145.A.55
145.A.55(a) Maintenance and airworthiness review records
(a) The organisation shall record all details of maintenance work carried out. As a minimum, the organisation shall retain records necessary to prove that all requirements have been met for the issue of the certificate of release to service, including subcontractor’s release documents, and for the issue of any airworthiness review certificate.
GM 145.A.55(a) Traceability
1. Properly executed and retained records provide owners, operators and maintenance personnel with information essential in controlling unscheduled and scheduled maintenance, and trouble-shooting to eliminate the need for re-inspection and rework to establish airworthiness.
The prime objective is to have secure and easily retrievable records with comprehensive and legible contents. The aircraft record should contain basic details of all serialised aircraft components and all other significant aircraft components installed, to ensure traceability to such installed aircraft component documentation, associated maintenance data and data for modifications and repairs.
2. Some gas turbine engines are assembled from modules and a true total time in service for a total engine is not kept. When owners and operators wish to take advantage of the modular design, then total time in service and maintenance records for each module is to be maintained. The maintenance records as specified are to be kept with the module and should show compliance with any mandatory requirements pertaining to that module.
3. Reconstruction of lost or destroyed records can be done by reference to other records which reflect the time in service, research of records maintained by repair facilities and reference to records maintained by individual mechanics etc. When these things have been done and the record is still incomplete, the owner/operator may make a statement in the new record describing the loss and establishing the time in service based on the research and the best estimate of time in service. The reconstructed records should be submitted to the competent authority for acceptance.
Note: Additional maintenance may be required.
4. The maintenance record can be either a paper or computer system or any combination of both.
5. Paper systems should use robust material which can withstand normal handling and filing. The record should remain legible throughout the required retention period.
6. Computer systems may be used to control maintenance and/or record details of maintenance work carried out. Computer systems used for maintenance should have at least one backup system which should be updated at least within 24 hours of any maintenance. Each terminal is required to contain programme safeguards against the ability of unauthorised personnel to alter the database.
145.A.55(b) CRS copy to owner/operator
(b) The organisation shall provide a copy of each certificate of release to service to the aircraft owner or operator, together with a copy of any detailed maintenance record associated with the work carried out and necessary to demonstrate compliance with point M.A.305 of Annex I (Part-M) or ML.A.305 of Annex Vb (Part-ML), as applicable.
145.A.55(c) Retention of records
(c) The organisation shall retain a copy of all detailed maintenance records and any associated maintenance data for three years from the date on which the aircraft or component to which the work relates was issued with a certificate of release to service. In addition, it shall retain a copy of all the records related to the issue of airworthiness review certificates for three years from the date of issue and shall provide a copy of them to the owner of the aircraft.
1. The records under this point shall be stored in a manner that ensures protection from damage, alteration and theft.
2. All computer hardware used to ensure backup shall be stored in a different location from that containing the working data in an environment that ensures they remain in good condition.
3. When an organisation approved under this Annex terminates its operations, all retained maintenance records from the period of three years preceding the termination of operations of the organisation shall be distributed to the last owner or customer of respective aircraft or component or shall be stored in a way specified by the competent authority.
AMC 145.A.55(c) Maintenance data
Associated maintenance data is specific information such as repair and modification data. This does not necessarily require the retention of all Aircraft Maintenance Manual, Component Maintenance Manual, IPC etc issued by the TC holder or STC holder. Maintenance records should refer to the revision status of the data used.