Galley Cart Repairs

by Jose Luis Velazquez
(Houston, Texas)

To perform repairs on galley carts, are you required to have a repair station certificate?

ANSWER: A person who holds a mechanic certificate with an airframe rating can repair a galley cart. However, a mechanic cannot issue an FAA Form 8130-3 approving the galley cart for return to service.

Airlines, who outsource repairs on galley carts, will want to see an FAA Form 8130-3 issued. A certificated repair station approved to work on galley equipment could issue this document.

FAR 145.217 allows a certificated repair station to contract a maintenance function to a non-certificated person provided—

1) The non-certificated person follows a quality control system equivalent to the system followed by the certificated repair station;

2) The certificated repair station remains directly in charge of the work performed by the non-certificated person; and

3) The certificated repair station verifies, by test and/or inspection, that the work has been performed satisfactorily by the non-certificated person and that the article is airworthy before approving it for return to service.

However, the repair station may not provide just the approval for return to service (issuance of the FAA Form 8130-3). They would have to do some of the work.