Parts Manufacturer Approval for Replacement and Modification Articles

PMA information identifies the holder, article name and number, approval basis and the products on which installation is eligible. Match these details to the offered part before procurement. A manufacturer's catalog description can be broader than the approved eligibility record. Verify the exact part number and applicable aircraft, engine or other product configuration rather than assuming that a physically interchangeable part is legally interchangeable in every application.

Subpart K establishes application and design requirements for the approval. The basis may involve the permitted design substantiation pathway and supporting technical data. FAA procedures distinguish the design review from production approval activities. Engineering analysis should establish that the article meets its applicable requirements, while the approval record identifies the resulting scope. A supplier's reverse-engineering capability alone does not establish that the design has been approved.

PMA applicants and holders must establish the quality system required by the relevant Part 21 provisions and provide a quality manual for FAA approval. Production controls address conformity to the approved article design. Materials, special processes, supplier output and inspection results therefore need to remain connected to that design. A commercial ISO or aerospace quality certification can support supplier evaluation but does not issue or replace a PMA.

Part 21 addresses changes in PMA manufacturing facilities and the FAA's inspection and test access. Product and quality changes should be assessed under the applicable rules before the manufacturer extends an existing approval to a revised construction. Keep the approved design, process instructions and supplier requirements consistent. Moving manufacture or changing a critical process is not merely an administrative catalog update when it can affect conformity or airworthiness.

The marketed article must be identifiable to the approved manufacturer and part. Check the required marking and the release evidence appropriate to the transaction against the actual item. Traceability should distinguish new production, maintenance activity and used parts. A document bearing an aviation approval reference is useful only when it corresponds to the particular article, condition and authorization relevant to its intended installation.

FAA's Dynamic Regulatory System is the official route for checking available PMA article information. Retain the applicable approval and eligibility evidence with the purchasing and installation record, and examine any limits or changes affecting the application. PMA does not amount to a general approval of every product sold by the holder. Installation and continued-airworthiness responsibilities still require attention to the actual product configuration and applicable maintenance or operating requirements.