FAA AIM 6-1-1
Pilot Responsibility and Authority
- The pilot-in-command of an aircraft is directly responsible for and is the final authority as to the operation of that aircraft.
Don’t kid yourself; even on a CAVU day, flying is a dangerous undertaking. And it can be even more so during that first flight after any maintenance or inspection.
According to a report by the NTSB, over a 10-year period, there were over 1,470 accidents (7.1 percent of the total) where a “maintenance-related” error was found to be the primary cause. (While the report doesn’t say, we’ll assume that these accidents happened either on that first post-maintenance flight or shortly after that).
The report went on to say that, among those, “installation errors” were the most common causes, followed by “maintenance,” “maintenance inspection,” “annual inspection,” and “service of aircraft.”
While there are no statistics to support the following, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that a number of these accidents could have been avoided had the aircraft’s pilot taken the time to perform a thorough post-maintenance pre-flight, especially for those accidents that were caused by improperly installed flight controls—13 percent of the total.
But wait. If the work was performed by a licensed FAA technician, how can so many of these types of accidents happen? While there is a plethora of reasons why A&Ps (and all humans, for that matter) make mistakes, the bottom line is that, as the “Pilot-In-Command,” you carry the ultimate responsibility for the airworthiness and safety of the airplane.
That’s why, no matter how “minor” an inspection or maintenance task seems on paper, a thorough post-maintenance pre-flight inspection should be every pilot’s SOP.
“The first thing I do before I get in an airplane that has had any maintenance done on it is to verify what work has been performed,” said Chris Bishop, Director of Flight Operations for the Blackhawk Group. “I will talk to the mechanic and ask specifically what they did and what other parts or systems were removed and reinstalled to accommodate that work?”
“For example, if any of the flight control surfaces were removed, I want to verify their installation and correct movement,” he continued. “I check the manual and electric trim tab travel. This is not only for the correct direction and full deflection but also for the cockpit indicator to be correct. I’ve found instances where the movement is correct, but the cockpit indicator had been installed upside down.”
Upside-down indicators or incorrectly operating ailerons may seem like obvious things to catch, but we are dumbfounded when we hear a story about some pilot who didn’t notice the “obvious” until it was too late.
Start with knowing what you need to know.
David Campbell, the Blackhawk Group’s Director of Service for their AVEX Performance Center, said that the first step in doing a thorough post-maintenance pre-flight is “assuming that things may not be the way you expect them to be.”
“In your normal operations, you are usually the last person to ‘touch’ the airplane after a flight. That’s not how it is after any maintenance, and many people have had their hands on the airplane,” he said. “It’s very important for the owner/pilot to have complete clarity between themselves and the MRO before and during the maintenance visit. You need to know exactly what has been done to the airplane so you know what you need to look at.”
Campbell added that it’s also an excellent idea to pay extra close attention to how the airplane “feels” before any maintenance or inspections are done. Take notes on all the
temperatures and pressures, fuel flows, autopilot functionality, etc. It may help to take photos of the panel during the cruise flight to help remind yourself.
“In our MRO operations, we recognize that any owner-supplied squawks are insights into the aircraft’s operations, and those are key,” explained the Blackhawk Group’s VP of Operations, David Zaworski. “We have a process for recording these items and then to check on them during the maintenance process and provide ongoing feedback to the aircraft owner.”
“Keeping that communications loop open as the work progresses is key. Then we close it when we talk the owner through all those specific points during the aircraft’s delivery,” he added. “The information puts them in the right mindset of what they need to check during the delivery flight, which sets them up for success.”
But, while having the MRO provider take the lead on telling you what is happening and why, don’t lose sight of the fact that as the aircraft’s PIC, you have final responsibility. So, if, for some reason, your MRO isn’t proactive in their communications, then you need to take the lead.
“From the original quote to how the squawks are being addressed, the owner should be very inquisitive and curious about what work is being done,” Campbell said. “They need to ask who is doing the work, what are the processes for FAA compliance, and confirm that the latest version of the aircraft’s maintenance manual is being used. Don’t take anything for granted.”
“If for any reason you feel that the shop doesn’t have the level of oversight you want or won’t allow you to talk to the mechanic doing the work, then find another shop,” he continued. “It’s all part of the overall post-maintenance safety network. There are a lot of layers to it, and having everyone on the same page is at the center of it all.”
Speaking of asking questions, it’s critical that if you don’t fully understand what anyone is telling you about any part of the project, you ask for clarification and don’t stop asking until you get a satisfactory answer. Our experts all agreed that this is no time to let your “right stuff” ego get in the way.
Bishop also explained that to help keep everything and everyone on track, the Blackhawk Group uses the aircraft OEM’s post-maintenance test flight checklist as its guideline document. Since it’s located in your aircraft’s manual, you familiarize yourself with what it covers while the aircraft is in the shop.
“It goes through every system in the airplane, so when we hand it back to the owner, they are not the first to fly the airplane after maintenance,” he said. “Whereas some other shops may not follow the published checklist. They may only check to confirm the specific repair and then send the owner off with the airplane.”
Make sure time is on your side.
One key point that everyone from the Blackhawk Group stressed was the need for the pilot to have plenty of time set aside to do the required pre-flight.
“I’ve heard that you are 11 times more likely to overlook something that’s part of your SOP if you are rushed during any part of the process,” Bishop said. “The first post-maintenance flight is much too important to skip on even the smallest detail. You can’t just grab the airplane and go.”
Too true that. There are plenty of post-accident stories where the central theme is the “pilot was in a hurry to get going.”
“State of mind is critical during this phase,” Zaworski added. “Pilots also have to take a look at their own level of currency or fitness for this important flight. I think it’s a very good idea to review the FAA’s IAMSAFE program before the flight.”
The FAA’s PAVE (Pilot, Aircraft, Environment, External Pressures) and IAMSAFE (Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion) acronyms are personal safety checklists designed to help pilots assess their own well-being and determine whether they can uphold the FAA’s aeronautical decision-making standards and regulations.
Safety experts say that taking the time to access each of the individual components of these acronyms will give pilots a chance to acknowledge and address any areas where they may be challenged before their next flight.
Now that you have a “checklist” for your flight readiness, don’t overlook the importance of using the OEM’s checklist – you remember the one you followed so diligently during your training days and probably don’t use it too often today.
“I rarely see anyone walking around their airplane with the checklist in their hand,” he continued. “This is the ideal time to do just that. You may be overlooking things that you haven’t even bothered to look at for a long time.”
Don’t fall into that “it was fine the last time I looked” trap. As was mentioned earlier, many other people have had their hands and tools on your airplane since you last flew it. It’s literally your first flight in a “different” airplane.
“It’s also very important to eliminate distractions during your pre-flight,” Zaworski stated. “Every experienced pilot I’ve worked with has a personal minimum about being distracted during their pre-flight. If they’re interrupted, they will go back and start that section over. It’s kept them safe and well.”
If you’re not totally confident that the published checklist will help identify any possible discrepancies during your walk around, ask the A&P who did the work to show you the specific areas that were worked on.
Please put your hands on panels, antennas, and controls to make sure they’re attached properly. It’s better to have something come off in your hand than during the takeoff roll.
Take a good look at your new avionics displays.
While it’s easy to understand the importance of a thorough post-maintenance pre-flight after any airframe or engine work, many pilots don’t appreciate the same need after instrument or avionics work, especially if it’s just installing new displays, radios, or electronic engine instruments.
You can’t perform an adequate preflight if you don’t know how your new systems are supposed to perform. How else will you know if everything is operating as advertised?
You have to know what you are testing and why. Pilots need to take the initiative to educate themselves on whatever equipment they are paying a rather large sum of money for the shop to install.
Most major avionics manufacturers offer very comprehensive training programs on their products. For example, Garmin’s online training offerings are only second to their in-person courses, and they are excellent. (I’ve taken several of them myself more than once and have learned more than I thought possible each time.)
While watching videos or completing other online training is highly recommended, you can still learn a heck of a lot by just reading the unit’s POH. Along with being your “on-demand” refresher tool, it offers other benefits.
“The other thing that’s important about reading the POH is that it can often prompt the pilot to ask specific questions of the installers about how that unit should interact with the other equipment in their panel,” explained Mark Lee, President and CEO of Forge FlightWorks. “Again, you won’t know if the unit is operating correctly unless you clearly understand how it is meant to work.”
He went on to stress that an in-depth preflight is the time to make sure that you’re getting all of the new features you are paying for. Today’s avionics have a lot of features and capabilities that have to be activated during installation. It’s not that uncommon for something to get overlooked. Now’s the time to confirm everything is as it should be.
Also, while it’s pretty rare today, in some installations where the shop is integrating new digital equipment with some legacy analog instruments, the pilot may have to flip a toggle switch to select one input or another.
You need to know what’s controlling what and that all required placards are in the right place.
Don’t be the weak link in your safety chain.
If it’s not painfully obvious to you by now, your next post-maintenance pre-flight needs to be highly detailed. If you expect you can plop yourself in the left seat, hit the master switch, and expect everything to work in total harmony, well, you may be in for a rude awakening.
“How do you, as PIC, ascertain the airworthiness of your aircraft,” Campbell asked. “If you go into every pre-flight situation asking and thoughtfully answering that question, you can’t go wrong.”
