• Early air carrier maintenance programs were
based on the belief that each part of an aircraft
required disassembly for inspection.
• Time limitations were established for servicing,
checks and inspections and the entire aircraft
was disassembled.
• This process is known as “HARD TIME”
• Industry grew and matured.
• A second primary maintenance process was
developed called “ON-CONDITION”
• A component’s airworthiness can be
determined by scheduled inspection; such as
visual, measurement or other tests that does
not require disassembly.
• This new method was called “reliability
control”
• “Reliability Control” is a system that monitors
and maintains component “failure rates” below
a predetermined value.
• Components and systems that were not
assigned a primary maintenance process.
• ..of either “Hard Time” (HT) or “On-
Condition” (OC) were assigned a primary
maintenance process called “Condition
Monitoring” (CM)
• A component or system maintained under CM
has no scheduled servicing or inspection to
determine the airworthiness of the item.
• Each operator is different.
• The operator’s operational environment
will be reflected in his reliability
program.
• There are four (4) general categories of an
operator’s maintenance program.
• “Systems/components”
• “Powerplants/components”
• “Aircraft/engine Checks And Inspections”
• “Structural Inspection/overhaul”
• All four groups can be controlled by a
composite program or each may be handled
separately.
• For example: the basic engine may be
maintained on “HT” and the the engine
accessories may be controlled by “OC” or the
entire engine may be on “HT”
• Hard-Time (HT)
• On-Condition (OC)
• Condition-Monitoring (CM)
• A preventive • It may require that
maintenance process the unit be
• It requires that a withdrawn from
part be overhauled in service and scrapped,
accordance with a e.g. landing gear
predetermined casting with a life of
period of time, e.g. 10 years
2000 hours.
• A preventive • The purpose of the
maintenance process standard is to
• It requires that a remove the part from
part be periodically service, before
inspected or checked failure, during
against a standard to normal operation
determine whether it occurs.
can stay in service. • MSG 1
• A maintenance • The part or
process where the component is allowed
part or component is to fail.
not being maintained • The failure rate is
by HT or OC. monitored by
statistical analysis.
• MSG 2
• Complex multicell units may be subject to control by
two or three of the primary processes.
• The predominant process will determine its
classification.
• E.g the B747 Modular Package -[Link]. has CM
assigned as the primary maintenance process, but a
leak check is carried out under OC.
• Programs that control engine major overhauls
consider the engine as a hard time unit.
• Whereas, engine sub-assemblies may be
maintained to a “conditional standard” known
as “soft time” or “threshold time”.
Is an On-Condition task to detect
potential failures both applicable and effective?
Yes No
Is a rework task to reduce the failure
rate both applicable and effective?
Yes No
Is a discard task to avoid failures or
reduce the failure rate both applicable and effective?
Yes no
Discard task No scheduled maintenance
SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
• DATA COLLECTION
• DATA ANALYSIS
• CORRECTIVE ACTION
• PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
• DATA DISPLAY AND REPORT
• MAINTENANCE INTERVAL AND
PROCESS CHANGE
• PROGRAM REVISION
• The system must include a specific flow
of information; identity of data sources,
and procedures for the transmission of
data.
• Responsible persons must be
identified in the organization for each
step.
• Pilot reports • Confirmed failures
• Inflight engine • Functional checks
performance data • Bench checks
• Mechanical delays • Shop findings
• Engine shutdowns • Sampling Inpt.
• Unscheduled • Inspection info
removals • SDR
BASICS OF ANALYSIS
BASIC LOGIC
DATA COLLECTION
• Data analysis is the process of evaluating
mechanical performance data to identify
characteristics indicating a need for program
change etc.
• The initial step is to compare the data to a
standard representing acceptable performance.
• The standard may be a running average,
graphs, charts etc. of any means of depicting a
“norm”
• Alert type programs.
• A performance measurement expressed
numerically in terms of PIREPS, component
failures etc.
• The system uses control limits or alert values
based on accepted statistical methods eg.
Standard deviation
• The standard must be adjustable to meet
seasonal changes etc.
• Non alert type programs
• Data is compiled and used as a basis for
analysis eg. flight log review, engine monitoring
reports, incident reports, component analysis
etc.
• The number and types of information must be
sufficient to provide a basis of analysis
equivalent to the statistical standards program.
• The objective of data analysis is: a) recognize
the need for corrective action, b) establish what
corrective action is needed and c) determine the
effectiveness of that action.
• Corrective Action: The actions taken must
reflect the analysis and be positive enough to
restore performance to an acceptable level in a
reasonable time.
PIREPS
Rate/1000 flight hours
01/1/00 02/1/00 03/1/00 04/1/00 05/1/00 06/1/00 07/1/00 08/1/00 09/1/00 10/1/00 11/1/00 12/1/00 13/1/00 14/1/00 15/1/00 16/1/00
Date
• PIREPS Rate =
• Total PIREPS x 1000
Total Flying Hours Plot Data
eg: ATA 49, August =
34 x 1000
773 (TFH)
= 43.98
Alert level :X +12 S X = Mean.
2
S = St andard deviat ion .
X 2
X
S = n = Number readings
n 1
Example calculat ion.
Component –DC-9 Transmit t er, Engine Oil Pressure
Premat ure removals , - 1,2,1,2,1,3,0 ,2,0 ,1,3,1. = 17 each
Previous 12 mont hs.
X 17
= 12 = 1.41
X X
X X - ( X - )2
1 -0 .41 0 .17
2 0 .59 0 .35
1 -0 .41 0 .17
2 0 .59 0 .35
1 -0 .41 0 .17
3 1.59 2.53
0 -1.41 1.99
2 0 .59 0 .35
0 -1.41 1.99
1 0 .41 0 .17
3 1.59 2.53
1 -0 .41 0 .17
= 10 .94.
10.94
S = = 1 ( very nearly )
11
Alert Level = 1.41 + 2,5 x 1 = 3.91 Use 4.
