Under what condition should the operator of a suas establish scheduled maintenance protocol?

December 31, 2019 by narinder

1. Basic maintenance

• 1. sUAS maintenance includes scheduled and unscheduled overhaul, repair, inspection, modification, replacement, and system software upgrades of the sUAS and its components necessary for flight. Whenever possible, the operator should maintain the sUAS and its components in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. The aircraft manufacturer may provide the maintenance program, or, if one is not provided, the applicant may choose to develop one. See paragraph 7.3.5 for suggested benefits of recordkeeping.
  2. Scheduled maintenance. The sUAS manufacturer may provide documentation for scheduled maintenance of the entire UA and associated system equipment. There may be components of the sUAS that are identified by the manufacturer to undergo scheduled periodic maintenance or replacement based on time-in-service limits (such as flight hours, cycles, and/or the calendar-days). All manufacturer scheduled maintenance instructions should be followed in the interest of achieving the longest and safest service life of the sUAS.
  3. If there are no scheduled maintenance instructions provided by the sUAS manufacturer or component manufacturer, the operator should establish a scheduled maintenance protocol. This could be done by documenting any repair, modification, overhaul, or replacement of a system component resulting from normal flight operations, and recording the time-inservice for that component at the time of the maintenance procedure. Over time, the operator should then be able to establish a reliable maintenance schedule for the sUAS and its components.
  4. Unscheduled maintenance. During the course of a preflight inspection, the remote PIC may discover that an sUAS component is in need of servicing (such as lubrication), repair, modification, overhaul, or replacement outside of the scheduled maintenance period as a result of normal flight operations or resulting from a mishap. In addition, the sUAS manufacturer or component manufacture may require an unscheduled system software update to correct a problem. In the event such a condition is found, the remote PIC should not conduct flight operations until the discrepancy is corrected.

2. Pre-flight inspection

• 1. Before each flight, the remote PIC must inspect the sUAS to ensure that it is in a condition for safe operation, such as inspecting for equipment damage or malfunction(s). The preflight inspection should be conducted in accordance with the sUAS manufacturer’s inspection procedures when available (usually found in the manufacturer’s owner or maintenance manual) and/or an inspection procedure developed by the sUAS owner or operator.
  2. Creating an inspection program. As an option, the sUAS owner or operator may wish to create an inspection program for their UAS. The person creating an inspection program for a specific sUAS may find sufficient details to assist in the development of a suitable inspection program tailored to a specific sUAS in a variety of industry programs.
  3. Scalable preflight inspection. The preflight check as part of the inspection program should include an appropriate UAS preflight inspection that is scalable to the UAS, program, and operation to be performed prior to each flight. An appropriate preflight inspection should encompass the entire system in order to determine a continued condition for safe operation prior to flight.
  4. Title 14 CFR Part 43 Appendix D Guidelines. Another option and best practice may include the applicable portions of part 43 appendix D as an inspection guideline correlating to the UA only. Systemrelated equipment, such as, but not limited to, the CS, data link, payload, or support equipment, are not included in the list in appendix D. Therefore, these items should be included in a comprehensive inspection program for the UAS.
  5. Preflight inspection items. Even if the sUAS manufacturer has a written preflight inspection procedure, it is recommended that the remote PIC ensure that the following inspection items are incorporated into the preflight inspection procedure required by part 107 to help the remote PIC determine that the sUAS is in a condition for safe operation. The preflight inspection should include a visual or functional check of the following items:
     Visual condition inspection of the UAS components;
     Airframe structure (including undercarriage), all flight control surfaces, and linkages;
     Registration markings, for proper display and legibility;
     Moveable control surface(s), including airframe attachment point(s);
     Servo motor(s), including attachment point(s);
     Propulsion system, including power plant(s), propeller(s), rotor(s), ducted fan(s), etc.;
     Verify all systems (e.g., aircraft and control unit) have an adequate energy supply for the intended operation and are functioning properly;
     Avionics, including control link transceiver, communication/navigation equipment, and antenna(s);
     Calibrate UAS compass prior to any flight;
     Control link transceiver, communication/navigation data link transceiver, and antenna(s);
     Display panel, if used, is functioning properly;
     Check ground support equipment, including takeoff and landing systems, for proper operation;
     Check that control link correct functionality is established between the aircraft and the CS;
     Check for correct movement of control surfaces using the CS;
     Check onboard navigation and communication data links;
     Check flight termination system, if installed;
     Check fuel for correct type and quantity;
     Check battery levels for the aircraft and CS;
     Check that any equipment, such as a camera, is securely attached;
     Verify communication with UAS and that the UAS has acquired GPS location from at least four satellites;
     Start the UAS propellers to inspect for any imbalance or irregular operation;
     Verify all controller operation for heading and altitude;
     If required by flight path walk through, verify any noted obstructions that may interfere with the UAS; and
     At a controlled low altitude, fly within range of any interference and recheck all controls and stability.
  6. Techniques to mitigate mechanical failures of all elements used in sUAS operations such as the battery and or any devices used to operate the sUAS.
     a) In the interest of assisting varying background levels of sUAS knowledge and skill, below is a chart offering conditions that, if noticed during a preflight inspection or check, may support a determination that the UAS is not in a condition for safe operation. Further inspection to identify the scope of damage and extent of possible repair needed to remedy the unsafe condition may be necessary prior to flight.
     

4. Appropriate record keeping

• 1. Benefits of record keeping.
     sUAS owners and operators may find recordkeeping to be beneficial. This could be done by documenting any repair, modification, overhaul, or replacement of a system component resulting from normal flight operations, and recording the time-in-service for that component at the time of the maintenance procedure. Over time, the operator should then be able to establish a reliable maintenance schedule for the sUAS and its components. Recordkeeping that includes a record of all periodic inspections, maintenance, preventative maintenance, repairs, and alterations performed on the sUAS could be retrievable from either hardcopy and/or electronic logbook format for future reference. This includes all components of the sUAS, including: small UA, CS, launch and recovery equipment, C2 link equipment, payload, and any other components required to safely operate the sUAS. Recordkeeping of documented maintenance and inspection events reinforces owner/operator responsibilities for airworthiness through systematic condition for safe flight determinations. Maintenance and inspection recordkeeping provides retrievable empirical evidence of vital safety assessment data defining the condition of safety-critical systems and components supporting the decision to launch. Recordkeeping of an sUAS may provide essential safety support for commercial operators that may experience rapidly accumulated flight operational hours/cycles. Methodical maintenance and inspection data collection can prove to be very helpful in the tracking of sUAS component service life, as well as systemic component, equipage, and structural failure events.

5. Persons that may perform Maintenance on an sUAS

• 1. Performing maintenance. (1) In some instances, the sUAS or component manufacturer may require certain maintenance tasks be performed by the manufacturer or by a person or facility (personnel) specified by the manufacturer. It is highly recommended that the maintenance be performed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. However, if the operator decides not to use the manufacturer or personnel recommended by the manufacturer and is unable to perform the required maintenance, the operator should consider the expertise of maintenance personnel familiar with the specific sUAS and its components. In addition, though not required, the use of certificated maintenance providers are encouraged, which may include repair stations, holders of mechanic and repairman certificates, and persons working under the supervision of these mechanics and repairman. If the operator or other maintenance personnel are unable to repair, modify, or overhaul an sUAS or component back to its safe operational specification, then it is advisable to replace the sUAS or component with one that is in a condition for safe operation. It is important that all required maintenance be completed before each flight, and preferably in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions or, in lieu of that, within known industry best practices.

     In the interest of assisting varying background levels of sUAS knowledge and skill, below is a chart offering conditions that, if noticed during a preflight inspection or check, may support a determination that the UAS is not in a condition for safe operation. Further inspection to identify the scope of damage and extent of possible repair needed to remedy the unsafe condition may be necessary prior to flight.

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