Status: COMPLETED

Background

This safety enhancement helps reduce accidents related to improper maintenance by ensuring maintenance task difficulty data is collected and reported to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and proper maintenance is being performed to ensure aircraft systems continue to function as designed.

The Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) approved SE-170 to develop a voluntary process for improving communication between operators and OEMs on maintenance task difficulty. In particular, CAST was concerned that OEMs may develop maintenance tasks that could be physically difficult for operators to perform or verify the completion of, which could lead to degraded system safety over time.

Operators are encouraged to report maintenance task difficulties back to OEMs. OEMs are encouraged to monitor these service difficulties to verify that their design and procedural assumptions are acceptable, and to make improvements as necessary.