Nine or Less Seats Rule Clarified.

The FAA is considering a rulemaking change that would remove the words "type certificated" from 14 CFR 135.411, which specifies a more stringent maintenance program for charter airplanes that are certificated with more than nine seats. Announcement of this effort came in a revision to Flight Standards Handbook Bulletin for Airworthiness HBAW 04-06E. "Removal of 'type certificated' from the rule language will allow aircraft to be placed in the appropriate maintenance applicability based on the current approved configuration of the aircraft, not just the type certificated configuration," stated the HBAW. Inconsistent application of the rules by various FAA Flight …