Sofema Online (SOL) www.sofemaonline.com considers the core EASA documents issued in support of the Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) and Safety Assessment of Community Aircraft (SACA) Inspections.
EASA Ramp Inspection Manual (RIM) Issue 3/ Approval Date 20/05/2022
The European Standard procedures for SAFA & SACA have been integrated into Commission Regulation under Part‐ARO and are fully applicable from the 28th of October 2014.
The purpose of this manual is to describe best practices and give guidance to States performing ramp inspections. It covers the delivery, management and administration of ramp inspections as well as the ramp inspector qualification process.
The legal status of the core part of the manual and the attachment is guidance only, whilst the Appendixes (9.1, 9.2 and 9.3) are considered to have the status of an AMC as they are referred to in AMC to ARO.RAMP as a means to comply with the related implementing rules (unless an AltMoC is defined in accordance with ARO.GEN.120). If a non‐EASA PS wishes to deviate from the guidance provided in the manual, it may do so providing such deviation is described and followed in accordance with a national procedure.
The manual chapter order follows, to a large extent, the logic structure of the ramp inspection process.
EASA Ramp Inspection Manual (RIM) Doc # INST.RI.01/005 Approval date 20/05/2022 (INSPECTION INSTRUCTIONS AND PRE-DESCRIBED FINDINGS)
Purpose and scope
AMC 1 to ARO.RAMP 125 provides that ramp inspectors should follow the inspection instructions on the categorisation of findings established by the Agency for inspections performed on aircraft used by third-country operators (SAFA) and on aircraft used by operators under the regulatory oversight of another Member State (SACA).
The overall objective of the Instructions is to ensure that ramp inspections are performed in a standardised manner in all Participating States, by providing detailed inspection instructions and a common reporting taxonomy.
This document provides detailed instructions on the reporting and categorisation of findings relating to the inspections of aeroplanes engaged both in commercial air transport (CAT) and in general aviation (GA) operations.
However, for ramp inspections by an EASA Member State on general aviation operators under the regulatory oversight of another EASA member State, the instructions cover non-commercial operations with complex motor-powered aircraft only (NCC operations).
Note: When inspecting aircraft of EASA operators performing operations other than CAT and NCC, EASA NAAs should check for compliance with the applicable standards and determine the proper description and categorisation of findings making use, to the most possible extent, of the same criteria and wording adopted in these instructions.
Note Concerning Rotorcraft: These instructions should also be followed by all Participating States when inspecting rotorcraft, for those parts that are immediately applicable. Whenever the Standards mentioned in this document do not pertain to rotorcraft and rotorcraft operations, the applicable Standards should be determined by the inspecting NAA having regard to the type of operations and be reported whenever a finding is raised.
Using the Correct References and Assessment Decision Matrix
If any deficiencies are detected related to loose and/or missing fasteners or rivets and/or damaged and/or broken bonding wires during the ramp inspection the finding categorisation has to be done by the inspector in accordance with the assessment decision matrix provided further below.
Important Note: The use of manufacturer data to evaluate the applicable dispatch conditions is under the responsibility of the operator.
Definitions:
This document (RIM) refers to findings raised for inspections carried out on four different types of inspections, depending on the type of operation, the State of Operator and the State of Inspection. To differentiate between the four, the following abbreviations are being used throughout the document:
- SAFA-CAT: Inspections by EU states on non-EU third-country operators performing commercial air transport operations, or
- Inspections by non-EU states on all operators performing commercial air transport operations.
- SACA-CAT: Inspections by EU states on EU operators performing Commercial air transport operations.
- SAFA-GA: Inspections by EU states on non-EU third-country operators performing General aviation transport operations, or – inspections by non-EU states on all operators performing general aviation transport operations.
- SACA-NCC: Inspections by EU states on EU operators performing non-commercial operations with complex motor-powered aircraft.
For each raised finding, a letter in the column “STD“ of the Proof of Inspection (POI) should indicate which set of standards was applied.
- “I” (ICAO): Standards to be used in SAFA-CAT and SAFA-GA type of inspections, applicable requirements are the ICAO international standards.
- “E” (EU): Standards to be used in SACA-CAT and SACA-NCC type of inspections, Applicable requirements are the EU requirements.
- “M” (Manufacturer): For manufacturers’ standards used for evaluating damages.
- “N” (National): For published national standards declared applicable to all operators flying to that State with an influence on flight safety or deemed mandatory for that state (AIP).
Notwithstanding the above, certain ICAO standards may apply to SACA-CAT/SACA-GA and conversely, some EU standards to SAFA-CAT/SAFA-GA.
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