M.A.615 Privileges of the organisation

M.A.615 states that the organisation shall only maintain an aircraft or component for which it is approved when all the necessary facilities, equipment, tooling, material, maintenance data, and certifying staff are available. This provision is intended to cover the situation where the larger organisation may temporarily not hold all the necessary tools, equipment, etc. for an aircraft type or variant specified in the organisation’s approval. This paragraph means that the competent authority need not amend the approval to delete the aircraft type or variants on the basis that it is a temporary situation and there is a commitment from the organisation to re-acquire tools, equipment, etc. before maintenance on the type may recommence.

M.A.615(a) applies also to facilities which may not be individually approved by the competent authority, such as those described in AMC M.A.605(a) for ELA2 aircraft.

M.A.615(b) refers to work carried out by another organisation which is not appropriately approved under M.A. Subpart F, Part-145 or Part-CAO to carry out such tasks. The intent is to permit the acceptance of specialised maintenance services, such as, but not limited to, non-destructive testing, surface treatment, heat-treatment, welding, fabrication of specified parts for minor repairs and modifications, etc., without the need of Subpart F approval for those tasks. The requirement that the organisation performing the specialised services must be ‘appropriately qualified’ means that it should meet an officially recognised standard or, otherwise, it should be acceptable to the competent authority (through the approval of the Maintenance Organisation Manual). ‘Under the control of the Subpart F organisation’ means that the Subpart F organisation should investigate the capability of the subcontracted organisation (including qualifications, facilities, equipment and materials) and ensure that such organisation: Receives appropriate maintenance instructions and maintenance data for the task to be performed. Properly records the maintenance performed in the Subpart F airworthiness records. Notifies the Subpart F organisation for any deviation or non-conformity, which has arisen during such maintenance. The CRS may be issued either at the subcontractors or at the organisation facility by authorised certifying staff, and always under the M.A. Subpart F organisation reference. Such staff would normally come from the M.A. Subpart F organisation but may otherwise be a person from the subcontractor who meets the M.A. Subpart F organisation certifying staff standard which itself is approved by the competent authority via the Maintenance Organisation Manual. Subcontracted specialised services organisations should be listed in the Maintenance Organisation Manual of the Subpart F organisation together with their qualifications, and the associated control procedures.