MMEL Guidance Book

Introduction

This Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) MMEL Guidance Book has been compiled to provide a centralized source of guidance information to facilitate the review and standardization of TCCA MMELs and MMEL Supplements for which National Aircraft Certification Flight Test (AARDC) is responsible. This guidance material is made available to the Aviation Community at large to encourage feedback and to provide guidance to operators and manufacturers when seeking relief.

THIS MATERIAL IS FOR GUIDANCE ONLY AND DOES NOT NECESSARILY APPLY NOR WILL IT AUTOMATICALLY BE GRANTED TO ALL AIRCRAFT. RELIEF FOR EACH AIRCRAFT MUST BE JUSTIFIED THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE REVIEW GROUP.

to permit operator flexibility, it is not required that the MEL wording reflects precisely the wording in the Guidance Book or the MMEL as long as the intent of the relief is satisfied and the MEL is not less restrictive.

In developing MMELs, no item shall be included which conflicts with the limitations or invalidates the emergency procedures of the Aircraft Flight Manual or of an Airworthiness Directive (AD) unless the AFM or AD provide otherwise. In some instances when performance and or handling qualities are significantly affected, it may be necessary to have Transport Canada approve specific limitations and or operating procedures and include this detail in a Flight Manual Supplement (e.g. nose wheel steering, anti-skid braking, ground spoilers, etc. inoperative).

While some MMEL items are generic in nature and identical wording can be used for all aircraft types, other items will differ from aircraft to aircraft. The material provided herein is to be used as guidance only. To repeat from the Forward of TP9155, “Transport Canada Inspectors/Engineers are expected to use good judgement in matters where guidance is not given”. Users are encouraged to provide feedback to correct or amplify the guidance material and to provide additional items which may be suitable for inclusion.

The format of the guidance is to provide suggested wording for the “Remarks or Exceptions” column and any amplification or explanation including references is included under DISCUSSION. It is again emphasized that an item need not contain the precise wording and every effort should be made to minimize the number of items in Canadian MMEL Supplements. Items may be applicable to both fixed and rotary wing aircraft but no specific guidance has been provided for the rotary wing community.

The MMEL Guidance Book Working Group first formed in Ottawa on March 16, 1993 and is comprised of representatives from:

• National Aircraft Certification
  • Flight Test (Chair)
    Engineering
  Standards
  
  • Airline Inspection
    Operational Standards
    Cabin Safety Standards
  Air Transport Association of Canada
  Commercial Air Operators
  Domestic Aircraft Manufacturers
  CUPE
  Aviation Occupational Health & Safety (AOH&S)

Approved by
R. W. Walker
Acting Chief, Flight Test
National Aircraft Certification

Date: 27 April 2009

This publication is available in the following formats:

• Portable Document Format (PDF) (file size 530KB) which will download in approximately 2 minutes 30 seconds on a 28.8 connection and may be viewed using version 3.0 or higher of the Adobe® Acrobat Reader. This reader may be downloaded free of charge by visiting the Adobe® web site, or contact your LAN administrator if you require assistance with the installation of the Adobe Reader."
  
  
• Microsoft Word Document format (DOC) (file size 1,624 KB) which will download in approximately 7 minutes 41 seconds on a 28.8 connection and may be viewed using Microsoft Word or a Microsoft Word Viewer. Visit the Microsoft Office download center to acquire a free download of Word 97/2000 Viewer (Word 2000) (Windows 95/98/NT), or contact your LAN administrator if you require assistance with the installation of the Adobe Reader."