Who is authorized to perform preventative maintenance on an aircraft not flown under Part 121, 127, 129, or 135?

• A. The holder of a pilot certificate that flies that particular aircraft.
• B. A certificated mechanic with airframe rating.
• C. Any licensed mechanic.
• D. The aircraft owner.

Answer: (A)

In general aviation operations, preventive maintenance on an aircraft can be performed by the person who operates the aircraft, even if they aren’t a licensed mechanic. The key idea is that the owner or operator may perform simple preventive maintenance on their own aircraft when the flight operations aren’t conducted under Part 121, 127, 129, or 135.

The pilot certificate holder who actually flies that aircraft is the typical person who is authorized to perform this work because they are the operator of the aircraft. This allows the aircraft to be kept airworthy without requiring a certificated mechanic for routine, simple maintenance tasks, as long as the work stays within the defined preventive maintenance scope and is properly logged with the date, description, and signature of the person performing it. For more complex maintenance, a certificated mechanic is required.