Textron Service Notification Information
FAA Regulatory and Guidance Library Subscription
OSAC: Consignes de navigabilité urgentes (via formulaire AC145M)
You now have the airworthiness responsibility. You have written your Aircraft Maintenance Programme, based on the Aircraft Maintenance Manual, and the different updated documentations available. You plan to maintain your aircraft according to the Programme, until something new happens.
What can happen ?
During the life of the aircraft, the manufacturers (of the aircraft, of the propeller, of the engine, of the equipments, of the avionics…) may issue some informations related to the wear, or discovered defect, or new maintenance procedure, or new parts available, or update/upgrade available, or new software, or new recommended maintenance intervals etc..
All those new informations will be released via different kind of publications: Service Bulletin (SB or SEB), Service Information Letter (SIL), Service Letters (SL or SEL), Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness (ICA), Alert Service Bulletin (ASB), Service Newsletter (SNL).
All those publications will usually be completed with one of those mentions: Informational, Optional, Recommended, Mandatory. Whatever mention, none of the publications have to be applied to keep the aircraft airworthy. The mentions are only manufacturers appreciations.
Differently, when the authority identifies a safety issue, it can release an Airworthiness Directive (AD) based on a manufacturer publication. AD are absolutely mandatory, and must be applied within the given timeframe (immediately, or at the next service, or within the next 100hours…). Without the application of the AD, the aircraft will not be airworthy anymore.
Considering Cessna aircrafts, the manufacturer will incorporate the different publications in each revision of its Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) and Illustrated Parts Catalog (IPC).
Nevertheless, one has to monitor the publications releases. There are different sources to be used (found on the left of this page). To sum up, you have the newsletter from the manufacturer. A good thing is to subscribe, at least, for aircraft and engine makers’ newsletters. It will allow to receive all new SB/SEB/SIL/SL/ICA. Each time you receive them, you will update your records: sometime you are not concerned, sometime you decide not to apply, sometime you apply. All that has to be recorded so that your aircraft shows perfect follow-up.
Secondly, you have the official agencies (EASA and FAA, and also OSAC in France) which allow subscription to their database, so that you can be notified in case of a new Airworthiness Directive. In the same way, they will have to be kept listed up to date in the aircraft records.
Being responsible for airworthiness implies surveying publications related to the aircraft
Aeropages 