14 CFR Part 65 — Aviation Mechanic Certification: Privileges, Limitations, and Responsibilities

Overview of 14 CFR Part 65 Subpart D

14 CFR Part 65 governs the certification of airmen other than flight crew members. Subpart D specifically covers Aviation Mechanics — the people who inspect, maintain, repair, and return aircraft to service. Understanding this subpart is not optional background knowledge; it defines exactly what you are legally permitted to do with your certificate and what happens if you exceed those limits.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for an Aviation Mechanic Certificate, a person must meet the requirements stated in 14 CFR Part 65. At a minimum, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be able to read, write, speak, and understand English
• Have the required practical experience or graduate from an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician School (AMTS)
• Pass the required knowledge tests, oral tests, and practical tests for each rating sought

Experience must cover both general maintenance practice and the specific content of each rating — Airframe (A) and Powerplant (P) — and may be obtained through an approved school or through documented hands-on work experience in the trade. The FAA designates Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASIs) and Designated Mechanic Examiners (DMEs) to administer the oral and practical tests.

The Two Ratings: Airframe and Powerplant

The Aviation Mechanic Certificate is issued with one or both ratings:

• Airframe (A): Authorizes maintenance and inspection of the airframe, including the fuselage, wings, landing gear, flight control surfaces, and associated systems.
• Powerplant (P): Authorizes maintenance and inspection of aircraft engines and propellers, along with their associated systems.

Holding both ratings — the A&P — gives you the broadest independent authority available at the mechanic level. Each rating must be tested and earned separately, although most candidates pursue both simultaneously.

Privileges of the A&P Certificate

With an A&P certificate, you may perform and supervise the maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alteration of aircraft or aircraft components, as long as the work is not contrary to any other rule in 14 CFR. Specifically:

• You may return an aircraft to service after work you performed or supervised, by completing the required maintenance record entry under 14 CFR Part 43.
• You may approve for return to service any aircraft, airframe, engine, propeller, appliance, or component after maintenance or minor repair, within the scope of your rating.
• You may supervise the work of student mechanics or unlicensed personnel, taking responsibility for the quality of that work.

The return-to-service sign-off is one of the most important privileges — and one of the most important responsibilities — you carry. Your signature on a maintenance record is a legal statement that the work was done in accordance with applicable standards.

Limitations of the A&P Certificate

Knowing your limits protects passengers, aircraft, and your certificate:

• Major repairs and major alterations that you perform must be approved for return to service by an IA (Inspection Authorization holder), or by an FAA-authorized repair station or manufacturer, depending on the circumstances, unless you yourself hold an IA.
• You cannot perform the annual inspection on an aircraft under 14 CFR 91.409 and sign it off — that requires an IA.
• You may not exercise your privileges if you know you are not physically or mentally capable of performing the task safely.
• You must keep your knowledge and skills current. Although there is no formal recency-of-experience requirement structured the same way as for pilots, you are accountable for performing only work in which you are proficient.
• Your privileges are limited to the scope of your rating. An Airframe-only mechanic may not sign off powerplant work, and vice versa.

The Inspection Authorization (IA)

An IA is an additional authorization that an eligible A&P mechanic may apply for. It allows the holder to perform and sign off annual inspections and to approve major repairs and major alterations for return to service on Form 337. An IA is not a separate certificate — it is an authorization held in addition to an A&P. Not every A&P holds an IA, and understanding that boundary is essential to knowing when you must call in someone with additional authority.

Other Certificate Holders You Work Alongside

• Repairman Certificate: Issued to individuals for specific tasks, often tied to a specific employer or experimental aircraft. Authority is narrower than an A&P.
• Pilot-owner privileges: Under 14 CFR Part 43, pilots who own or operate aircraft may perform limited preventive maintenance on their own aircraft and return it to service — but only within the specific list of tasks stated in the regulation.

Safety and Professionalism

Before beginning any maintenance task, confirm you are within your rating and your competence. Apply appropriate PPE for the hazard — eye protection, gloves, hearing protection, chemical-resistant clothing as the task demands. Follow lockout/tagout procedures whenever you work on systems that could inadvertently energize, pressurize, or move. Never sign a maintenance record for work you did not perform or directly supervise. Falsifying a maintenance record is a federal violation and grounds for certificate action, in addition to the direct safety risk to anyone aboard that aircraft.