FAA Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX)RegulationsHard
An aircraft owner sells an aircraft and must transfer maintenance records to the new owner. According to 14 CFR 91.417, which records must be retained and transferred with the aircraft indefinitely, rather than only for one year?
- ARecords showing total time in service of the airframe, engines, propellers, and rotors
- BRecords of routine oil changes performed by the pilot-owner
- CRecords of the last annual inspection only
- DCopies of all work orders issued to the maintenance shop
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Records showing total time in service of the airframe, engines, propellers, and rotors
14 CFR 91.417(a)(2) requires records showing the total time in service of the airframe and each engine, propeller, and rotor to be retained permanently and transferred with the aircraft when sold. Records of routine maintenance and inspections, by contrast, need only be kept until the work is repeated, superseded, or one year has passed (91.417(a)(1)).
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Routine oil change records generally fall under the shorter retention requirement, not the permanent one.
- C. Annual inspection records fall under the 1-year retention category, not permanent records.
- D. Work orders are not specifically required to be permanently retained under this section.
Maintenance Record Retention (91.417)
14 CFR 91.417 distinguishes between maintenance records kept for 1 year (routine work) and total time-in-service records that must be retained permanently and transferred with aircraft ownership.
- Routine maintenance/inspection records: retained until superseded or 1 year, whichever occurs first.
- Total time-in-service records (airframe, engine, propeller, rotor): retained permanently.
- Permanent records must transfer with the aircraft to a new owner.
Memory trick: "One year for the fix, forever for the total time trick."