AET Maintenance Procedures and Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When working on aircraft avionics in a confined space, what is the FIRST action a technician should take before beginning work?
- Begin the repair immediately to save time
- Verify adequate ventilation and identify all exit routes (Correct answer)
- Request a second technician to observe
- File a maintenance log entry
Correct answer: Verify adequate ventilation and identify all exit routes
Before entering any confined space, technicians must confirm adequate ventilation and identify all exit routes as a primary safety measure.
Question 2: Which document authorizes the return of an aircraft to service after avionics maintenance under FAA regulations?
- FAA Form 8130-3
- FAA Form 337
- Maintenance Release signed in the aircraft logbook by a certificated A&P or IA (Correct answer)
- Work order signed by the shop supervisor
Correct answer: Maintenance Release signed in the aircraft logbook by a certificated A&P or IA
A certificated A&P or IA must sign the aircraft maintenance record (logbook) to authorize return to service after maintenance.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a bonding jumper installed between an avionics component and the aircraft structure?
- To provide a current path for normal circuit operation
- To ensure equipotential ground and prevent static charge buildup (Correct answer)
- To protect the component from lightning strikes
- To satisfy FAA wiring color-code requirements
Correct answer: To ensure equipotential ground and prevent static charge buildup
Bonding jumpers establish an equipotential path to minimize static electricity differences and prevent spark hazards between components and airframe.
Question 4: An avionics technician discovers a wire with damaged insulation during an inspection. According to FAA AC 43.13-1B, the PREFERRED repair method is to:
- Apply electrical tape over the damage
- Splice in a new wire segment using approved splice connectors
- Replace the entire wire run (Correct answer)
- Mark the wire and defer repair to next scheduled maintenance
Correct answer: Replace the entire wire run
AC 43.13-1B recommends replacing the entire wire run when insulation damage is found, as splices can introduce additional failure points.
Question 5: Which safety precaution is MOST important when removing an avionics LRU (Line Replaceable Unit) that contains a lithium battery?
- Wear anti-static wrist strap only
- Disconnect aircraft power and handle the battery as a fire hazard (Correct answer)
- Ensure the cockpit circuit breaker is pulled
- Use only non-magnetic tools
Correct answer: Disconnect aircraft power and handle the battery as a fire hazard
Lithium batteries are a fire and explosion hazard; aircraft power must be disconnected and batteries must be handled with fire-hazard precautions.
Question 6: What does the term 'double-break switching' mean in aircraft avionics maintenance safety context?
- Using two circuit breakers in series for redundancy
- Interrupting both the hot and return sides of a circuit simultaneously (Correct answer)
- Breaking the circuit at two physical locations
- Applying two independent lock-out tags
Correct answer: Interrupting both the hot and return sides of a circuit simultaneously
Double-break switching interrupts both the positive (hot) and return conductors simultaneously, ensuring complete circuit isolation during maintenance.
Question 7: When torquing a connector backshell on an aircraft avionics installation, the technician should:
- Tighten until hand-tight plus one quarter turn
- Use a calibrated torque wrench and reference the manufacturer's specification (Correct answer)
- Apply Loctite and torque to feel
- Torque to standard AN hardware values regardless of connector type
Correct answer: Use a calibrated torque wrench and reference the manufacturer's specification
Connector backshells must be torqued to manufacturer-specified values using calibrated tools to ensure proper mating without damaging threads or seals.
AET Maintenance Procedures and Safety 2
When working on aircraft avionics in a confined space, what is the FIRST action a technician should take before beginning work?