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515 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 135.431 

part of its manual containing mainte-
nance information and instructions, in 
whole or in part, in printed form or 
other form, acceptable to the Adminis-
trator, that is retrievable in the 
English language. 

[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978, as 
amended by Amdt. 135–66, 62 FR 13257, Mar. 
19, 1997; 69 FR 18472, Apr. 8, 2004; Amdt. 135– 
118, 74 FR 38522, Aug. 4, 2009; Docket FAA– 
2011–1136, Amdt. 135–132, 80 FR 11547, Mar. 4, 
2015] 

§ 135.429 Required inspection per-

sonnel. 

(a) No person may use any person to 

perform required inspections unless the 
person performing the inspection is ap-
propriately certificated, properly 
trained, qualified, and authorized to do 
so. 

(b) No person may allow any person 

to perform a required inspection un-
less, at the time, the person performing 
that inspection is under the super-
vision and control of an inspection 
unit. 

(c) No person may perform a required 

inspection if that person performed the 
item of work required to be inspected. 

(d) In the case of rotorcraft that op-

erate in remote areas or sites, the Ad-
ministrator may approve procedures 
for the performance of required inspec-
tion items by a pilot when no other 
qualified person is available, pro-
vided— 

(1) The pilot is employed by the cer-

tificate holder; 

(2) It can be shown to the satisfaction 

of the Administrator that each pilot 
authorized to perform required inspec-
tions is properly trained and qualified; 

(3) The required inspection is a result 

of a mechanical interruption and is not 
a part of a certificate holder’s contin-
uous airworthiness maintenance pro-
gram; 

(4) Each item is inspected after each 

flight until the item has been inspected 
by an appropriately certificated me-
chanic other than the one who origi-
nally performed the item of work; and 

(5) Each item of work that is a re-

quired inspection item that is part of 
the flight control system shall be flight 
tested and reinspected before the air-
craft is approved for return to service. 

(e) Each certificate holder shall 

maintain, or shall determine that each 
person with whom it arranges to per-
form its required inspections main-
tains, a current listing of persons who 
have been trained, qualified, and au-
thorized to conduct required inspec-
tions. The persons must be identified 
by name, occupational title and the in-
spections that they are authorized to 
perform. The certificate holder (or per-
son with whom it arranges to perform 
its required inspections) shall give 
written information to each person so 
authorized, describing the extent of 
that person’s responsibilities, authori-
ties, and inspectional limitations. The 
list shall be made available for inspec-
tion by the Administrator upon re-
quest. 

[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978, as 
amended by Amdt. 135–20, 51 FR 40710, Nov. 7, 
1986] 

§ 135.431 Continuing analysis and sur-

veillance. 

(a) Each certificate holder shall es-

tablish and maintain a system for the 
continuing analysis and surveillance of 
the performance and effectiveness of 
its inspection program and the pro-
gram covering other maintenance, pre-
ventive maintenance, and alterations 
and for the correction of any deficiency 
in those programs, regardless of wheth-
er those programs are carried out by 
the certificate holder or by another 
person. 

(b) Whenever the Administrator finds 

that either or both of the programs de-
scribed in paragraph (a) of this section 
does not contain adequate procedures 
and standards to meet this part, the 
certificate holder shall, after notifica-
tion by the Administrator, make 
changes in those programs requested 
by the Administrator. 

(c) A certificate holder may petition 

the Administrator to reconsider the 
notice to make a change in a program. 
The petition must be filed with the re-
sponsible Flight Standards office with-
in 30 days after the certificate holder 
receives the notice. Except in the case 
of an emergency requiring immediate 
action in the interest of safety, the fil-
ing of the petition stays the notice