The Boeing MPD (Maintenance Planning Data) Document guides aircraft maintenance by outlining tasks, intervals, and important note, awareness of this document is of key importance.
This is an OEM (original Equipment Manufacturer) document for an aircraft manufactured by Boeing, and it is designed to cover the aircraft and aspects that Boeing are responsible for. There are multiple components on any aircraft that are either customised based on operator or complex and instructions for maintenance issued by their respective manufacture, so the OEM MPD is only one consideration for the maintenance.
Different aircraft manufacturers will have their own version of the document or a similar instruction for maintenance; the important aspect is to know that the tasks are required to maintain airworthiness, the aircraft is designed with the tasks defined as a critical part of maintaining the aircraft in a safe condition.
The tasks ensure that any issues from operation or over time are rectified and therefor maintain a managed and lower risk for operation.
Some components are not covered in the MPD completely or in some cases at all; the MPD can cover maintenance aspects of various components like engines, APU (Auxiliary Power Unit), and landing gear. However, not all maintenance details for these are in the MPD. For instance, the APU might reference the Honeywell Engine Manual for life-limited parts and maintenance checks.
A Boeing MPD is split up typically into some different sections such as the following as an example:
Section 1 – system maintenance program.
Section 2 – structural maintenance program.
Section 3 – zonal inspection program.
Section 4 – source documents for tasks.
Section 9 – airworthiness limitations and certification maintenance requirements.
Within then each section the layout can differ slightly but is aimed at detailing the maintenance applicable for any specific aircraft variation or model covered under its scope; for example, we can consider Section 1 – System Maintenance program, and see some of the information under the layout. Each maintenance task will be detailed with the following information:
MPD Item Number: A unique reference number allocated to each maintenance task.
MRB Categories are determined by the Maintenance Significant Item (MSI) evaluation resulting in Failure Effect Categories (FEC) for example – Category 5 (Evident, Safety) or Category 9 (Hidden, Non-Safety).
CAT: Derived from the Maintenance Review Board (MRB) denoting Failure Effect Categories (FEC) the task addresses.
TASK: Describes the type of task, e.g., LUB (Lubrication), OPC (Operational Check), GVI (General Visual Inspection), and so forth.
INTERVAL: Divided into THRESHOLD (initial task execution time) and REPEAT (subsequent task execution times). Expressed in various units like days, flight cycles, or months.
Zone and Access: Denote task location on the aircraft and necessary access panels.
APPLICABILITY: Can be based on the airplane or engine configuration.
Task Description: A concise overview of the task, with the MPD item number offering more detailed descriptions.
The MPD’s appearance and terminology might vary slightly across Boeing models.
Applicability/Interval Notes – this means you should consider the additional information in the “Notes” column for that task regarding its implication for your aircraft.
In essence, the Boeing MPD provides structured, comprehensive guidance on maintaining aircraft, ensuring safety, efficiency, and adherence to regulatory standards.
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