The Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
Sep 20 in Safety News
Why the Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer is important
Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (Certifying staff) are engineers to whom a company (because of their specialised training, competence and experience) has assigned the role of certifying for the correct state of systems maintained on aircraft, such as engines, hydraulics, autopilot, communications, radar, etc.).
The licensed engineer is the sole arbitrator of safety whilst the aircraft is on the ground. The Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer will only supply their signature to a Certificate of Release to Service (CRS) when he or she is 100% certain that the aircraft is safe to fly. The Certificate of Release to Service (CRS) is a legal statement clearing an aircraft for further flight following maintenance whilst attributing full responsibility for the quality of all maintenance covered by the CRS to the issuing Licensed Engineer.
The appointment of certifying personnel with authority to release aircraft back into service and the quality statement by signature are two institutions that apply worldwide. As well as setting up a competent gatekeeper, such systems ensure that responsibility can be retraced and attributed to specific persons. This is due to the fact that aircraft maintenance is rated as an area of high potential danger.
The Licensed Engineer is one of the most effective ways to counter commercial pressure and the resultant lowering of safety standards.