The Aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Business Association (AMROBA) has called for CASA to adopt the US system of maintaining ageing GA aircraft before the industry collapses.
In the second of three proposal to revitalise the general aviation industry released this year, AMROBA recommends CASA adopt the FAA approach to "enhance general aviation with the same safety standards and levels that have been achieved in the US."
In the preamble to the proposal, AMROBA says "The regulatory changes applied during the early 1990s changed general aviation maintenance personnel responsibilities, maintenance standards and legislative and regulatory minimum aircraft maintenance standards in the non-airline sectors. At the time, many in the maintenance industry and those employed in the Authority highlighted the risks of these changes. More were against the change than for it. Today’s concerns with ageing aircraft is a direct result of these changes.
"If the right regulatory environment exists, the monitoring, by visual inspection to the proper inspection criteria,of the airworthiness and serviceability of aircraft in general aviation would be part of the normal inspection processes similar to what existed prior to regulatory reform that started in the late 1980s.
"In particular, regulatory changes have altered general aviation maintenance philosophies so that aircraft are no longer ‘inspected’ to determine they are ‘airworthy’ and complied with certification airworthiness requirements but restricted to perform maintenance (inspection) in accordance with 'approved' maintenance data. A total removal from requirements to ensure aircraft continue to comply with applicable airworthiness requirements."
According to AMROBA, the solution is simply to adopt the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system of aircraft inspection requirements under FAR Parts 91 and 43, something that was done before regulatory reform began in the late 1980s
"The alignment with and, in some places, exceeding the FARs standards and practices were done for a purpose that still exists. The vast majority of general aviation aircraft have been certified by the FAA and therefore the FAA minimum airworthy and maintenance standards should be the minimum adopted standards.
"There is now a real urgency to progress these industry recommended regulatory and administrative changes to halt the crumpling general aviation industry that is nobly attempting to operate under this confusing and unsustainable system."
The full proposal on ageing aircraft maintenance is available from the AMROBA website.