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Additional rotorcraft items required by § 43.15

Aviation Mechanic Airframe (AMA) practice question 1 of 11 on Rotorcraft Fundamentals. ACS element AM.II.N.R3 · difficulty: standard. Want to answer it in a timed quiz? Use the Aviation Mechanic Airframe (AMA) practice mode.

Question bank updated 2026-09-22

QUESTIONUnder 14 CFR § 43.15, a person inspecting a rotorcraft under 14 CFR part 91 must also inspect which of the following?

  1. AThe emergency locator transmitter battery
  2. BThe cabin heater and its ducting
  3. CThe main rotor transmission gear box
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. The main rotor transmission gear box

  • A — incorrect The transmitter battery is not among the additional rotorcraft components that § 43.15 lists for inspection.
  • B — incorrect Cabin heating equipment is not one of the rotorcraft-specific items named in that section.
  • C — correct Section 43.15 requires the main rotor transmission gear box to be inspected for obvious defects, along with the drive shaft, the main rotor and center section, and the auxiliary rotor.

BACKGROUND

A piston-engine helicopter must be inspected in accordance with the scope and detail of 14 CFR part 43, Appendix D for an annual inspection. On top of that, 14 CFR § 43.15 adds performance rules requiring each person performing an inspection under part 91 on a rotorcraft to inspect four additional components in accordance with the maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness of the manufacturer concerned. Those components are the drive shaft or similar systems, the main rotor transmission gear box for obvious defects, the main rotor and center section or the equivalent area, and the auxiliary rotor. The operator of a turbine-powered helicopter may elect an annual inspection, a 100-hour inspection when used for compensation or hire, a progressive inspection when authorized by the FAA, or an inspection program under § 91.409(f). Whichever of these inspections is performed, the additional performance rules of § 43.15 for rotorcraft must still be complied with.

STUDY TIP

Commit the four rotorcraft additions of § 43.15 to memory as a set, and remember they apply on top of whichever inspection program the operator has chosen.

KEY POINTS

  • Section 43.15 adds four rotorcraft items to any part 91 inspection.
  • They are the drive shaft or similar systems, the main rotor transmission gear box, the main rotor and center section, and the auxiliary rotor.
  • These additions apply whether the helicopter is inspected annually, at 100 hours, progressively, or under an approved inspection program.

SOURCES

  • 14 CFR 43.15
  • FAA-H-8083-31B ch02 "Piston-Engine & Turbine-Powered Helicopter Inspections" (sources/ama-airframe/ch02.txt)
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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.