Description
Install, troubleshoot, repair, and maintain aircraft electrical power generation and distribution systems, wiring harnesses, lighting, batteries, and related components, using wiring diagrams and test equipment to ensure airworthiness and regulatory compliance.
- • Read and interpret maintenance manuals, wiring diagrams, schematics, and service bulletins to plan electrical repairs or replacements.
- • Inspect completed electrical work to certify it meets standards and the aircraft is ready for operation.
- • Document preventive and corrective electrical maintenance in logs and digital systems.
- • Perform routine and special inspections of aircraft electrical systems per regulations.
- • Inspect wiring harnesses, connectors, power panels, and lighting for chafing, arcing, corrosion, and damage.
- • Verify proper routing, clamping, and protection of wires through the airframe and equipment bays.
- • Maintain, repair, and install generators, starter-generators, alternators, transformers, inverters, relays, contactors, circuit breakers, and lighting assemblies.
- • Perform continuity, voltage, current, resistance, and insulation-resistance (megger) tests to troubleshoot faults.
- • Replace or repair defective wires, connectors, switches, breakers, and electrical LRUs using approved tools and test equipment.
- • Check connector pin fit, contact tension, and bonding/grounding resistance using precision instruments.
- • Fabricate, terminate, and install wiring harnesses and cable assemblies using proper crimping, soldering, splicing, and heat-shrink techniques.
- • Test electrical systems with multimeters, oscilloscopes, BITE, power carts, and load banks to verify operation.
- • Service and test aircraft batteries; check electrolyte levels and specific gravity where applicable; perform capacity checks.
- • Remove, repair, and reinstall power generation units and associated hardware in accordance with manuals.
- • Review pilots’ squawks and maintenance write-ups to diagnose electrical discrepancies.
- • Install electrical modifications and STC kits per drawings, engineering orders, and technical publications.
- • Route and secure wire bundles with clamps, grommets, backshells, and strain reliefs to prevent chafing and EMI.
- • Identify and mark wire runs, splice locations, and connector pinouts per wiring indexes and standards.
- • Strip, tin, and terminate conductors; install bonding jumpers and verify continuity to structure.
- • Clean and maintain junction boxes, power distribution units, and connectors; apply corrosion inhibitors and sealants as required.
- • Access confined spaces and panels using stands or lifts to inspect and service electrical components safely.
- • Remove and install electrical LRUs with proper ESD controls and power-off/lockout procedures.
- • Requisition parts, consumables, tools, and test equipment needed for electrical maintenance.
- • Fabricate mounting brackets, backshells, and protective sleeving for electrical installations as authorized.
- • Drill and install clamps, grommets, and conduit for wire routing in accordance with structural and wiring standards.
- • Perform line maintenance on electrical systems, including bulb and fuse replacement, CB resets per procedure, and power-on checks.
- • Coordinate with avionics, structures, and powerplant personnel to integrate and verify electrical work.
- • Fit and install backshells, boots, labels, and protective sleeving; secure bundles with lacing or ties.
- • Clean and refurbish switch and breaker panels; replace worn contacts and detents per CMM.
- • Protect wiring and connectors during paint or structural work and restore identification markings afterward.
- • Use protective covers, ESD-safe practices, and contamination controls to prevent component damage.
- • Inspect for overheating, arcing, insulation damage, and poor grounds; perform bonding and insulation tests.
- • Disassemble electrical panels to inspect relays, buses, terminals, and contactors for wear or heat damage.
- • Determine repair limits and replacement criteria for electrical components using AMM/CMM guidance.
- • Verify shielding, bonding, and lightning/EMI protection after repairs or modifications.
- • Monitor electrical loads and system indications during ground runs; analyze BITE/fault codes to isolate issues.
- • Support functional check flights or taxi tests to validate electrical system performance when authorized.
- • Service and troubleshoot electrical interfaces for external stores, pylons, and fuel system electrical components, ensuring proper bonding in hazardous areas.
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
