FAR 43.17 — Canadian Maintenance Authority
FAR 43.17 explains how certain Canadian licensed engineers and AMOs can perform and approve maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations on U.S. aircraft.
In Plain English
FAR 43.17 lets certain Canadian aviation professionals legally perform and sign off maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations on U.S.-registered aircraft and other U.S. aeronautical products while they're located in Canada. This matters anytime you fly your U.S. plane north of the border and need work done — you need to know who can legally return it to service.
Two categories of Canadian providers are authorized:
- A person holding a valid Transport Canada Civil Aviation Maintenance Engineer (AME) license with appropriate ratings.
- A Transport Canada Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) with appropriate ratings.
For the work to be valid, several conditions must be met:
- The technician must be authorized by Transport Canada to do the same work on Canadian products.
- The work must follow the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) and Maintenance Implementation Procedures between the U.S. and Canada.
- The product must still meet Part 36 noise requirements.
- The work must be properly recorded.
Key limits: an individual AME cannot approve a major repair or major alteration — only an approved AMO can, and only if the work used FAA-approved technical data. AMEs also cannot perform the annual inspection required under §91.409. Finally, no aircraft worked on under this rule may be operated in air commerce until it has been approved for return to service.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 43.17§ 43.17 Maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations performed on U.S. aeronautical products by certain Canadian persons.
(a)For purposes of this section:
means any civil aircraft or airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, component, or part to be installed thereon.
means any aeronautical product under airworthiness regulation by Transport Canada Civil Aviation.
means any aeronautical product under airworthiness regulation by the FAA.
(b)This section does not apply to any U.S. aeronautical products maintained or altered under any bilateral agreement made between Canada and any country other than the United States.
(c)(1) A person holding a valid Transport Canada Civil Aviation Maintenance Engineer license and appropriate ratings may, with respect to a U.S.-registered aircraft located in Canada, perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section and approve the affected aircraft for return to service in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section.
(2) A Transport Canada Civil Aviation Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) holding appropriate ratings may, with respect to a U.S.-registered aircraft or other U.S. aeronautical products located in Canada, perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section and approve the affected products for return to service in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section.
(d)A person authorized in paragraph (c) of this section may perform maintenance (including any inspection required by Sec. 91.409 of this chapter, except an annual inspection), preventive maintenance, and alterations, provided—
(1) The person performing the work is authorized by Transport Canada Civil Aviation to perform the same type of work with respect to Canadian aeronautical products;
(2) The maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration is performed in accordance with a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the United States and Canada and associated Maintenance Implementation Procedures that provide a level of safety equivalent to that provided by the provisions of this chapter;
(3) The maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration is performed such that the affected product complies with the applicable requirements of part 36 of this chapter; and
(4) The maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration is recorded in accordance with a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the United States and Canada and associated Maintenance Implementation Procedures that provide a level of safety equivalent to that provided by the provisions of this chapter.
(e)(1) To return an affected product to service, a person authorized in paragraph (c) of this section must approve (certify) maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations performed under this section, except that an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer may not approve a major repair or major alteration.
(2) An AMO whose system of quality control for the maintenance, preventive maintenance, alteration, and inspection of aeronautical products has been approved by Transport Canada Civil Aviation, or an authorized employee performing work for such an AMO, may approve (certify) a major repair or major alteration performed under this section if the work was performed in accordance with technical data approved by the FAA.
(f) No person may operate in air commerce an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance on which maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration has been performed under this section unless it has been approved for return to service by a person authorized in this section.
[Amdt. 43-33, 56 FR 57571, Nov. 12, 1991, as amended by Amdt. 43-40, 71 FR 40877, July 14, 2005]
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1If your U.S.-registered airplane needs maintenance while you're in Canada, who is authorized to perform it and return it to service?
Per FAR 43.17, either a Transport Canada Civil Aviation licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer with appropriate ratings, or a Transport Canada Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) with appropriate ratings, may perform the work and approve the aircraft for return to service.
Q2Can a Canadian Aircraft Maintenance Engineer sign off a major repair or major alteration on your U.S.-registered aircraft?
No. Under FAR 43.17(e), an individual AME may not approve a major repair or major alteration; only an approved Canadian AMO may do so, and only if the work was performed in accordance with FAA-approved technical data.
Q3Can a Canadian AME perform the annual inspection required by §91.409 on your U.S.-registered aircraft?
No. FAR 43.17(d) specifically excludes the annual inspection from the inspections a Canadian-authorized person may perform under this section, even though other §91.409 inspections are permitted.
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Related Sections in Part 43