IA: Weight & Balance, Equipment List, Record Review

J

Justin DeStories

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DeStoriesAir
Hi,
I have a more technical question in regards to a general aircraft annual inspection performed by an IA and the Weight and Balance / Records Review.

Let's say a customer brings there rotorcraft for an annual inspection. The IA will be performing the maintenance and signing out under Part 65 and not Part 145 repair station.

The aircraft is re-weighed on electronic weight scales and a new Basic empty weight of the aircraft is found.

*Is the IA required to give the customer the equipment configuration of the aircraft as weighed?
Or can he just provide the customer the new empty weight and balance record and it is up to the owner/operator to update there Chart A/Equipment List/verify installed/removed equipment?
*What if during the records review primarily of the Chart A/equipment list, some discrepancies are found. Is it the requirements of the IA to correct the Chart A? Or does the IA just inform the owner of the discrepancies and it is there responsibility?

The big thing is, if the IA finds errors in the Chart A, and he legally does not need to update it, and the owner does not update it even after they have been informed, how can an accurate running total of the aircraft weight and balance be accurate?

*Example: The Chart A lists 2 transponders in the aircraft, but after getting the Chart A from the owner, it is found that only 1 transponder is actually in the aircraft and no records of the other transponder ever being removed is listed. Now when the IA does the re-weighing of the aircraft, adds the new empty weight and balance of the aircraft in the Chart A, there will become a discrepancy when the operator finally decides to update there Chart A with the entry of the removal of the transponder that was not actually in the aircraft AFTER the aircraft had been re-weighed (the transponder was technically not installed at the time of the aircraft weighing).

I hope this paints a picture to where an answer can be derived.....looking for a more legal interpretation.
Thank you in advance.
Jusitn
 
I know of no regulation that requires the mechanic to provide an equipment list with a weight and balance. I've also never seen a mechanic verify an equipment list when weighing an airplane.

If there is no record of the second transponder being removed, falsifying the logs to show an installation and removal that was never done isn't the way to correct it.
 
Therefore no aircraft current configuration of what was installed in the aircraft at time of weighing is legally required.
Thanks
 
There is no requirement to update the Equipment list when the weight and balance is completed, but the good guys will.
 
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service manual will show how to weigh, points of weigh usually 3 or 4 and a way to calculate W+B
 
Stewartb said:
How can you establish an aircraft W&B without an accurate equipment list that itemizes installed equipment? Seriously?
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With scales and math.

No, it doesn't meet the intent, but sometimes it's the best option.
 
If you re-weigh the aircraft with electronic scales you will get an accurate weight at each arm and then be able to obtain an empty weight and CG. the mechanic/IA is only responsible for providing the owner/operator the empty weight and CG. The owner operator is required for maintaining the equipment list, CG and weight distribution computations, and loading schedules (per FAA-G-8082-19, page 16).
If a owner only asks for the weight and CG based of the weighing then that is all that is required by the mechanic. If the owner wants the mechanic to update the equipment list during the time of weighing then that is acceptable, correct?
 
I don't know in general but not providing an accurate equipment list will make my aircraft (and most car 3) unairworthy. The type certificate specifically requires it.
 
flyingron said:
I don't know in general but not providing an accurate equipment list will make my aircraft (and most car 3) unairworthy. The type certificate specifically requires it.
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flyingron: the owner/operator is supposed to provide the accurate equipment list for their aircraft, not the mechanic correct? I am looking to see who is required to update/verify the aircraft equipment list "legally". Does the mechanic just supply the new weighing record to the owner/operator for them to update there records.
 
Incorrect. Why would the owner operator provide it? It has to be updated as with any other maintenance record. Nothing in Part 43 App A(c) makes preparing aircraft required documents owner PM.
 
Equipment Lists are supposed to be updated during the removal/installation of equipment, not years later because now the aircraft is being weighed...
 
bnt83 said:
Equipment Lists are supposed to be updated during the removal/installation of equipment, not years later because now the aircraft is being weighed...
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Correct, but if you're weighing the aircraft and don't start with an up-to-date equipment list, one might ask, why on earth are you doing it? The CG/empty weight is meaningless without it.

This reminds me of the days I used to work as a NASCAR official. The race had just completed and an official was putting the leaders on the scales. The guy in charge asks the man on the scales if he knows how much the cars are supposed to weight. The scale man says no. I told the guy in charge to ask him why he was weighing it then.
 
flyingron said:
Correct, but if you're weighing the aircraft and don't start with an up-to-date equipment list, one might ask, why on earth are you doing it? The CG/empty weight is meaningless without it.

This reminds me of the days I used to work as a NASCAR official. The race had just completed and an official was putting the leaders on the scales. The guy in charge asks the man on the scales if he knows how much the cars are supposed to weight. The scale man says no. I told the guy in charge to ask him why he was weighing it then.
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If the ship comes in for a weigh with bad paperwork then there are two options

#1 Time & Materials change order to correct it.
#2 Customer provides a corrected one.
 
Good timing. We're weighing an MD-10 today. We have a checklist of items that are variable, other than that, a logbook review for deferral items that may be removed, is accomplished.
 
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flyingron said:
I don't know in general but not providing an accurate equipment list will make my aircraft (and most car 3) unairworthy. The type certificate specifically requires it.
Click to expand...
The Maule TCDS only requires a current equipment list at the time of original certification:

Current weight and balance report including list of equipment included in certificated empty weight, and loading instructions when necessary, must be provided for each aircraft at the time of original certification.
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