Accountable Manager?

Up until a few years ago, the old Part 145 rules did not identify any individual who was responsible for the actions of a repair station. This all changed when Part 145 was revised and made effective on Oct. 6, 2003, and the position of “accountable manager” was created. By definition: Accountable manager means the person designated by the certificated repair station who is responsible for and has the authority over all repair station operations that are conducted under Part 145, including ensuring that repair station personnel follow the regulations and serving as the primary contact with the FAA.

Sub-part D of the Part 145 rule section 145.151 says each repair station must designate an employee as an accountable manager. However, nowhere in the regulations does the rule identify the standards for the person who holds the wet paper bag of responsibility for the repair station. Nor does it require him or her to be certificated or trained in the work performed under the repair station’s ratings. At best, this person is left standing all alone on spongy, sopping wet ground. Without recurrent training this person has a standing invitation to fail.

So in an attempt to help the new person with water bubbling up around his shoes, and to shake up the old person who has been in the business so long and thinks recurrent training is for somebody else, I have created a 40 question self-evaluation, open-book test. This is with the hope that all the accountable managers out there might look into recurrent training for themselves.

Anybody who works in a repair station can take the test, but it is geared toward what I think the accountable manager needs to know from the regulation side of the street. After all, if he or she does not know the rules, how could he or she ensure that the rest of the repair station is following them? The answers to this test will be published on the AMT website. Good Luck.

1. What is the Code of Federal Regulations?
a. The law that established the Federal Aviation Administration
b. Legal name for the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR)
c. Where all 50 U.S. government regulatory titles are kept
d. Old name for the Civil Aeronautic Administration, Civil Air Rules

2. FAA Advisory Circulars are:
a. Mandatory requirements for all FAA certificated persons or agencies
b. Nonmandatory information regarding FAA rules and policy
c. Documents that establish policy for one year or less
d. Used to alert operators of proposed FAA rule changes

3. What does the word “section” mean in the FAR?
a. It is an individual rule
b. It is a special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR)
c. One of three parts of a rule: Policy, background, and legal justification
d. Largest part in the CARs

4. What is the legal meaning of “airworthy?”
a. Safe to fly
b. Meets all certification regulations and the logbooks are signed
c. Meets its type design or properly altered condition and is in a condition for safe operation
d. All AD and inspection requirements complied with and signed-off in the aircraft maintenance records

5. What is the most important certificate required to be in a U.S. registered aircraft?
a. Registration certificate
b. Airworthiness certificate
c. Radio license
d. Operating Manual/Placards
e. Weight and Balance form

6. What three parts of the FAR are listed on a standard U.S. Airworthiness Certificate?
a. Parts 1, 39, and 121
b. Parts 1, 43, and 91
c. Parts 43, 91, and 121
d. Parts 21, 43, and 91

7. What are Type Certificates issued to?
a. Engines, aircraft, and propellers
b. Aircraft, engines, propellers and appliances
c. Aircraft only
d. Aircraft, engines, propellers, appliances, and articles

8. How many “kinds” of FAA Field Approvals are there?
a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. Four

9. What is a PMA part?
a. FAA approved part for a specific make and model aircraft
b. FAA acceptable part for a specific make and model aircraft
c. Part used on production model aircraft weighing less than 12,500 pounds
d. Generic approved part used on many makes and models of aircraft