions is provided inside the
front cover of the CASA maintenance release book.
Note: The Appendix 3 instructions also apply to persons who continue to use their stocks of the
superseded Form DA741.
3.1 Information
3.1.1 This is the section at the top of Part 1 of the maintenance release and is used to identify
the:
− aircraft for which the maintenance release is issued
− date and/or aircraft total time in service at which the maintenance release expires
− details of the issuing person (normally a holder of a certificate of approval)
− aircraft total time in service at time of issue
− date and place of issue
− details of the person signing the maintenance release
− class of operation for which the maintenance release is issued
− Schedule or SOM that applies to the aircraft.
3.1.2 As the operational category of the aircraft may require the installation of certain
equipment, it is important that the person signing the maintenance release is aware of
that category and ensures that the aircraft has the correct equipment fit and that the
equipment is serviceable.
3.1.3 When ticking the instrument flight rules (IFR), visual flight rules (VFR), night or VFR day
box, the issuing person must ensure that the aircraft is equipped with the flight and
navigation equipment listed in the aircraft’s flight manual and any additional equipment
required for the type of operation. 12 For avoidance of doubt, a tick in the VFR Night box
includes VFR Day.
1 In accordance with regulations 174A (VFR night) and 177 (IFR) of CAR.
2 In accordance with CAO 20.18.
attached as each printout expires. It is not necessary to retain expired printouts with the
MR.
3.2.7.2 Details of the unserviceability must be endorsed on Part 1 of the maintenance release
and the maintenance release also endorsed ‘for VFR operations only'.
4.1.2 Once any such maintenance has been completed and properly certified, the
maintenance release recommences to be in force. 5
4.1.3 It is the responsibility of the COR holder to ensure that any extra maintenance that
becomes required during the period of validity of the maintenance release is entered in
to Part 1 or 2 of the maintenance release, as applicable.
4.1.4 A COR holder, pilot, licenced aircraft maintenance engineer (LAME) or any person
authorised by the COR holder to make an entry on their behalf, may enter details of
required maintenance or defects on Part 2 of the maintenance release
4.2.5 The aircraft may be permitted to fly with an 'open defect' if the defect or damage that is
endorsed on Part 2 has been assessed by the pilot-in-command or a LAME (licenced
on type) and a determination has been made that the defect is not a major defect and
that the affected item or system is not required for the intended flight (see definition in
section 1.2 of this AC.)
4.2.6 In order to avoid doubt, it is recommended that when a pilot, LAME or appropriate
authorisation/authority holder assesses a defect as not being a major defect, an entry
should be made in the Clearing endorsements column to the effect that the defect is not
a major defect.
Note: A pilot in command should not accept an aircraft for a flight if they have doubts as to whether an open
defect is not a major defect, whether or not it has previously been endorsed as not a major defect. In
cases of doubt, the pilot should seek advice from a LAME or maintenance authorisation holder who would
be authorised to carry out rectification of the defect and make a note of the advice received.
4.2.7 If a maintenance release is being issued after maintenance which may have adversely
affected flight or operating characteristics of the aircraft and a flight test is necessary to
establish the serviceability of the aircraft, an aircraft component or an item of
equipment, an endorsement may be entered on Part 2 of the maintenance release
stating a condition that a flight test is required. 8
4.2.8 If at any other time, a test flight is required after maintenance, the requirement should
be entered on Part 2 of the maintenance release.
5.2.4 The maintenance release must also include record of any particular instructions
specified in an aircraft flight manual, manufacturer’s instructions for continuing
airworthiness or a supplemental type certificate for recording information about matters
such as:
− engine start cycles
− number of landings
− overweight operations
− water bombing operations
− aerial application operations
− aerobatic flight hours.
5.2.5 If the requirements described in paragraph 5.2.4 require additional calculations for
determining flight or load factors, then that information must also be updated after each
day's flying.
5.2.6 If insufficient space is unavailable, an extension page may be added for the purpose (in
accordance with section 5.3) and extra columns ruled up.
5.2.7 If the CASA maintenance release is inadequate for recording the information described
in paragraphs 5.2.4 and 5.2.5, then it is the responsibility of the registered operator to
seek approval for an alternate maintenance release that will accommodate the
additional information. 12
13 In accordance with regulations 42ZD, 42ZN and paragraph 43 (7) (a) of CAR.
14 In accordance with subregulation 43 (1) of CAR.
7 Operator considerations