By: Caleb Harris

 The main purpose of QA is to monitor programs to determine their effectiveness, and if they are ineffective, to implement appropriate corrective action to any program that proves to be ineffective.  A few of the functions are: - The administration and management of QA and CASS activities. - The conduction of QA audits of all M&E organizations. - The maintenance of technical records. - liaison with the regulatory authority for all M&E functions.

 A quality audit should be performed on each and every unit within the M&E organization.  Generally, this is done on a yearly basis, but sometimes other schedules may be made appropriately.  The audit is a detailed effort designed to look at all aspects of the operation to find discrepancies and establish a corrective action to fix that discrepancy.

 The auditor, or audit team will look at administrative and supervisory aspects of the operation being audited as well as the performance of the work.  In relation to work performance, they will look at: - The adequacy of tools, test equipment, and facilities. - The competency of assigned personnel. - Shop and office orderliness. - The use and handling of tools, parts, supplies, and paperwork.

 Airline activities that should be audited: 1. Process and procedures related to line, hangar, and shop maintenance: - Logbooks; completed checks; conduct of transit, daily, and 48-hour maintenance checks; handling of deferred maintenance; fueling activities; quality control inspections; procedures related to work transfer at shift change; and procurement of parts and supplies. 2. Processes and procedures related to material: - Receiving, storing, labeling, and handling of parts and supplies, including high-value, time-limited, and flammable items; tracking of time-limited parts; processing of warranty claims; establishment and replenishing of fly-away kits; hangar, line, and out-station parts allocations.

3. Processes and procedures related to engineering: - Development of maintenance program; investigation of problem areas; establishment of policies and procedures; procedures for the evaluation of service bulletins, service letters, and airworthiness directives. 4. Processes and procedures related to training of maintenance and inspection personnel in use of computing systems, manuals, documentation, technical libraries, and safety equipment.

 Certain other types of audits include the following: -Ramp operations -Airline tire pressures -Shop records -Required inspection items -AD and SB compliance -Major repairs and alterations -Safety equipment -Safety training -Accident/incident reporting -Fire protection/preventing -Hazardous materials handling

 This standard establishes the requirement for a quality system in organizations performing design, manufacturing or providing technical service to others.  There are three types of organizations with ISO 9000 specification tailored to each one: -ISO 9001 is for facilities that design/develop, produce, install, and service products or provide services to customers who specify how the product or service is to perform. -ISO 9002 is for facilities that provide goods or services to the customers design specifications. ISO 9003 is for those doing final inspection and testing.

 These records show the current status of the aircraft and that the status is up to date. It also allows a new operator to know the exact status of the aircraft.  There are four classifications of records that an operator must keep: -Continuous Records -Routine Records -Repetitive Records _Permanent Records

 In house audit or spot checks.  Monitor currency of mechanics licenses and inspectors qualifications.  Administrative control over the development and modification of the TPPM and other documents.