ICAO 9760 PDF

FOREWORD

The Airworthiness Manual (Doc 9760) was first published in 2001 in two volumes and contained a consolidation of airworthiness-related information previously found in other ICAO documents. As a result, the first edition of the Airworthiness Manual replaced the following ICAO documents: the Airworthiness Technical Manual (Doc 9051), the Manual of Procedures for an Airworthiness Organization (Doc 9389) and the Continuing Airworthiness Manual (Doc 9642).

The advance second edition (unedited) of the Airworthiness Manual was developed from material previously found in the 2001 edition. The content was reviewed, edited, and expanded on by the Airworthiness Panel (AIRP) during several working group meetings from 2003 to 2007. It incorporated changes to Annex 8 to the Chicago Convention — Airworthiness of Aircraft, and to Annex 6 — Operation of Aircraft. The content also responded to the request from the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme for additional guidance to States on how to meet their airworthiness responsibilities under the Convention on International Civil Aviation. A new chapter on production activities was also added.

The advance second edition (unedited) was placed on ICAO-NET in 2008 in an electronic format because of the urgency to provide States with the updated guidance. The second edition remained unedited until it was further updated to better assist States in meeting their respective airworthiness responsibilities.

The third edition was presented based on States’ roles and responsibilities, thus as State of Registry, State of the Operator, State of Design and State of Manufacture. It also described the interface between different States and their related responsibilities.

The breadth and depth of the guidance material provided in this edition have been intentionally limited to keep the manual manageable. In order to avoid specific references to material that may become dated, it was decided instead to provide a listing of potential sources of additional, and more detailed, information on the subjects covered in this manual.

The fourth edition includes additional and enhanced guidance delivered by the AIRP as part of the Air Navigation Commission (ANC) work programme for airworthiness. These include guidance on the approval of approved maintenance organization (AMO) to facilitate the harmonization and global recognition of AMO approvals. Also included is enhanced guidance on various States’ responsibilities when a type certificate is suspended or revoked, and new guidance on the type certification and production approvals of small aeroplanes using a risk-based approach. The AIRP has also provided enhanced guidance on the use, recognition and acceptance of electronic aircraft continuing airworthiness records including electronic maintenance records for aircraft in anticipation to changes in the SARPs involving these records.

Although this manual provides guidance on the suggested content of various State airworthiness regulations, no attempt has been made to formulate specific regulations. A Contracting State should establish and implement a system that enables it to discharge satisfactorily its international obligations and responsibilities. It is recognized, however, that a number of States, particularly those which are still in the early stages of establishing an effective civil aviation organization, do require assistance in developing a framework of appropriate airworthiness regulations.

It is recognized that in some cases it may not be feasible for a State, due to the limited scale of aviation activities or lack of technical and economic resources, to establish and maintain the full airworthiness organization it needs to meet its international obligations. This problem may be particularly acute for some States in respect of their obligation to assess and approve or disapprove the maintenance programme of an air operator utilizing large and complex aircraft. A State finding itself in this position should not in any way diminish the stringency of its regulations; however, it is essential that the State either enter into an agreement with another Contracting State to assist it with the detailed tasks, or obtain the services, on a temporary basis, of qualified inspectors from a State, fully experienced in the matter in question. The ICAO Regional Office accredited to the State may be of assistance to the State in working out cooperative inspection arrangements. It is also recognized that a group of States may elect to discharge their responsibilities through a multinational organization or agency. It is essential that the related agreements clearly define the respective functions of each national authority and the multinational organization or agency, so as to ensure that all obligations of the States are fully discharged.

Procedural information in this manual is generally applicable to all types of aeronautical products unless specifically indicated otherwise. Limited applicability may be ascertained directly from the text or indirectly through the associated applicability of a referenced Annex provision.

Comments on this manual, particularly with regard to its application and usefulness, would be appreciated from all States, safety oversight audit missions and ICAO technical cooperation field missions. These will be taken into consideration in the preparation of subsequent editions. Comments should be addressed to: