Appendix XI to AMC M.A.708(c) — Contracted maintenance

1.      Maintenance contracts

The following paragraphs are not intended to provide a standard maintenance contract, but to provide a list of the main points that should be addressed, when applicable, in a maintenance contract between the CAMO managing aircraft subject to Part-M and a maintenance organization approved in accordance with Part-145 or Subpart F of Part M. The following paragraphs only address technical matters and exclude matters such as costs, delay, warranty, etc.

When maintenance is contracted to more than one maintenance organisation (for example, aircraft base maintenance to X, engine maintenance to Y, and line maintenance to Z1, Z2 and Z3), attention should be paid to the consistency of the different maintenance contracts.

A maintenance contract is not normally intended to provide appropriate detailed work instructions to personnel. Accordingly, there should be established organisational responsibilities, procedures and routines in the CAMO and the maintenance organisation to cover these functions in a satisfactory way such that any person involved is informed about his/her responsibilities and the procedures that apply. These procedures and routines can be included/appended to the CAME and to the maintenance organisation’s manual/MOE, or can consist in separate procedures. In other words, procedures and routines should reflect the conditions of the contract.

2.      Aircraft/engine maintenance

The following subparagraphs may be adapted to a maintenance contract that applies to aircraft base maintenance, aircraft line maintenance, and engine maintenance.

Aircraft maintenance also includes the maintenance of the engines and APU while they are installed on the aircraft.

2.1.    Scope of work

The type of maintenance to be performed by the maintenance organisation should be specified unambiguously. In case of line and/or base maintenance, the contract should specify the aircraft type and, preferably, should include the aircraft’s registrations.

In case of engine maintenance, the contract should specify the engine type.

2.2.    Locations identified for the performance of maintenance/certificates held

The place(s) where base, line or engine maintenance, as applicable, will be performed should be specified. The certificate held by the maintenance organisation at the place(s) where maintenance will be performed should be referred to in the contract. If necessary, the contract may address the possibility of performing maintenance at any location subject to the need for such maintenance arising either from the unserviceability of the aircraft or from the necessity to support occasional line maintenance.

2.3.    Subcontracting

The maintenance contract should specify under which conditions the maintenance organisation may subcontract tasks to a third party (regardless if this third party is approved or not). At least the contract should make reference to M.A.615 and 145.A.75. Additional guidance is provided by the associated AMC/GM. In addition, the CAMO may require the maintenance organisation to obtain the CAMO approval before subcontracting to a third party. Access should be given to the CAMO to any information (especially the quality monitoring information) about the maintenance organisation’s subcontractors involved in the contract. It should, however, be noted that under the CAMO responsibility both the CAMO and its competent authority are entitled to be fully informed about subcontracting, although the competent authority will normally only be concerned with aircraft, engine and APU subcontracting.

2.4.    Maintenance programme

The maintenance programme, under which maintenance has to be performed, has to be specified.

The CAMO should have that maintenance programme approved by its competent authority.

2.5.    Quality monitoring

The terms of the contract should include a provision allowing the CAMO to perform a quality surveillance (including audits) of the maintenance organisation. The maintenance contract should specify how the results of the quality surveillance are taken into account by the maintenance organisation (see also paragraph 2.22. ‘Meetings’).

2.6.    Competent authority involvement

The contract should identify the competent authority(ies) responsible for the oversight of the aircraft, the operator, the CAMO, and the maintenance organisation. Additionally, the contract should allow competent authority(ies) access to the maintenance organisation.

2.7.    Maintenance data

The contract should specify the maintenance data and any other manual required for the fulfilment of the contract, and how these data and manuals are made available and kept current (regardless if they are provided by the CAMO or by the maintenance organisation).

This may include but is not limited to:

-            maintenance programme,

-            airworthiness directives,

-            major repairs/modification data,

-            aircraft maintenance manual,

-            aircraft illustrated parts catalogue (IPC),

-            wiring diagrams,

-            troubleshooting manual,

-            Minimum Equipment List (normally on board the aircraft),

-            operator’s manual,

-            flight manual,

-            engine maintenance manual,

-            engine overhaul manual.

2.8.    Incoming conditions

The contract should specify in which condition the aircraft should be made available to the maintenance organisation. For extensive maintenance, it may be beneficial that a work scope planning meeting be organised so that the tasks to be performed may be commonly agreed (see also paragraph 2.23 ‘Meetings’).

2.9.    Airworthiness directives and service bulletins/modifications

The contract should specify the information that the CAMO is responsible to provide to the maintenance organisation, such as:

-            the status of the ADs including due date and the selected means of compliance, if applicable; and

-            status of modifications and the decision to embody a modification or an SB.

In addition, the contract should specify the type of information the CAMO will need in return to complete the control of ADs and modification status.

2.10.  Hours and cycles control

Hours and cycles control is the responsibility of the CAMO, and the contract should specify how the CAMO should provide the current hours and cycles to the maintenance organisation and whether the maintenance organisation should receive the current flight hours and cycles on a regular basis so that it may update the records for its own planning functions (see also paragraph 2.22 ‘Exchange of information’).

2.11.  Life-limited parts and time-controlled components

The control of life-limited parts and time-controlled components is the responsibility of the CAMO. The contract should specify whether the CAMO should provide the status of life-limited parts and time‑controlled components to the maintenance organisation, and the information that the approved organisation will have to provide to the CAMO about the removal/installation of the life-limited parts and time-controlled components removal/installation so that the CAMO may update its records (see also paragraph 2.22 ‘Exchange of information’).

2.12.  Supply of parts

The contract should specify whether a particular type of material or component is supplied by the CAMO or by the maintenance organisation, which type of component is pooled, etc. The contract should clearly state that it is the maintenance organisation’s responsibility to be in any case satisfied that the component in question meets the approved data/standard and to ensure that the aircraft component is in a satisfactory condition for installation. Additional guidance on the acceptance of components is provided in M.A.402 and 145.A.42.

2.13.  Pooled parts at line stations

If applicable, the contract should specify how the subject of pooled parts at line stations should be addressed.

2.14.  Scheduled maintenance

For planning scheduled maintenance checks, the support documentation to be given to the maintenance organisation should be specified. This may include but is not limited to:

-            applicable work package, including job cards;

-            scheduled component removal list;

-            modifications to be incorporated.

When the maintenance organisation determines, for any reason, to defer a maintenance task, it has to be formally agreed with the CAMO. If the deferment goes beyond an approved limit, please refer to paragraph 2.17 ‘Deviation from the maintenance schedule’. This should be addressed, where applicable, in the maintenance contract.

2.15.  Unscheduled maintenance/defect rectification

The contract should specify to which level the maintenance organisation may rectify a defect without reference to the CAMO. It should describe, as a minimum, the management of approval of repairs and the incorporation of major repairs. The deferment of any defect rectification should be submitted to the CAMO.

2.16.  Deferred tasks

See paragraphs 2.14 and 2.15 above, as well as 145.A.50(e) and M.A.801(g). In addition, for aircraft line and base maintenance, the use of the operator’s MEL and the liaison with the CAMO in case of a defect that cannot be rectified at the line station should be addressed.

2.17.  Deviation from the maintenance schedule

Deviations from the maintenance schedule have to be managed by the CAMO in accordance with the procedures established in the maintenance programme. The contract should specify the support the maintenance organisation may provide to the operator in order to substantiate the deviation request.

2.18.  Maintenance check flight

If any maintenance check flight is required after aircraft maintenance, it should be performed in accordance with the procedures established in the continuing airworthiness management exposition or the operator’s manual.

2.19.  Bench test

The contract should specify the acceptability criterion and whether a representative of the CAMO should witness an engine undergoing test.

2.20.  Release to service documentation

The release to service has to be performed by the maintenance organisation in accordance with its maintenance organisation procedures. The contract should, however, specify which support forms have to be used (aircraft technical log, maintenance organisation’s release format, etc.) and the documentation that the maintenance organisation should provide to the CAMO upon delivery of the aircraft. This may include but is not limited to:

-            certificate of release to service,

-            flight test report,

-            list of modifications embodied,

-            list of repairs,

-            list of ADs accomplished,

-            maintenance visit report,

-            test bench report.

2.21.  Maintenance record-keeping

The CAMO may subcontract the maintenance organisation to retain some of the maintenance records required by Part-M Subpart C. This means that the CAMO subcontracts under its quality system part of its record-keeping tasks and, therefore, the provisions of M.A.711(a)(3) apply.

2.22.  Exchange of information

Each time exchange of information between the CAMO and the maintenance organisation is necessary, the contract should specify what information should be provided and when (i.e. in which case or at what frequency), how, by whom and to whom it has to be transmitted.

2.23.  Meetings

The maintenance contract should include the provision for a certain number of meetings to be held between the CAMO and the maintenance organisation.

2.23.1.    Contract review

Before the contract is enforced, it is very important that the technical personnel of both parties, that are involved in the fulfilment of the contract, meet in order to be sure that every point leads to a common understanding of the duties of both parties

2.23.2.    Work scope planning meeting

Work scope planning meetings may be organised so that the tasks to be performed may be commonly agreed.

2.23.3.    Technical meeting

Scheduled meetings may be organised in order to review on a regular basis technical matters such as ADs, SBs, future modifications, major defects found during maintenance check, aircraft and component reliability, etc.

2.23.4.    Quality meeting

Quality meetings may be organised in order to examine matters raised by the CAMO’s quality surveillance and to agree upon necessary corrective actions.

2.23.5.    Reliability meeting

When a reliability programme exists, the contract should specify the CAMO’s and maintenance organisation’s respective involvement in that programme, including the participation in reliability meetings.