Minimum Equipment List

Modern transport aircraft are often equipped with multiple systems with overlapping functions to ensure redundancy. The failure of a single component may have no effect on safety. During the certification process, a list of items which can be safely inoperative for flight, how long they can be inoperative, and what operating and maintenance procedures must be applied is generated. This Master Minimum Equipment List is approved by the State of Design Authority for the aircraft type.

Because the specific aircraft could be operated in any country, in various types of operations, and changed through modification, an operator/ aircraft specific customised MEL is required. This must approved by the local Authority.

If you have an Air Operators Certificate ? Yes. One MEL for each type of aircraft operated.

AOCV §8 (2) requires Austrian AOC holders to establish a MEL in accordance with JAR-OPS.

JAR-OPS 1/3.030 requires an operator shall establish, for each aircraft, a Minimum Equipment List (MEL) approved by the Authority. This shall be based upon, but not less restrictive than the relevant Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL), if this exists, accepted by the Authority.

JAR-OPS 1/3.630 (a)(2) and JAR-OPS 1/3.845 (a)(3) prescribe that a flight shall not commence unless the instruments and equipment required under subparts K and L are in operable condition for the kind of operation being conducted, except as provided in the MEL.

Read JAR-MMEL/MEL and TGL26.

Start with the MMEL, JAA MMEL supplements plus the MMEL items for any modifications which have been installed on the aircraft. Review each MMEL item and create a corresponding MEL item customized for your aircraft and operations, incorporating the requirements of TGL 26 and ACG-MEL.

Write a preamble covering the following:

• Introduction
• Applicable aircraft
• MMEL revision, revision service (90 days acc. JAR-MMEL)
• Types of operation
• Purpose
• Criteria for dispatch
• Explanation of MEL
• Procedure for applying MEL relief
• Rectification intervals
• Symbols used
• Restrictive destinations
• Operations outside of scope of MEL
• Placarding procedure

Many MMEL’s (particularly the FAA MMELs) only have placeholders for the Operations and Maintenance procedures required to be performed before dispatch. Where the MMEL says “Operations procedure to ensure xxxx” you will need to write a procedure relevant to your aircraft and operations.

Format pages with company name, applicability, document number, date & revision status of each page.

Create table of contents, distribution list, approval sheet, list of effective pages, revision log, and list of temporary revisions.

Add an approval page with the following statement:

“This MEL has been created based upon latest revision of the relevant state of origin MMEL (or JAA MMEL), JAA MMEL supplement, Temporary Revisions and the JAR-OPS requirements as detailed in TGL-26”

This approval sheet is to be signed by the person creating the MEL, accepted by the Operations manager, and have a space for the ACG Approval.

Send your MEL with a letter of “application for MEL approval iaw AOCV §8(2)” to the ACG, department OPL.

ACG/OPL Department Flight Operations will record your application and forward the MEL to division Airworthiness and Certification.

If the MEL sign off sheet has the required acceptance signature of the Operation Manager confirming: “This MEL has been created based upon latest revision of the relevant state of origin MMEL (or JAA MMEL), JAA MMEL supplement, Temporary Revisions and the JAR-OPS requirements as detailed in TGL-26”, then a temporary approval may be granted by ACG department Flight Operations.

Our technical team will review the submitted MEL against the MMEL and the requirements laid out in JAR-OPS and ACG-MEL and items above. Any discrepancies will be forwarded to the applicant for revision, and resubmission.

Once the MEL Complies with the regulations, ACG FL/AC will approve the technical content and return it to ACG/OPL for approval and return to the operator.