49 U.S.C. § 44713 : US Code - Section 44713: Inspection and maintenance

Search 49 U.S.C. § 44713 : US Code - Section 44713: Inspection and maintenance

(a) General Equipment Requirements. - An air carrier shall make,
or cause to be made, any inspection, repair, or maintenance of
equipment used in air transportation as required by this part or
regulations prescribed or orders issued by the Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration under this part. A person
operating, inspecting, repairing, or maintaining the equipment
shall comply with those requirements, regulations, and orders.
(b) Duties of Inspectors. - The Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration shall employ inspectors who shall -
(1) inspect aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, and
appliances designed for use in air transportation, during
manufacture and when in use by an air carrier in air
transportation, to enable the Administrator to decide whether the
aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, or appliances are in safe
condition and maintained properly; and
(2) advise and cooperate with the air carrier during that
inspection and maintenance.
(c) Unsafe Aircraft, Engines, Propellers, and Appliances. - When
an inspector decides that an aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller,
or appliance is not in condition for safe operation, the inspector
shall notify the air carrier in the form and way prescribed by the
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. For 5 days
after the carrier is notified, the aircraft, engine, propeller, or
appliance may not be used in air transportation or in a way that
endangers air transportation unless the Administrator or the
inspector decides the aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance is
in condition for safe operation.
(d) Modifications in System. - (1) The Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration shall make modifications in the
system for processing forms for major repairs or alterations to
fuel tanks and fuel systems of aircraft not used to provide air
transportation that are necessary to make the system more effective
in serving the needs of users of the system, including officials
responsible for enforcing laws related to the regulation of
controlled substances (as defined in section 102 of the
Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (21
U.S.C. 802)). The modifications shall address at least each of the
following deficiencies in, and abuses of, the existing system:
(A) the lack of a special identification feature to allow the
forms to be distinguished easily from other major repair and
alteration forms.
(B) the excessive period of time required to receive the forms
at the Airmen and Aircraft Registry of the Administration.
(C) the backlog of forms waiting for processing at the
Registry.
(D) the lack of ready access by law enforcement officials to
information contained on the forms.
(2) The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
shall prescribe regulations to carry out paragraph (1) of this
subsection and provide a written explanation of how the regulations
address each of the deficiencies and abuses described in paragraph
(1). In prescribing the regulations, the Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration shall consult with the
Administrator of Drug Enforcement, the Commissioner of Customs,
other law enforcement officials of the United States Government,
representatives of State and local law enforcement officials,
representatives of the general aviation aircraft industry,
representatives of users of general aviation aircraft, and other
interested persons.
(e) Automated Surveillance Targeting Systems. -
(1) In general. - The Administrator shall give high priority to
developing and deploying a fully enhanced safety performance
analysis system that includes automated surveillance to assist
the Administrator in prioritizing and targeting surveillance and
inspection activities of the Federal Aviation Administration.
(2) Deadlines for deployment. -
(A) Initial phase. - The initial phase of the operational
deployment of the system developed under this subsection shall
begin not later than December 31, 1997.
(B) Final phase. - The final phase of field deployment of the
system developed under this subsection shall begin not later
than December 31, 1999. By that date, all principal operations
and maintenance inspectors of the Administration, and
appropriate supervisors and analysts of the Administration
shall have been provided access to the necessary information
and resources to carry out the system.
(3) Integration of information. - In developing the system
under this section, the Administration shall consider the near-
term integration of accident and incident data into the safety
performance analysis system under this subsection.