REGULATION — LEGALLY BINDING

§ 91.417 Maintenance records

14 CFR Part 91 — Subpart E—Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, and Alterations

Official text — 14 CFR § 91.417

REGULATION — LEGALLY BINDING

(a) Except for work performed in accordance with §§ 91.411 and 91.413, each registered owner or operator shall keep the following records for the periods specified in paragraph (b) of this section:

(1) Records of the maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alteration and records of the 100-hour, annual, progressive, and other required or approved inspections, as appropriate, for each aircraft (including the airframe) and each engine, propeller, rotor, and appliance of an aircraft. The records must include—

(i) A description (or reference to data acceptable to the Administrator) of the work performed; and

(ii) The date of completion of the work performed; and

(iii) The signature, and certificate number of the person approving the aircraft for return to service.

(2) Records containing the following information:

(i) The total time in service of the airframe, each engine, each propeller, and each rotor.

(ii) The current status of life-limited parts of each airframe, engine, propeller, rotor, and appliance.

(iii) The time since last overhaul of all items installed on the aircraft which are required to be overhauled on a specified time basis.

(iv) The current inspection status of the aircraft, including the time since the last inspection required by the inspection program under which the aircraft and its appliances are maintained.

(v) The current status of applicable airworthiness directives (AD) including, for each, the method of compliance, the AD number and revision date. If the AD involves recurring action, the time and date when the next action is required.

(vi) Copies of the forms prescribed by § 43.9(d) of this chapter for each major alteration to the airframe and currently installed engines, rotors, propellers, and appliances.

(b) The owner or operator shall retain the following records for the periods prescribed:

(1) The records specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section shall be retained until the work is repeated or superseded by other work or for 1 year after the work is performed.

(2) The records specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section shall be retained and transferred with the aircraft at the time the aircraft is sold.

(3) A list of defects furnished to a registered owner or operator under § 43.11 of this chapter shall be retained until the defects are repaired and the aircraft is approved for return to service.

(c) The owner or operator shall make all maintenance records required to be kept by this section available for inspection by the Administrator or any authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). In addition, the owner or operator shall present Form 337 described in paragraph (d) of this section for inspection upon request of any law enforcement officer.

(d) When a fuel tank is installed within the passenger compartment or a baggage compartment pursuant to part 43 of this chapter, a copy of FAA Form 337 shall be kept on board the modified aircraft by the owner or operator.

Reproduced from the eCFR. Text as amended through 2026-07-31. Verify against the official source before relying on it operationally.

SkeyeMentor explanation

Educational — not an FAA source

In plain English

The maintenance records the owner or operator must keep, what each record must contain, and how long records must be retained.

Why it matters

It is how you prove, on the ground, that everything 91.409 and 91.413 require has actually been done.

Written and reviewed by the SkeyeMentor editorial team. This explanation is a study aid, not legal advice, and it is not part of the official text above. Verify current requirements through the official source before relying on them operationally.

Is this a regulation?

Yes — this is regulatory text and is legally binding.

Text published in the Code of Federal Regulations. Regulations are legally binding on pilots and operators.

Yes — this is the text of a Federal Aviation Regulation. It is legally binding. The explanation below it is SkeyeMentor educational content, not part of the regulation.

SkeyeMentor FAA Library is an educational reference and study aid. Regulatory and FAA materials can change. SkeyeMentor provides links and contextual explanations to help pilots study, but users should verify current requirements through official FAA, eCFR and other applicable government sources before relying on them operationally. SkeyeMentor explanations are educational and are not legal advice.