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When a service bulletin becomes mandatory

Aviation Mechanic Airframe (AMA) practice question 9 of 12 on Airframe Inspection. ACS element AM.II.D.K6 · difficulty: standard. Want to answer it in a timed quiz? Use the Aviation Mechanic Airframe (AMA) practice mode.

Question bank updated 2026-09-22

QUESTIONA manufacturer publishes a service bulletin for an airframe. Under which condition does that service bulletin become regulatory?

  1. AWhen the owner requests the work at an annual inspection
  2. BWhen all or part of it is included in an AD
  3. CWhen it is issued after the aircraft was delivered
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. When all or part of it is included in an AD

  • A — incorrect An owner's request may add work to the work order, but it does not give the bulletin regulatory status.
  • B — correct A service bulletin is regulatory when all or a portion of it is incorporated as part of an airworthiness directive.
  • C — incorrect The issue date relative to delivery has no bearing; regulatory status comes from how the bulletin is incorporated.

BACKGROUND

Manufacturers publish service instructions, service bulletins, and service letters to improve their products or to revise and update maintenance manuals. These publications are not regulatory by themselves. A service bulletin becomes regulatory in four situations: when all or part of it is incorporated into an airworthiness directive; when it is part of the FAA-approved airworthiness limitations section of the manufacturer's manual or part of the type certificate; when it is incorporated directly or by reference into an FAA-approved inspection program such as an approved aircraft inspection program or a continuous airworthiness maintenance program; and when it is listed as an additional maintenance requirement in a certificate holder's operations specifications. Research of applicable bulletins and letters is still part of preparing for an annual or 100-hour inspection even when they are advisory.

STUDY TIP

Learn the four routes by which a bulletin turns mandatory, and remember that everything else is a recommendation. The AD route is the one most often tested.

KEY POINTS

  • Service bulletins are advisory unless incorporated into a regulatory document.
  • Incorporation into an AD makes the bulletin mandatory.
  • Approved inspection programs, airworthiness limitations, and OpSpecs can also make it mandatory.

SOURCES

  • FAA-H-8083-31B ch02 "Performing an Airframe Conformity & Airworthiness Inspection"
Practice the Aviation Mechanic Airframe (AMA) test →Timed 100-question exam, by ACS area, or review your misses. Free.
MORE ON AIRFRAME INSPECTION

SkyDrill is not affiliated with the FAA. This is an original practice item based on FAA-H-8083-31B Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook – Airframe, and 14 CFR part 43. Regulations and handbooks are revised; confirm details against the current edition.