Engineering document - An overview

Aircraft and its sub-systems are subjected to innumerable changes in their original configuration. Besides the physical configuration, the maintenance practices and procedures are also revised from time to time. While improvements in safety and reliability form the prime considerations for such modifications, factors such as economic efficiencies or operating environment changes can also form additional triggers.

Modifications to the physical configuration of aircraft and its sub-systems or the prescribed maintenance procedures, are classified as “Engineering Changes”. The “Engineering Document” business component facilitates managing these Engineering Changes.

The process of Engineering Changes is initiated by the release of Service Bulletins or Service Information Letters or Air Operators Telex by the OEM or Airworthiness Directives by Aviation Authorities or Modification Change Requests raised internally through reliability analysis. The Engineering department records these change communications as Maintenance Change Request (MCR). All such MCRs raised will be evaluated in the Mod Committee Meeting (MCM). The MCM, after evaluation of the economic feasibility and safety implications, finalizes the effectivity and work scope for the engineering change.

Depending on the nature of the MCR and the urgency of the requirement, the execution document for implementing the MCR is decided as either an Engineering Document (ED) or a Fleet Campaign Directive (FCD). The MCR is then assigned to an employee for authoring the respective engineering document. The engineering document (engineering document/FCD), after necessary approvals, will be released. In the event of an engineering change involving modification of existing part numbers or usage of new spare parts or kits, the creation of the change document will trigger a request for New Part Number creation in the inventory system. Purchase Request for procurement of the requisite spare parts or kits for implementing the change will also be raised, on the basis of the part availability, execution horizons and lead time for procurement.

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