Interview guide for aviation maintenance roles: a loop for A&P mechanics and inspectors

Aircraft maintenance is one of the few jobs where the paperwork is part of the work. A mechanic who torques a fitting correctly and then writes an incomplete record entry has not finished the job. The traits that matter are visible in an interview if you look for them: working from the current manual rather than memory, stopping when something does not match the data, signing only for work they did or inspected, and writing records another mechanic or an inspector can rely on. A loop has to verify the FAA certificate, follow the drug and alcohol testing rules that apply to your operation, and test those habits on realistic tasks. This guide gives maintenance directors a loop for airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanics in Part 121, Part 135 and repair station settings, with adjustments for inspectors, avionics, general aviation and apprentices at the end.

The first call is covered in aircraft mechanic screening questions. Hiring for ground equipment or building maintenance is closer to the interview guide for skilled trades or maintenance technician screening questions. This page is for people who work on aircraft.

The loop at a glance

Stage 0: certificate check

Look up the certificate in the FAA's Airmen Inquiry and see the original at interview. Under 14 CFR 65.71, an applicant for a mechanic certificate must be at least 18 and able to read, write, speak and understand English, and must pass the tests within 24 months. Under 14 CFR 65.77, the experience requirement is 18 months for one rating, 30 months of concurrent experience for both, or graduation from a certificated maintenance school. If the role needs someone to approve major repairs and alterations or perform annual inspections, confirm the inspection authorization described in 14 CFR 65.95.

Stage 1: the screen (20 minutes)

• "Which aircraft types and engines have you worked on, at what level: line, heavy check or component?" Listen for: specific types and tasks, not a list of tails.
• "This is [example: a night line maintenance shift at an outstation, often working alone]. Does that work?" Describe weather exposure and how much support there is.
• "This role needs [airport badge with fingerprint-based check / pre-employment drug test]. Can you complete those before the start date?" Say it the same way to everyone.
• "Which certificate and ratings do you hold?" Record them for stage 0.

Stage 2: technical interview (45 minutes)

1. "Walk me through a fault you troubleshot that kept coming back. How did you finally fix it?" Listen for: using the fault isolation manual, reviewing the history of repeat write-ups, and confirming the fix rather than swapping parts.
2. "A pilot writes up a hydraulic pressure fluctuation on a type you know. Where do you start?" Listen for: interviewing the crew, checking history and the manual, and ruling out indication faults before replacing components.
3. "Tell me about a time the manual and the aircraft did not match." Listen for: stopping, asking engineering or technical services, and not improvising.
4. "How do you decide whether a task is within your certificate and experience?" Listen for: awareness of 14 CFR 65.81, which limits a mechanic to work they are rated for and requires that they understand the current manufacturer instructions and maintenance manuals for the operation concerned, and that they ask for supervision or training on unfamiliar tasks.

Stage 3: manual and records exercise (45 minutes)

This is the stage that most separates safe mechanics from merely skilled ones. Use a real manual section or task card for a type you maintain, in the format your shop uses.

• Task: for example, a wheel and brake change or a filter replacement with a torque value and a required inspection item.
• Planted discrepancy: the task card references a manual revision that is not current, or the part number on the work order does not match the illustrated parts catalog.
• Ask the candidate to: plan the task, list the tools and parts, identify any required inspection, and write the maintenance record entry for the completed work.

What to score

• Stops at the discrepancy: finds it and says what they would do. Missing it is a serious concern; proceeding anyway after noticing it fails the stage.
• References: cites the correct manual section and revision.
• Record entry: describes the work, references the data used, and is signed in the way your system requires, with no signing for work they did not do.
• Inspection items: recognizes when a second person must inspect.

Stage 4: hands-on task (45 minutes)

Use a training aid, a removed component or a non-flying aircraft, never a customer aircraft returning to service. A safety wiring task, a torque and inspection of a fitting, or a connector repair works well. Score workmanship to the standard in the data, tool control (every tool accounted for at the end), foreign object awareness and safety. A missing tool at the end that the candidate does not notice is a fail. Set the time from how your own mechanics perform on the same task, and ask before the stage whether anyone needs an adjustment.

Stage 5: manager interview (30 minutes)

1. "The aircraft is due out in 20 minutes, and you find a defect that is probably within limits but you are not sure. Operations is calling. What do you do?" Listen for: checking the limit in the data, involving the inspector or maintenance control, and accepting a delay.
2. "Tell me about a mistake you made on an aircraft. How was it found, and what did you do?" Listen for: self-reporting, and familiarity with your voluntary reporting culture.
3. "How do you hand over an unfinished task to the next shift?" Listen for: written turnover, stamps or records at the step reached, and a verbal handover.

Scorecard competencies and weights

Example weights for a line maintenance A&P mechanic. Lock yours before the first candidate.

The weighted interview scorecard explains how to set floors so that a high troubleshooting score cannot hide a records problem.

Legal points to check

Checked against the linked primary sources as of October 2026. Not legal advice; your drug and alcohol program manager, your certificate and your counsel decide.

• Who Part 120 covers. Under 14 CFR 120.1, the drug and alcohol testing rules apply to Part 121 and Part 135 operators, certain air tour operators and non-FAA air traffic control facilities, to individuals who perform safety-sensitive functions for them directly or by contract, and to domestic Part 145 repair stations only if they elect to implement a program. The section also covers certain foreign repair stations from December 20, 2027.
• Pre-employment drug test. 14 CFR 120.105 lists aircraft maintenance and preventive maintenance duties as safety-sensitive. Under 14 CFR 120.109, a covered employer may not hire anyone for a safety-sensitive function without first receiving a verified negative drug test result, must test again if more than 180 days pass before hire, and must tell the candidate before hire or transfer that a pre-employment drug test is required.
• Previous employer testing records. Under 49 CFR 40.25, before someone performs safety-sensitive functions for the first time, the employer must obtain their written consent and request drug and alcohol testing information from DOT-regulated employers they worked for in the previous two years. If they refuse consent, they may not perform those functions.
• Airport access. At airports with a security identification display area, 49 CFR 1542.209 requires a fingerprint-based criminal history records check for unescorted access, with disqualifying offenses looked at over the ten years before the application. The airport operator runs this process; build its timing into the start date.
• Other background reports. If you also use a consumer reporting agency, 15 U.S.C. 1681b(b) applies; see the FCRA background check process and drug testing laws in hiring for non-DOT testing.

The decision rule

1. Gates: certificate verified; stopped at the planted discrepancy; no tool control failure.
2. Floor: at least 3 on records; most findings in audits are records findings.
3. Weighted total: in this example, 2.8 or higher on a 1–4 scale is an offer, conditional on the drug test, prior employer records and airport badge.
4. References: ask a former lead how the candidate handled turnovers and a delay they caused or prevented.

Adjusting the loop

Mistakes that weaken aviation maintenance loops

• Treating the certificate as the test. It shows eligibility, not your types or your shop's standards.
• No records exercise. You learn how fast someone works, not whether they work safely.
• Hands-on on a live aircraft. Use training aids or removed parts.
• Starting before the test result. For covered employers, the verified negative result comes first.