FAR 91.419 — Maintenance Records Transfer

FAR 91.419 governs what happens to an aircraft's maintenance records when a U.S.-registered aircraft changes hands. When you sell an aircraft, you must transfer specific records to the buyer at the time of sale. The records can be in plain language or coded form — the purchaser chooses, as long as any coded format is acceptable to the Administrator.

The records that must be transferred are:

• § 91.417(a)(2) records — the permanent records (total time in service of the airframe/engines/propellers/rotors, current status of life-limited parts, time since last overhaul, current inspection status, current AD compliance, and copies of major alteration forms).
• § 91.417(a)(1) records not already included above — the maintenance/alteration/inspection history. The purchaser may permit the seller to keep physical custody of these, but custody does not relieve the new owner of the duty under § 91.417(c) to produce them for the FAA or NTSB.

Why it matters: as a future aircraft owner or renter pilot, complete records prove airworthiness, AD compliance, and resale value. Missing records can ground the airplane.