Critical Task Inspection FAA versus EASA

An FAA RII item is defined as: A designation of the items of maintenance and alteration that must be inspected (required inspections) including at least those that could result in a failure, malfunction or defect, endangering the safe operation of the aircraft if not performed properly or if improper parts or materials are used.

Commercial Aircraft are very expensive commodities and aircraft availability is a major consideration, as a result attention paid to aircraft down time during maintenance activities is also of importance.

As a result developing the most effective aircraft schedule is highly relevant. It is very worthwhile to structure the maintenance check so that all individual “task” which together form the maintenance check are carried out in the most effective sequence so that we do not waste either down time or manpower.

An additional feature is that effective production planning has the potential to deliver cost savings, whilst maintenance scheduling is easy to understand as a concept it delivers often difficult to solve problems driven by the complexities of operation. A well-managed production planning process provides for a confidence in the most effective delivery of the Maintenance process.

Critical Path Process are relevant whether we are considering a single task or detailed collection of interrelated activities, ideally taking into account minor, major and non-routine tasks to endeavor at all times to achieve the optimum outcome.