§ 145.45 - Inspection systems.

(a) An applicant for a repair station certificate, and rating or for an additional rating, must have an inspection system that will produce satisfactory quality control and conform to paragraphs (b) to (f) of this section.

(b) The applicant's inspection personnel must be thoroughly familiar with all inspection methods, techniques, and equipment used in their specialty to determine the quality or airworthiness of an article being maintained or altered. In addition, they must—

(1) Maintain proficiency in using various inspection aids intended for that purpose;

(2) Have available and understand current specifications involving inspection tolerances, limitations, and procedures established by the manufacturer of the product being inspected and with other forms of inspection information such as FAA airworthiness di- rectives and bulletins; and

(3) In cases where magnetic, fluorescent, or other forms of mechanical inspection devices are to be used, be skilled in operating that equipment and be able to properly interpret defects indicated by it.

(c) The applicant must provide a satisfactory method of inspecting incoming material to insure that, before it is placed in stock for use in an aircraft or part thereof, it is in a good state of preservation and is free from apparent defects or malfunctions.

(d) The applicant must provide a system of preliminary inspection of all articles he maintains to determine the state of preservation or defects. He shall enter the results of each inspection on an appropriate form supplied by it and keep the form with the article until it is released to service.

(e) The applicant must provide a system so that before working on any airframe, powerplant, or part thereof that has been involved in an accident, it will be inspected thoroughly for hidden damage, including the areas next to the obviously damaged parts. He shall enter the results of this inspection on the inspection form required by paragraph (d) of this section.

(f) At the time he applies for a repair station certificate, the applicant must provide a manual containing inspection procedures, and thereafter maintain it in current condition at all times. The manual must explain the internal inspection system of the repair station in a manner easily understood by any employee of the station. It must state in detail the inspection requirements in paragraphs (a) to (e) of this section, and the repair station's inspection system including the continuity of inspection responsibility, samples of inspection forms, and the method of executing them. The manual must refer whenever necessary to the manufacturer's inspection standards for the maintenance of the particular article. The repair station must give a copy of the manual to each of its supervisory and inspection personnel and make it available to its other personnel. The repair station is responsible for seeing that all supervisory and inspection personnel thoroughly understand the manual.