261 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 121.1107 

§ 121.1103 [Reserved] 

§ 121.1105 Aging airplane inspections 

and records reviews. 

(a) 

Applicability. 

This section applies 

to all airplanes operated by a certifi-
cate holder under this part, except for 
those airplanes operated between any 
point within the State of Alaska and 
any other point within the State of 
Alaska. 

(b) 

Operation after inspection and 

records review. 

After the dates specified 

in this paragraph, a certificate holder 
may not operate an airplane under this 
part unless the Administrator has noti-
fied the certificate holder that the Ad-
ministrator has completed the aging 
airplane inspection and records review 
required by this section. During the in-
spection and records review, the cer-
tificate holder must demonstrate to 
the Administrator that the mainte-
nance of age-sensitive parts and com-
ponents of the airplane has been ade-
quate and timely enough to ensure the 
highest degree of safety. 

(1) 

Airplanes exceeding 24 years in serv-

ice on December 8, 2003; initial and repet-
itive inspections and records reviews. 

For 

an airplane that has exceeded 24 years 
in service on December 8, 2003, no later 
than December 5, 2007, and thereafter 
at intervals not to exceed 7 years. 

(2) 

Airplanes exceeding 14 years in serv-

ice but not 24 years in service on Decem-
ber 8, 2003; initial and repetitive inspec-
tions and records reviews. 

For an air-

plane that has exceeded 14 years in 
service but not 24 years in service on 
December 8, 2003, no later than Decem-
ber 4, 2008, and thereafter at intervals 
not to exceed 7 years. 

(3) 

Airplanes not exceeding 14 years in 

service on December 8, 2003; initial and re-
petitive inspections and records reviews. 

For an airplane that has not exceeded 
14 years in service on December 8, 2003, 
no later than 5 years after the start of 
the airplane’s 15th year in service and 
thereafter at intervals not to exceed 7 
years. 

(c) 

Unforeseen schedule conflict. 

In the 

event of an unforeseen scheduling con-
flict for a specific airplane, the Admin-
istrator may approve an extension of 
up to 90 days beyond an interval speci-
fied in paragraph (b) of this section. 

(d) 

Airplane and records availability. 

The certificate holder must make 
available to the Administrator each 
airplane for which an inspection and 
records review is required under this 
section, in a condition for inspection 
specified by the Administrator, to-
gether with records containing the fol-
lowing information: 

(1) Total years in service of the air-

plane; 

(2) Total time in service of the air-

frame; 

(3) Total flight cycles of the air-

frame; 

(4) Date of the last inspection and 

records review required by this section; 

(5) Current status of life-limited 

parts of the airframe; 

(6) Time since the last overhaul of all 

structural components required to be 
overhauled on a specific time basis; 

(7) Current inspection status of the 

airplane, including the time since the 
last inspection required by the inspec-
tion program under which the airplane 
is maintained; 

(8) Current status of applicable air-

worthiness directives, including the 
date and methods of compliance, and if 
the airworthiness directive involves re-
curring action, the time and date when 
the next action is required; 

(9) A list of major structural alter-

ations; and 

(10) A report of major structural re-

pairs and the current inspection status 
for those repairs. 

(e) 

Notification to Administrator. 

Each 

certificate holder must notify the Ad-
ministrator at least 60 days before the 
date on which the airplane and air-
plane records will be made available 
for the inspection and records review. 

[Doc. No. FAA–1999–5401, 67 FR 72761, Dec. 6, 
2002, as amended by Amdt. 121–284, 70 FR 
5532, Feb. 2, 2005; Amdt. 121–310, 70 FR 23936, 
May 6, 2005. Redesignated by Amdt. 121–336, 
72 FR 63412, Nov. 8, 2007] 

§ 121.1107 Repairs assessment for pres-

surized fuselages. 

(a) No certificate holder may operate 

an Airbus Model A300 (excluding the 
–600 series), British Aerospace Model 
BAC 1–11, Boeing Model 707, 720, 727, 
737, or 747, McDonnell Douglas Model 
DC–8, DC–9/MD–80 or DC–10, Fokker 
Model F28, or Lockheed Model L–1011 

262 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 121.1109 

airplane beyond the applicable flight 
cycle implementation time specified 
below, or May 25, 2001, whichever oc-
curs later, unless operations specifica-
tions have been issued to reference re-
pair assessment guidelines applicable 
to the fuselage pressure boundary (fu-
selage skin, door skin, and bulkhead 
webs), and those guidelines are incor-
porated in its maintenance program. 
The repair assessment guidelines must 
be approved by the responsible Aircraft 
Certification Service office for the type 
certificate for the affected airplane. 

(1) For the Airbus Model A300 (ex-

cluding the –600 series), the flight cycle 
implementation time is: 

(i) Model B2: 36,000 flights. 
(ii) Model B4–100 (including Model 

B4–2C): 30,000 flights above the window 
line, and 36,000 flights below the win-
dow line. 

(iii) Model B4–200: 25,500 flights above 

the window line, and 34,000 flights 
below the window line. 

(2) For all models of the British Aero-

space BAC 1–11, the flight cycle imple-
mentation time is 60,000 flights. 

(3) For all models of the Boeing 707, 

the flight cycle implementation time is 
15,000 flights. 

(4) For all models of the Boeing 720, 

the flight cycle implementation time is 
23,000 flights. 

(5) For all models of the Boeing 727, 

the flight cycle implementation time is 
45,000 flights. 

(6) For all models of the Boeing 737, 

the flight cycle implementation time is 
60,000 flights. 

(7) For all models of the Boeing 747, 

the flight cycle implementation time is 
15,000 flights. 

(8) For all models of the McDonnell 

Douglas DC–8, the flight cycle imple-
mentation time is 30,000 flights. 

(9) For all models of the McDonnell 

Douglas DC–9/MD–80, the flight cycle 
implementation time is 60,000 flights. 

(10) For all models of the McDonnell 

Douglas DC–10, the flight cycle imple-
mentation time is 30,000 flights. 

(11) For all models of the Lockheed 

L–1011, the flight cycle implementation 
time is 27,000 flights. 

(12) For the Fokker F–28 Mark 1000, 

2000, 3000, and 4000, the flight cycle im-
plementation time is 60,000 flights. 

(b) [Reserved] 

[Doc. No. 29104, 65 FR 24125, Apr. 25, 2000; 65 
FR 50744, Aug. 21, 2000, as amended by Amdt. 
121–282, 66 FR 23130, May 7, 2001; ; Amdt. 121– 
305, 69 FR 45942, July 30, 2004. Redesignated 
and amended by Amdt. 121–336, 72 FR 63412, 
Nov. 8, 2007; Docket FAA–2018–0119, Amdt. 
121–380, 83 FR 9173, Mar. 5, 2018] 

§ 121.1109 Supplemental inspections. 

(a) 

Applicability. 

Except as specified 

in paragraph (b) of this section, this 
section applies to transport category, 
turbine powered airplanes with a type 
certificate issued after January 1, 1958, 
that as a result of original type certifi-
cation or later increase in capacity 
have— 

(1) A maximum type certificated pas-

senger seating capacity of 30 or more; 
or 

(2) A maximum payload capacity of 

7,500 pounds or more. 

(b) 

Exception. 

This section does not 

apply to an airplane operated by a cer-
tificate holder under this part between 
any point within the State of Alaska 
and any other point within the State of 
Alaska. 

(c) 

General requirements. 

After Decem-

ber 20, 2010, a certificate holder may 
not operate an airplane under this part 
unless the following requirements have 
been met: 

(1) 

Baseline Structure. 

The certificate 

holder’s maintenance program for the 
airplane includes FAA-approved dam-
age-tolerance-based inspections and 
procedures for airplane structure sus-
ceptible to fatigue cracking that could 
contribute to a catastrophic failure. 
For the purpose of this section, this 
structure is termed ‘‘fatigue critical 
structure.’’ 

(2) 

Adverse effects of repairs, alter-

ations, and modifications. 

The mainte-

nance program for the airplane in-
cludes a means for addressing the ad-
verse effects repairs, alterations, and 
modifications may have on fatigue 
critical structure and on inspections 
required by paragraph (c)(1) of this sec-
tion. The means for addressing these 
adverse effects must be approved by 
the responsible Aircraft Certification 
Service office. 

(3) 

Changes to maintenance program. 

The changes made to the maintenance 
program required by paragraphs (c)(1)