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The following different categories are identified in the Operators Minimum Equipment List
CATEGORY A
Items in this category shall be repaired within the time interval specified in the “Remarks and Exceptions” column of the operator’s approved MEL Whenever the proviso in the “Remarks or Exceptions” column of the MMEL states cycles or flight time, the time interval begins with the next flight. Whenever the time interval is listed as flight days, the time interval begins on the flight day following the day of discovery.
CATEGORY B
Items in this category shall be repaired within three consecutive calendar days, excluding the day of discovery.
CATEGORY C
Items in this category shall be repaired within 10 consecutive calendar days, excluding the day of discovery.
CATEGORY D
Items in this category shall be repaired within 120 consecutive calendar days, excluding the day of discovery. To be considered for placement in Category D, the item must be of an optional nature, or excess equipment which an operator may, at his/her discretion, deactivate, remove from or install on an aircraft. To be approved for Category D, the item must meet the following criteria:
The absence of the item does not affect crew workload;
The pilots do not rely on the function of that item on a routine or continuous basis; and,
The pilot’s training, subsequent habit patterns and procedures do not rely on the use of that item.
Procedures Related to Deferment
Procedures for the deferral of MEL items will be included in the operator’s Maintenance Control Manual (MCM) The operator must ensure that the Operations Manual and the MEL reference the these procedures in the MCM, or duplicates the same.
These procedures comprise a method for:
Deferral and/or rectification of inoperative equipment;
Placarding requirements as per the MEL;
Dispatching of aircraft with deferred MEL item(s);
A deferral system;
Controlling categorized times; and
the training of company personnel who are responsible for MEL compliance procedures.
REVIEW OF DEFERRED ITEMS
Maintenance and Operations must periodically review the deferred items, in order to ensure that any accumulation of deferred items neither conflict with each other nor present an unacceptable increase in flight or cabin crew workload.
Notwithstanding the categorization of item repair intervals, it should be the aim of each MEL document holder to ensure that inoperative items are repaired as quickly as possible.
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Sofema Aviation Serives, MEL, Aircraft Minimum Equipment List
