Who is responsible for making the entry in the maintenance records after an annual, 100 hour, or progressive inspection?

Who is responsible for making the entry in the maintenance records after an annual, 100 hour, or progressive inspection?

• A. The person approving or disapproving for return to service
• B. The aircraft owner
• C. The pilot-in-command
• D. The mechanic who performed the work

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that the official maintenance records entry and the airworthiness decision come from the person who approves the aircraft for return to service after the inspection. After an annual, 100-hour, or progressive inspection, the person authorized to determine that the aircraft is airworthy must make the record entry. This entry describes the work performed, notes the date or time in service, and states that the aircraft is approved (or not approved) for return to service, including the approver’s certificate number. This responsible role is what lends formal accountability to the sign-off. The person who performs the inspection or maintenance may document what was done, but the final, legally binding entry indicating the aircraft can return to service is made by the person approving that return. The aircraft owner and the pilot-in-command do not ordinarily sign off on the maintenance record as the authority for airworthiness. The mechanic who performed the work may contribute to the documentation, but the approval-for-return-to-service signature is the official entry in the records.

The key idea is that the official maintenance records entry and the airworthiness decision come from the person who approves the aircraft for return to service after the inspection. After an annual, 100-hour, or progressive inspection, the person authorized to determine that the aircraft is airworthy must make the record entry. This entry describes the work performed, notes the date or time in service, and states that the aircraft is approved (or not approved) for return to service, including the approver’s certificate number.

This responsible role is what lends formal accountability to the sign-off. The person who performs the inspection or maintenance may document what was done, but the final, legally binding entry indicating the aircraft can return to service is made by the person approving that return. The aircraft owner and the pilot-in-command do not ordinarily sign off on the maintenance record as the authority for airworthiness. The mechanic who performed the work may contribute to the documentation, but the approval-for-return-to-service signature is the official entry in the records.