Component records by type
Main landing-gear overhaul records review
A landing-gear overhaul records review confirms that a gear assembly's overhaul history, life-limited structural element status, and release evidence support the position the records claim. It is used before a sale, a lease return, or a gear change. It reviews the gear and cylinder serial numbers against the airframe records, the time and cycles since overhaul against the published overhaul interval, the structural service-bulletin status, and the release paperwork for the assembly and its life-limited parts. You receive a serial-number trace, a list of breaks against the records, and the evidence needed to close each one.
When this review is needed
- A gear assembly is approaching its overhaul interval and the remaining time has to be confirmed.
- A gear was changed during the lease and the serial numbers must match the airframe records.
- A lease return states a gear condition and the time since overhaul has to be supported.
- An overhauled gear is being installed and the entry status needs fixing against the records.
The problem
Landing gear carries a hard overhaul interval and life-limited structural elements, and the assembly moves between airframes when it is exchanged, so the serial numbers in the records and on the aircraft can diverge. The time and cycles since the last overhaul set the remaining value, but they sit on a status line that is rarely tied back to the overhaul report and the release paperwork. An overhaul claimed without its supporting documents can force an early shop visit the buyer did not price.
What gets reviewed
- Gear, cylinder, and major component serial numbers against the airframe records
- Time and cycles since the last overhaul against the published overhaul interval
- Life-limited structural element status with supporting release evidence
- Overhaul shop report, findings, and the standard returned to service
- Service Bulletin and modification status affecting the gear
- Release certificates for the assembly and its life-limited parts
Scope this review
Tell us the asset, the event, and the evidence in scope, and we will outline a focused first engagement.
Send a representative, redacted record set and we will scope the review.
What gets validated
- Installed gear and cylinder serial numbers match the airframe and status records
- Time and cycles since overhaul are consistent with the overhaul interval and the logbooks
- The life-limited structural element status is supported by release documents
- The overhaul report findings reconcile with the parts replaced and the standard returned
- Applicable structural service bulletins shown as embodied carry accomplishment evidence
- Any in-service repair to the assembly carries its approval and substantiation data
Evidence normally required
- Landing-gear status list with serial numbers, time, and cycles
- Last overhaul shop report and any subsequent shop visits
- Release certificates for the assembly and life-limited parts
- Service Bulletin and modification status for the gear
- Repair dossiers for any in-service structural repair
Common discrepancies
- Installed serial numbers that do not match the airframe records after a gear change
- Time since overhaul stated without the supporting overhaul report
- A life-limited structural element status unsupported by release documents
- An overhaul or repair recorded without the standard returned to service
- A structural service bulletin shown as embodied without accomplishment evidence
What is at stake
A gear accepted with time-since-overhaul taken on trust can reach its interval sooner than the deal assumed, putting an unplanned overhaul on the new owner. A serial number that does not reconcile to the airframe leaves a structural traceability gap that is hard to recover after acceptance.
How the work runs
Anchor the serial numbers
Confirm the gear, cylinder, and major component serial numbers against the airframe records and the assembly on the aircraft.
Measure against the interval
Reconcile time and cycles since overhaul to the published interval and to the overhaul report for the last visit.
Register breaks
Structure each finding with its source document and its effect on remaining time or structural traceability.
Map closure
Recommend a closure path and responsible party so the assembly can be accepted or driven to resolution.
What the buyer receives
- A serial-number trace reconciling the assembly against the airframe records
- A time-and-cycle position against the overhaul interval with remaining life shown
- A list of breaks between the status and the overhaul and release evidence
- A closure path for each finding with the responsible party identified
Who uses the output
- Asset and acquisition teams pricing the assembly's remaining time
- Continuing-airworthiness teams confirming the installed gear before acceptance
- Records teams reconciling the assembly to the airframe records
How the work fits into the transaction or program
The review supports a sale, a lease return, or a gear change by tying the assembly's serial numbers and overhaul position to the airframe records and the shop evidence. It feeds the component data room and the discrepancy register for the deal.
Start with a single asset
Start with a single tail and expand once the workflow is proven.
Aircraft-specific considerations
A main gear assembly carries a hard overhaul interval and life-limited structural elements, and it is exchanged as a serialized unit between airframes. The review anchors the serial numbers against the airframe records and measures remaining time against the interval, because that is where gear value and traceability most often slip.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
An assembly released under one authority is not automatically accepted under another. Where the gear has crossed authorities at an exchange, the trace has to carry release documentation the receiving authority will accept.
Regulatory limits
The review confirms records completeness, consistency, and traceability for the assembly. It does not certify the gear, set remaining life for the authority, or make any airworthiness determination.
What this review does not cover
- Physical inspection, non-destructive testing, or measurement of the assembly
- Re-life or re-certification of any structural element
- Any airworthiness or remaining-life determination
Specific to this review
- Landing gear carries a hard overhaul interval, so time and cycles since overhaul set the remaining value more directly than total component time.
- The assembly moves between airframes when exchanged, so serial-number reconciliation against the airframe records is a first-order check.
- An overhaul claimed without its supporting report can force an early shop visit the buyer did not price.
- Life-limited structural elements inside the assembly are traced separately from the assembly's overhaul status.
Sources
U.S. Government (eCFR). Maintenance recordkeeping content and approval-for-return-to-service requirements, including 43.9, 43.11, and Appendix B.
U.S. Government (eCFR). Records an owner or operator must keep, including total time in service, current status of life-limited parts, and AD compliance.
Federal Aviation Administration. Completion and use of FAA Form 8130-3, Authorized Release Certificate, for new and used parts.
Federal Aviation Administration. FAA guidance on making and keeping maintenance records and acceptable recordkeeping practices.
Frequently asked questions
Is time-since-overhaul enough to value a gear assembly?
The overhaul position drives most of the value, but it has to be supported by the overhaul report and reconciled to the airframe serial numbers. Life-limited structural elements inside the assembly are traced separately.
Relevant glossary terms
Related pages
Where this fits
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We will walk through your current state, the records or evidence involved, and a scoped first engagement.
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