industry forum safa programme - european … forum 2012 dgac... · ministère de l'Écologie,...

Ministère de l'Écologie, du Développement Durable et de l’Energie

Direction générale de l’Aviation civile

October 2012

Industry ForumSAFA Programme

KölnC. Donzel-Defigier

(French SAFA National Coordinator)

22Direction généralede l’Aviation civileIndustry Forum – October 2012

Missing fasteners limitations

IndustryIndustry ForumForum


Back to basics (I) : ICAO regulatory framework

ICAO requirements involving the pre-flight check / aircraft acceptance / defect notification :

A6-I-4.3.1(a)(c) : A flight shall not be commenced until flight preparation forms have been completed certifying that the pilot-in-command is satisfied that:a) the aeroplane is airworthy;c) a maintenance release as prescribed in 8.8 has been issued inrespect of the aeroplane;

A6-I-4.5.4 : The pilot-in-command shall be responsible for reporting all known or suspected defects in the aeroplane, to the operator, at the termination of the flight.

MissingMissing FastenersFasteners LimitationsLimitations


Back to basics (II) : EASA SAFA procedures

A SAFA finding is a deviation from an applicable SAFA standard :- Chicago Convention and ICAO Annexes,- ICAO Supplementary procedures (doc 7030),- Manufacturer’s standards,- Aircraft Certification standards. MEL / CDL / AMM / SRMMEL / CDL / AMM / SRM

A finding is a technical issue :- that has not been detected by the operator,- or that has not been properly addressed by the airline –among others during the turn around of the aircraft (pre-flight).

Clear distinction between a technical problem and a SAFA FindingClear distinction between a technical problem and a SAFA Finding




A ramp inspector does not create his/her own set of standards, he/she checks the correct implementation of standards and tolerances defined, among others, in the inspected airline’s own AMM/SRM.

MissingMissing FastenersFasteners LimitationsLimitationsBack to basics (II) : EASA SAFA procedures



Missing/loosefasteners

Back to basics (II) : EASA SAFA procedures



MissingMissing FastenersFasteners LimitationsLimitationsExample : a SANA inspection in France


Example : a SANA inspection in France



It creates lots of operational disruptions and delays considered by airlines as “unnecessary” (obtention of an NTO from the manufacturer or a design approved organisation)

This kind of situation (very restrictive limitations for dispatch set by the manufacturer), leads to lots of SAFA findings to be detected


Some airlines contacted Boeing to set dispatch limitations to cope with defects on missing screws (secondary structure)

Update of their SRM with dispatch conditions(more and more seen on the ramp)


Dispatch Conditions !!!



Missing screws on A320 family

Another example…



MissingMissing FastenersFasteners LimitationsLimitationsFrench DGAC opinion

E-mail fromthe DSAC

deputy directorto an airline

and a manufacturer,

January 2012


MissingMissing FastenersFasteners LimitationsLimitationsFrench DGAC opinion

E-mail fromthe DSAC

deputy directorto an airline

and a manufacturer,

January 2012

Manufacturers defined very restrictive dispatchconditions for some technical defects, including

missing/loose fasteners.

Airlines state that the verification of each of those items would be very time-consuming.

Moreover, those restrictive dispatch conditions are defined for items the manufacturer does not

require to be checked before each flight

Adequacy between aircraft acceptanceprocedures and dispatch conditions?

Contact the manufacturer to see if somedispatch conditions can be modified


GM V2 : new EASA rules for missing fasteners

GM V2 § 4.2

Missing/loose fasteners

Within limits

Remark (cat G)

for airline information

Outside limits

No dispatch conditions

PDF C01/ C03/ C07 Cat 3Fasteners or rivets loose or missing

outside SRM/AMM limits



GM V2 §4.1

No dispatch conditions

PDF C01/ C03/ C07 Cat 3Fasteners or rivets loose or missing

outside SRM/AMM limits

MissingMissing FastenersFasteners LimitationsLimitationsGM V2 : new EASA rules for missing fasteners


Thank you for yourattention


industry forum safa programme - european … forum 2012 dgac... · ministère de l'Écologie,...

Documents