The DASR 145 – establish the requirements to be met by an Organisation seeking approval to perform aircraft maintenance activities; thereby completing the actions required for restoring and maintaining an item in a serviceable condition including servicing, repair, modification, overhaul, inspection and determination of condition to maintain aircraft safety and airworthiness.
The requirements pertain to all aircraft maintenance organisations who seek to obtain a DASR 145 approval.
An organisation that has been approved by DASA to provide aircraft maintenance services (including engines and components) for a Defence aircraft is termed an Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO). These AMOs may be a Military or Defence Industry organisation, may be located in Australia or overseas, and may encompass one or multiple aircraft types.
A Maintenance Organisation Approval may be granted by DASA when satisfied that the maintenance organisation complies with the requirements of DASR 145. The DASR presents eligibility criteria, requirements for the maintenance organisation, terms of approval, obligations and organisational privileges that are approved by DASA. It also specifically requires the organisation to establish and maintain an Aviation Safety Management System (ASMS), in accordance with DASR SMS.
DASA’s approval of an AMO is reflected on a DASR Form 3 – Approval Certificate and Schedule DASR 145, which summarises the terms of the approval, including:
Conditions: The conditions on which the approval is based
Approval Schedule: The scope of work for which approval is granted, ranging from a single class and rating with limitations to all classes and ratings limitations. These include aircraft, engines/auxiliary power unit (APU), components and specialised maintenance services
Limitations: Any limitations on the above
Exposition reference: DASA’s Objective reference for the approved Exposition.
Applying for the authorisation
DASA does not accept unsolicited applications for AMO approval; rather, a Defence capability need must be demonstrated before DASA will commence processing of DASR 145 approval applications. An application for a DASR 145 approval is made using a DASR Form 2 – Application for DASR 145 Approval.
Per DASR 145.A.70, the primary application document is the Maintenance Organisation Exposition (MOE) (including any related procedures/documents), which specifies the scope of work deemed to constitute approval and details how the maintenance organisation intends to comply with the DASR 145 requirements. The MOE should cover four main parts:
The Organisational management part of the MOE, including organisational structure, key management personnel qualifications, duties and responsibilities and scope of work
The maintenance procedures detailing how the aircraft/engine/components will be maintained to the required standard and how aircraft components may be accepted from external sources
The quality system procedures including the methods of qualifying personnel (for example certifying staff, support staff and quality audit personnel)
Contracting procedures and paperwork.
Appendix 1 provides further insight into DASA’s expectations for a MOE.
DASA approval. DASA approval of an AMO will consist of a desktop assessment of the MOE, including all referenced related procedures/documents that detail DASR 145 compliance and an on-site visit once the organisation has commenced work. The approval process involves a thorough evaluation of the organisation’s facilities, scope of work, personnel and the qualification requirements of staff including training and authorisations. The organisation must also demonstrate that it has a quality management system in place, establishing maintenance procedures to ensure good maintenance practices and compliance with DASR 145 requirements.
Interaction and timing. Where Defence decides to engage an organisation not yet approved by DASA, the Defence contracting organisation should engage with DASA well before a Request for Tender (or similar) is released. DASA will assist the contracting organisation explore its contract options and identify essential contract inclusions. DASA may also assist the contracting organisation with pre-contract assessments of the prospective AMO.
Prospective AMOs should engage with DASA at the earliest opportunity after the formal decision awarding them as the preferred maintenance contractor is made. DASA will assign an internal point of contact who will be available to assist the prospective AMO with application requirements. In DASA’s experience, the time from first contact to approval of the AMO can vary between three and six months.
Responsibilities a AMO holder is required to ensure:
all maintenance can be carried out to the standard required by DASR 145
the necessary resources are available to accomplish maintenance in accordance with DASR 145 to support the AMO approval
to establish and promote the safety and quality policy
maintain a MOE and maintenance procedures to remain a current description of the AMO
to notify the DASA of significant changes to the AMO to enable the DASA to determine continued compliance with DASR 145.
Once an AMO authorisation is achieved, DASA will commence ongoing AMO compliance assurance. These activities provide a measure of the regulated entity’s compliance with the DASR and also act to provide a level of confidence that appropriate arrangements are in place to support the compliance of subordinate organisations with the DASR, ensuring they are effective.
DASA compliance assurance is normally achieved through on-site visits, remote assessments, and ongoing monitoring. Summarised:
On-site visits. On-site visits may be informal or formal. Informal visits provide regulatory support, guidance and engagement with an organisation, while formal visits are used to conduct oversight and enforcement activities and to validate the management of previous DASR findings
Remote assessments. Remote assessments may be suitable if a visit to the organisation is not feasible for reasons such as security, health, budget and availability of personnel or the area to be assessed does not justify a full on-site visit. Business Intelligence and the use of Strategic Data techniques are often used to assist in the targeting of areas to be reviewed
Ongoing monitoring. DASA desk officers review an approved organisation’s compliance through the conduct of various desktop evaluations and interviews to gain ongoing confidence in AMO performance without necessarily engaging the AMO.
DASA’s oversight processes for AMOs are contained in the DASA Instructions, DASA(I) SAPO 01-002, DASA Oversight (On-Site and Remote) and DASA(I) SAPO 01-009, DASR Findings. These are available on the DASA intranet site.