Maintenance manuals tell the mechanic when to perform an inspection or service, and how to perform it. Many mechanics believe that the regulations require them to follow the book exactly.
But in an excellent column on this murky subject, mechanic and aviation author Mike Busch sums up the regulatory requirements nicely:
The manufacturer’s “how-to” instructions
Compared to pilots in other countries, pilots in the US have extraordinary freedom. Of course, to keep commercial airliners safe from collisions, pilots of small aircraft are excluded from certain 
airspace near major airports unless they have first obtained a clearance from air traffic controllers. If a pilot obtains the necessary clearance, controllers will dictate the
The G36 Bonanza’s closest competitor is probably the Cirrus SR22. Would the outcome of this accident have been different had the Beechcraft been equipped with a ballistic parachute system, like the system installed in the Cirrus, depicted here? Probably not. For the Cirrus’ ballistic parachute to work, the plane needs at least 400 feet of altitude.
Bonanza N618MW, a Beechcraft like the one pictured below, was doing "touch & goes" at Jack Northrop field in Hawthorne. "Touch and goes" are practice landings where the pilot does not stop on the runway. Instead, after the wheels touch down, the pilot advances the throttle, takes off again, and then circles around for another landing. Everything appeared to be fine until, on one ofContinue Reading Beechcraft G36 Bonanza Crash At Hawthorne
Special rules protect careless health care providers in California. The rules, collectively known as MICRA, were designed to make it harder for medical malpractice victims to sue the doctors who injure them. For example,
The pilot’s original destination was Bozeman, Montana. But the pilot amended his flight plan and diverted to Butte. The pilot did not tell air traffic control why he was diverting. About 25 minutes later, as the aircraft approached for landing at Butte, it went out of control and crashed.
The NTSB is now investigating two things: (1) why the pilot diverted to Butte, especially when he was so close to Bozeman, and (2) why the pilot lost control and crashed so near the runway at Butte.
Some possible explanations for diverting include:Continue Reading Pilatus Crash at Butte Montana and Occam’s Razor
The General Rule
Mechanics are required by regulation to follow the instructions set forth in the manufacturer’s maintenance manuals when working on an aircraft. The mechanic is not allowed to deviate from the instructions covering the work he undertakes. If he does deviate, and someone is injured as a result, the mechanic is liable.
Service Bulletins
Sometimes, a manufacturer learns of a problem with the way its product is performing in the field.Continue Reading A Mechanic’s Liability for Failure to Comply with a Manufacturer’s Maintenance Instructions
Cory Lidle’s wife and Tyler Stanger’s family are suing Cirrus Design, alleging that a problem with the plane’s flight controls caused Lidle and Stanger’s plane to crash into a Manhattan hi-rise.
Miles O’Brien, a former CNN correspondent, calls the lawsuit frivolous, because the NTSB concluded the cause was pilot error. According to O’Brien, "in our litigious society, the facts don’t matter for much."
O’Brien is missing the fact that the NTSB’s conclusion is marred by a built-in conflict of interest.Continue Reading Is Lidle Suit against Cirrus Frivolous?
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