How should an IA respond to incomplete or missing maintenance records?

How should an IA respond to incomplete or missing maintenance records?

• A. Sign off as airworthy; locate records after flight.
• B. Do not sign off as airworthy; locate or reconstruct records or obtain proper approvals before flight.
• C. Ignore the missing records if the aircraft appears safe.
• D. Request verbal confirmation from the operator before flight.

Answer: (B)

The requirement is that an aircraft can be deemed airworthy only if its maintenance history is complete and properly documented. You, as an IA, must verify that all required maintenance, inspections, and AD compliance have actually been performed and recorded. When records are incomplete or missing, you cannot sign off as airworthy because you can’t establish that the aircraft meets all maintenance and airworthiness requirements. The correct approach is to take steps to locate, reconstruct, or obtain the proper approvals before flight. This means tracking down records from the operator, previous owners, or maintenance providers, and, if necessary, reconstructing the maintenance history or having appropriate documented approvals for continued airworthiness. Only after you have confidence that the maintenance history is complete and compliant should you certify airworthiness for flight. Verbal confirmation or proceeding without documentation is not acceptable, and ignoring missing records is unsafe and illegal. If the records cannot be secured or adequately reconstructed, the flight should be postponed until proper documentation is established.

The requirement is that an aircraft can be deemed airworthy only if its maintenance history is complete and properly documented. You, as an IA, must verify that all required maintenance, inspections, and AD compliance have actually been performed and recorded. When records are incomplete or missing, you cannot sign off as airworthy because you can’t establish that the aircraft meets all maintenance and airworthiness requirements.

The correct approach is to take steps to locate, reconstruct, or obtain the proper approvals before flight. This means tracking down records from the operator, previous owners, or maintenance providers, and, if necessary, reconstructing the maintenance history or having appropriate documented approvals for continued airworthiness. Only after you have confidence that the maintenance history is complete and compliant should you certify airworthiness for flight.

Verbal confirmation or proceeding without documentation is not acceptable, and ignoring missing records is unsafe and illegal. If the records cannot be secured or adequately reconstructed, the flight should be postponed until proper documentation is established.