Industry glossary
Terms you will meet in the documents, systems and scenarios.
Approved maintenance data
The manufacturer's manuals, service bulletins, airworthiness directives and approved repair schemes that maintenance must be performed against.
Certificate of release to service
The signed statement by an authorised person that the maintenance has been completed correctly and the aircraft is fit to fly.
Airworthiness directive
A mandatory instruction from the regulator requiring inspection or modification to correct an unsafe condition on an aircraft type or component.
Independent inspection
A second check of a flight critical task by a different authorised person before the aircraft is released.
Deferred defect
A defect permitted by the approved data or minimum equipment list to remain open for a limited time with any stated operational limitation.
Authorised release certificate
The document from an approved organisation certifying that a part or component is airworthy and traceable.
Suspected unapproved part
A part whose documentation, origin or condition does not prove it was produced or maintained under an approval, which must be quarantined and reported.
Foreign object damage
Damage to an aircraft caused by a loose item such as a tool, fastener or debris left where it can be ingested or jam a system.
Just culture
A safety culture in which honest errors are reported without fear of blame while reckless conduct is not tolerated.
Maintenance error management
A structured program for investigating maintenance errors to find contributing factors and prevent recurrence.