Definition
Maintenance performed to repair, replace, or restore a component or system after a fault, failure, or unacceptable condition has been identified. It is reactive in nature, addressing a known problem to return the aircraft to an airworthy state, as distinguished from preventive (scheduled) maintenance performed before any failure occurs.
Plain English
Work done on the aircraft to fix something that has gone wrong or is no longer working properly. The repair happens because a problem has already shown up, not as part of a routine check.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of equipment failures, such as a turbocharger problem, when the airplane may need repair before further flight.
Derivation
From Latin 'corrigere', meaning 'to make straight' or 'to put right'. The word emphasizes that the action is taken in response to something already wrong, rather than to keep things from going wrong in the first place.
Why Pilots Care
Distinguishes unscheduled repairs from routine preventive work, directly affecting airworthiness decisions, logbook entries, and return-to-service timing after an in-flight issue.
Intuition Check
Do not read corrective maintenance as routine upkeep. It means repair work done because a specific problem has been found.
Example Sentence 1
After the turbocharger failed in cruise, the aircraft was grounded for corrective maintenance before being released back to service.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot ensured the corrective maintenance was properly documented before the next flight.