| 10/3/08 |
8900.1 CHG 36 |
|
|
|
VOLUME 6 Surveillance
CHAPTER 2 PART 121, 135, AND 91 SUBPART K INSPECTIONS
Section 27 Conducting a Program Manager/Air Carrier/Air Agency Inspection to Detect Unapproved Parts
6-762
PURPOSE. This section provides guidance for principal maintenance inspectors (PMI) and principal avionics inspectors (PAI) conducting unapproved parts surveillance/inspections at Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 91 subpart K (part 91K) program manager, air carrier, and air agency facilities. This guidance will assist inspectors in performing a comprehensive inspection, which includes parts accepted into their system, and parts approved for return to service by the program manager/air carrier/air agency.
6-763
DISCUSSION. To ensure compliance with 14 CFR and policy outlined in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Order 8120.16, Processing Reports of Suspected Unapproved Parts, PMIs and PAIs will conduct surveillance to detect unapproved parts. Generally speaking, a part is considered to be unapproved if it has been produced, maintained, rebuilt, or altered contrary to 14 CFR; or if it has been intentionally misrepresented (e.g., false, fraudulent, and/or counterfeit). Specific definitions related to the Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUP) Program are contained in FAA Order 8120.16 and are summarized below.
A. “Approved Part.” Describes a part that has been designed, produced, maintained, rebuilt, and/or altered in accordance with (IAW) 14 CFR.
B. SUP. A part that is suspected of not meeting the requirements of an “approved part” for any reason.
C. Unapproved Part. A part that does not meet the requirements of an “approved part.”
6-764
ACTION. Aviation safety inspectors (ASI) charged with certificate management responsibilities for air carriers and air agencies, and management specification (MSpec) authorizations for part 91K program managers, should ensure that those operators/program managers have procedures to prevent unapproved parts from entering into their parts inventories and/or prevent them from being released from their system.
A.
Inventories. ASIs should evaluate their program manager/air carrier/air agency’s parts receiving inspection procedures to ensure that only “approved parts” and materials are accepted into inventories. A representative sample of the inventory should be examined to validate parts for the following, as applicable:
1) New parts (accepted into the system) were produced under 14 CFR part 21, or are otherwise approved by the Administrator.
2) Documentation identifies the approved manufacturer of that part/material, and states that the part/material complies with the applicable regulations and contains the required information. Documentation may include FAA Form 8130-3, Authorized Release Certificate, Airworthiness Approval Tag; European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Form 1, Authorized Release Certificate; Transport Canada Form 24-0078, Authorized Release Certificate; Joint Aviation Authority (JAA) Form 1 leave as is; shipping tickets, packing slips, purchase orders, material certifications, and/or certificates of conformity.
3) FAA Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) parts are marked per 14 CFR part 45, § 45.15.
4) Parts produced under an FAA Technical Standard Order Authorization (TSOA) are marked per part 21, §§ 21.603 and 21.607.
5) Standard parts (i.e., bolts and nuts) and raw materials (i.e., sheet metal and welding rods) contain certification statements or other evidence that they conform to established industry or U.S. Government specifications.
6) Used parts have an approval for return to service by a FAA-certificated person (i.e., air carrier, repair station, mechanic).
7) Parts with a specified replacement time, inspection interval, or related procedures are permanently marked with part number and serial number (or equivalent) per part 45, § 45.14, 45.15, or 45.16 or dispositioned IAW 14 CFR part 43, § 43.10, Disposition of Life-Limited Parts.
NOTE: See the current edition of Advisory Circular (AC) 20-62, Eligibility, Quality, and Identification of Aeronautical Replacement Parts, for additional information.
B.
Maintenance Records/Work Orders. ASIs should review a representative sample of maintenance records and/or work orders of parts approved for return to service by the program manager/air carrier/air agency to ensure the following:
1) “Approved parts” were used during the course of maintenance, repair, or alteration.
2)
The air carrier/air agency is authorized to approve the part for return to service. A part 91K program manager is not authorized to return parts to service.
3) The maintenance or alteration was performed IAW the methods, techniques, and practices prescribed in the current manufacturer’s maintenance manual; instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA) prepared by the manufacturer; or other methods techniques and practices acceptable to the Administrator, and/or
4) The maintenance was performed IAW operations specifications (OpSpecs) or an inspection program accepted/approved by the Administrator.
5) Alterations were performed IAW approved data or data acceptable to the Administrator.
C. Air Agencies. ASIs should inspect the air agency’s maintenance records and/or work orders to verify the following:
1) The maintenance or alteration performed is authorized on a current capability list acceptable to the Administrator or on the approved OpSpecs.
2) The approved/acceptable data used to perform maintenance or alteration was current at the time the part was approved for return to service.
3) The equipment, tools, and materials used are recommended by the manufacturer, or at least equivalent to those recommended by the manufacturer, and are acceptable to the Administrator for the part maintained, rebuilt, or altered and approved for return to service.
4) Maintenance, preventive maintenance, and/or alteration performed for an air carrier is performed IAW the air carrier’s maintenance program and applicable sections of its procedures manual, or the operator’s approved inspection program.
5) The methods, techniques, and practices prescribed in the current manufacturer’s maintenance manual, or ICAs prepared by its manufacturer, or other methods techniques and practices acceptable or approved by the Administrator are followed.
6) Personnel/training records to ensure the facility has personnel with the appropriate training and qualifications, as applicable, to plan, supervise, perform, and approve for return to service the maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations performed.
7) When a maintenance function is contracted out, ensure the requirements of the air carriers accepted/approved maintenance procedures have been met.
NOTE: A part that was approved for return to service without meeting the requirements listed above is considered to be an unapproved part.
D. Fractional Program Managers/Air Carriers. ASIs should inspect the program manager/air carrier’s maintenance records and/or work orders to verify the following:
1) The maintenance or alteration performed is authorized by the OpSpecs/MSpecs or an inspection program accepted/approved by the Administrator.
2) The approved/acceptable data used to perform maintenance or alteration was current at the time the part was approved for return to service.
3) The equipment, tools, and materials used are recommended by the manufacturer, or at least equivalent to those recommended by the manufacturer and acceptable to the Administrator, for the part maintained, rebuilt, or altered and approved for return to service.
4)
Maintenance, preventive maintenance, and/or alteration performed by a program manager/air carrier is performed IAW the program manager/air carrier’s program and applicable sections of its maintenance manual, or the program manager/operator’s accepted/approved inspection program.
5) Personnel/training records to ensure the facility has personnel with the appropriate training and qualifications, as applicable, to plan, supervise, perform, and approve for return to service the maintenance, preventive maintenance or alterations performed.
6)
When a maintenance function is contracted out, verify that the program manager/air carrier’s accepted/approved maintenance procedures were followed.
NOTE: A part that was approved for return to service without meeting the requirements listed above is considered to be an unapproved part.
