Regulation Text
Any owner or operator who sells a U.S.-registered aircraft shall transfer to the purchaser, at the time of sale, the following records of that aircraft, in plain language form or in coded form at the election of the purchaser, if the coded form provides for the preservation and retrieval of information in a manner acceptable to the Administrator:
(a) The records specified in § 91.417(a)(2).
(b) The records specified in § 91.417(a)(1) which are not included in the records covered by paragraph (a) of this section, except that the purchaser may permit the seller to keep physical custody of such records. However, custody of records by the seller does not relieve the purchaser of the responsibility under § 91.417(c) to make the records available for inspection by the Administrator or any authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The short answer
(14 CFR § 91.419) requires any owner or operator who sells a U.S.-registered aircraft to transfer specified maintenance records to the purchaser at the time of sale, in plain language or, at the purchaser's election, in an acceptable coded form.
Research Notes
Common Questions
What records must be transferred when I sell my aircraft?
The seller must transfer the records specified in § 91.417(a)(2), plus the § 91.417(a)(1) records not already covered, in plain language or acceptable coded form.
“Any owner or operator who sells a U.S.-registered aircraft shall transfer to the purchaser, at the time of sale, the following records of that aircraft... (a) The records specified in § 91.417(a)(2). (b) The records specified in § 91.417(a)(1) which are not included in the records covered by paragraph (a) of this section” — 14 CFR § 91.419
Can the seller keep custody of some records?
Yes. The purchaser may permit the seller to keep physical custody of the § 91.417(a)(1) records, but that does not relieve the purchaser of the § 91.417(c) duty to make them available for inspection by the Administrator or the NTSB.
“...the purchaser may permit the seller to keep physical custody of such records. However, custody of records by the seller does not relieve the purchaser of the responsibility under § 91.417(c) to make the records available for inspection by the Administrator or any authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).” — 14 CFR § 91.419(b)
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