by Kasi Sathappan
(Abu Dhabi, UAE )
We are a CAR 145 certified company. C6 - Equipment
AC 43.13-1B Chapter 3, talks about plastic repairs.
Can plastic be repaired, and if so where can I get the approved data for the repairs of fairings for cabin interiors?
Do these procedures help us to repair plastics like:
- Door assy
- Wash basin
- Window
- Retraction device
- Slide assy
- Escutcheon
- Table assy
- Cabin interior plastics
Please adivise if we can use this data as approved data for plastic repairs.
ANSWER: AC 43.13-1B is an FAA advisory circular and applies to U.S. registered aircraft. The repair data in the AC is acceptable only for minor repairs to non-pressurized areas of an aircraft.
This data can be used if there is no repair or maintenance instructions published by the manufacturer for a needed repair.
If you intend to repair the items you have listed above, you would need to first consult the manuafacturer’s component maintenance manual (CMM) for repair procedures.
Please note that the procedures listed in the AC are published by the FAA not your CAA. You would need to consult your approving authority for acceptable procedures.
The AC goes on further to say that the aircraft repairs may be used as approved data when:
a. the user has determined that it is appropriate to the product being repaired;
b. it is directly applicable to the repair being made; and
c. it is not contrary to manufacturer’s data.
Based on this critera, the repairs shown in Chapter 3 of the AC would not apply to many of the items you have listed above.