Which is classified as a major repair?

Which is classified as a major repair?

• A. Installation of new engine mounts obtained from the aircraft manufacturer
• B. The splicing of skin sheets
• C. Replacement of fabric on fabric-covered parts
• D. Any repair of damaged stressed metal skin

Answer: (B)

A major repair is one that affects the aircraft’s structural strength or its load paths, requiring approved data and careful workmanship to restore airworthiness. The splicing of skin sheets fits this category because it directly changes the continuity and strength of the primary skin, which carries part of the airframe’s loads. Rejoining or stitching skin panels alters how the skin carries stress, so it demands proper materials, methods, and inspection to ensure the structure remains sound. The other options involve repairs that, while important, do not inherently alter the required structural continuity in the same way. Replacing fabric on fabric-covered parts is a fabric repair, typically treated as less critical to the metal skin’s structural integrity. Installing engine mounts from the manufacturer is a component replacement done per data and may be classified differently depending on the manual, and repairing damaged stressed metal skin would generally be considered major, but in this context the skin splice is the repair that clearly demonstrates restoring structural skin continuity as a major repair.

A major repair is one that affects the aircraft’s structural strength or its load paths, requiring approved data and careful workmanship to restore airworthiness. The splicing of skin sheets fits this category because it directly changes the continuity and strength of the primary skin, which carries part of the airframe’s loads. Rejoining or stitching skin panels alters how the skin carries stress, so it demands proper materials, methods, and inspection to ensure the structure remains sound.

The other options involve repairs that, while important, do not inherently alter the required structural continuity in the same way. Replacing fabric on fabric-covered parts is a fabric repair, typically treated as less critical to the metal skin’s structural integrity. Installing engine mounts from the manufacturer is a component replacement done per data and may be classified differently depending on the manual, and repairing damaged stressed metal skin would generally be considered major, but in this context the skin splice is the repair that clearly demonstrates restoring structural skin continuity as a major repair.