M.A.501 Classification and installation
Regulation (EU) 2021/700
(a) All components shall be classified into the following categories:
(1) Components which are in a satisfactory condition, released on an EASA Form 1 or equivalent and marked in accordance with Subpart Q of Annex I (Part 21) to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012, unless otherwise specified in point 21.A.307 of Annex I (Part 21) to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012, or in this Annex (Part-M), or in Annex Vd (Part-CAO).
(2) Unserviceable components which shall be maintained in accordance with this Regulation.
(3) Components categorised as unsalvageable because they have reached their mandatory life limitation or contain a non-repairable defect.
(4) Standard parts used on an aircraft, engine, propeller or other aircraft component when specified in the maintenance data and accompanied by evidence of conformity traceable to the applicable standard.
(5) Material both raw and consumable used in the course of maintenance when the organisation is satisfied that the material meets the required specification and has appropriate traceability. All materials must be accompanied by documentation clearly relating to the particular material and containing a conformity to specification statement plus both the manufacturing and supplier source.
(b) Components, standard parts and material shall only be installed on an aircraft or a component when they are in a satisfactory condition, belong to one of the categories listed in point (a) and the applicable maintenance data specifies the particular component, standard part or material.
AMC1 M.A.501(a)(1) Classification and installation
ED Decision 2021/009/R
EASA FORM 1 OR EQUIVALENT
(a) A document equivalent to an EASA Form 1 may be:
(1) a release document issued by an organisation under the terms of a bilateral agreement signed by the European Union;
(2) a release document issued by an organisation approved under the terms of a JAA bilateral agreement until superseded by the corresponding agreement signed by the European Union;
(3) a JAA Form One issued prior to 28 November 2004 by a JAR 145 organisation approved by a JAA Full Member State;
(4) in the case of new aircraft components that were released from manufacturing prior to the Part 21 compliance date, the component should be accompanied by a JAA Form One issued by a JAR 21 organisation and approved by a JAA Full Member State within the JAA mutual recognition system;
(5) a JAA Form One issued prior to 28 September 2005 by a production organisation approved by a competent authority in accordance with its national regulations;
(6) a JAA Form One issued prior to 28 September 2008 by a maintenance organisation approved by a competent authority in accordance with its national regulations;
(7) a release document acceptable to a competent authority according to the provisions of a bilateral agreement between the competent authority and a third country until superseded by the corresponding agreement signed by the European Union. This provision is valid provided the above agreements between the competent authority and a third country are notified to the European Commission and to the other competent authorities in accordance with Article 68 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139;
(8) a release document issued under the conditions described in Article 4 point 6 of Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014);
(9) a ‘declaration of maintenance accomplished’ issued by the person or organisation that performed the maintenance, as specified in point M.A.502(e).
(b) Any item in storage without an EASA Form 1 or equivalent cannot be installed on aircraft registered in a Member State unless an EASA Form 1 is issued for such item by an appropriately approved maintenance organisation in accordance with AMC M.A.613(a) or AMC1 CAO.A.070(a) or AMC2 145.A.50(d).
GM1 M.A.501(a)(1) Classification and installation
ED Decision 2021/009/R
Point (b) of 21.A.307 specifies new components that do not need an EASA Form 1 or equivalent to be eligible for installation. Point (c) of 21.A.307 specifies the conditions for the document accompanying the component.
GM1 M.A.501(a)(2) Classification and installation
ED Decision 2019/009/R
UNSERVICEABLE COMPONENTS
(a) The person or organisation that performs maintenance should ensure the proper identification of any unserviceable components. The unserviceable status of the component should be clearly declared on a tag together with the component identification data and any information that is useful to define actions that are necessary to be taken. Such information should state, as applicable, in-service times, maintenance status, preservation status, failures, defects or malfunctions reported or detected, exposure to adverse environmental conditions, and whether the component is installed on an aircraft that was involved in an accident or incident. Means should be provided to prevent unintentional separation of this tag from the component.
(b) Unserviceable components should typically undergo maintenance due to:
(1) expiry of the service life limit as defined in the aircraft maintenance programme;
(2) non-compliance with the applicable airworthiness directives and other continuing airworthiness requirements mandated by the Agency;
(3) absence of the necessary information to determine the airworthiness status or eligibility for installation;
(4) evidence of defects or malfunctions;
(5) being installed on an aircraft that was involved in an incident or accident likely to affect the component’s serviceability.
AMC1 M.A.501(a)(3) Classification and installation
ED Decision 2020/002/R
UNSALVAGEABLE COMPONENTS
The following types of components should typically be classified as unsalvageable:
(a) components with non-repairable defects, whether visible or not to the naked eye;
(b) components that do not meet design specifications, and cannot be brought into conformity with such specifications;
(c) components subjected to unacceptable modification or rework that is irreversible;
(d) life-limited parts that have reached or exceeded their mandatory life limitation, or have missing or incomplete records;
(e) components whose airworthy condition cannot be restored due to exposure to extreme forces, heat or adverse environmental conditions;
(f) components for which conformity with an applicable airworthiness directive cannot be accomplished;
(g) components for which maintenance records and/or traceability to the manufacturer cannot be retrieved.
AMC1 M.A.501(a)(4) Classification and installation
ED Decision 2019/009/R
STANDARD PARTS
(a) Standard parts are parts that are manufactured in complete compliance with an established industry, Agency, competent authority or other government specification which include design, manufacturing, test and acceptance criteria, and uniform identification requirements.
The specification should include all the information that is necessary to produce and verify conformity of the part. It should be published so that any party may manufacture the part. Examples of such specifications are National Aerospace Standards (NAS), Army-Navy Aeronautical Standard (AN), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), SAE Sematec, Joint Electron Device Engineering Council, Joint Electron Tube Engineering Council, and American National Standards Institute (ANSI), EN Specifications, etc.
(b) To designate a part as a standard part, the TC holder may issue a standard parts manual accepted by the competent authority of the original TC holder or may make reference in the parts catalogue to the specification to be met by the standard part. Documentation that accompanies standard parts should clearly relate to the particular parts and contain a conformity statement plus both the manufacturing and supplier source. Some materials are subject to special conditions, such as storage conditions or life limitation, etc., and this should be included in the documentation and/or the material’s packaging.
(c) An EASA Form 1 or equivalent is not normally issued and, therefore, none should be expected.
AMC2 M.A.501(a)(4) Classification and installation
ED Decision 2019/009/R
STANDARD PARTS
For sailplanes and powered sailplanes, non-required instruments and/or equipment that are certified under the provision of CS 22.1301(b), if those instruments or equipment, when installed, functioning, functioning improperly or not functioning at all, do not in themselves, or by their effect upon the sailplane and its operation, constitute a safety hazard.
‘Required’ in the term ‘non-required’, as used above, means required by the applicable airworthiness code (CS 22.1303, 22.1305 and 22.1307) or required by the relevant regulations for air operations and the applicable Rules of the Air or as required by air traffic management (e.g. a transponder in certain controlled airspace). Examples of non-required equipment which can be considered to be standard parts may be electrical variometers, bank/slip indicators ball-type, total energy probes, capacity bottles (for variometers), final glide calculators, navigation computers, data logger/barograph/turnpoint camera, bug-wipers and anti-collision systems. Equipment which must be approved in accordance with the airworthiness code shall comply with the applicable ETSO or equivalent and it is not considered to be a standard part (e.g. oxygen equipment).
AMC M.A.501(a)(5) Classification and installation
ED Decision 2019/009/R
MATERIAL
(a) Consumable material is any material which is only used once, such as lubricants, cements, compounds, paints, chemical dyes and sealants, etc.
(b) Raw material is any material that requires further work to make it into a component part of the aircraft, such as metals, plastics, wood, fabric, etc.
(c) Material both raw and consumable should only be accepted when satisfied that it is to the required specification. To be satisfied, the material and/or its packaging should be marked with the applicable specification and, where appropriate, the batch number.
(d) Documentation that accompanies all materials should clearly relate to the particular material and contain a conformity statement plus both the manufacturing and supplier source. Some materials are subject to special conditions, such as storage conditions or life limitation, etc., and this should be included in the documentation and/or the material’s packaging.
(e) An EASA Form 1 or equivalent should not be issued for such materials and, therefore, none should be expected. The material specification is normally identified in the (S)TC holder’s data except in the case where the Agency or the competent authority has agreed otherwise.
GM1 M.A.501(b) Classification and installation
ED Decision 2021/009/R
(a) To ensure that components, standard parts and materials are in satisfactory condition, the persons referred to under M.A.801(b)(1), M.A.801(b)(2) or M.A.801(c) or the approved maintenance organisation should perform an incoming physical inspection.
(b) The incoming physical inspection should be performed before the component is installed on the aircraft.
(c) The following list, although not exhaustive, contains typical checks to be performed:
(1) verify the general condition of the components and their packaging in relation to damages that could affect their integrity;
(2) verify that the shelf life of the component has not expired;
(3) verify that items are received in the appropriate package in respect of the type of the component: e.g. correct ATA 300 or electrostatic sensitive devices packaging, when necessary;
(4) verify that the component has all plugs and caps appropriately installed to prevent damage or internal contamination. Care should be taken when tape is used to cover electrical connections or fluid fittings/openings because adhesive residues can insulate electrical connections and contaminate hydraulic or fuel units.
(5) verify that the release certificate accompanying each new component satisfies the release requirements established in point 21.A.307 as applicable in relation to the particular product on which the component is being installed.
(d) Items (e.g. fasteners) purchased in batches should be supplied in a package. The packaging should state the applicable specification/standard, P/N, batch number, and the quantity of the items. The documentation that accompanies the material should contain the applicable specification/standard, P/N, batch number, supplied quantity, and the manufacturing sources. If the material is acquired from different batches, acceptance documentation for each batch should be provided.
GM2 M.A.501(b) Classification and installation
ED Decision 2021/009/R
INSTALLATION OF COMPONENTS
Components, standard parts and materials should only be installed when they are specified in the applicable maintenance data as specified in M.A.401(b). So, a component, standard part and material can only be installed after having checked the applicable maintenance data.
This check should ensure that the part number, modification status, limitations, etc. of the component, standard part or material are the ones specified in the applicable maintenance data of the particular aircraft or component where the component, standard part or material is going to be installed. When the installation is performed outside a maintenance organisation, that is by the persons referred to in M.A.801(b)(1), M.A.801(b)(2), or M.A.801(c), then these persons are responsible to perform this check before installation. When the installation is performed by a Part-M Subpart F organisation or an organisation approved in accordance with Part CAO, then the organisation has to establish procedures to ensure that this check is performed before installation.
Regulation (EU) 2021/1963 (EU) 2021/1963
(a) The maintenance of components other than the components referred to in points (b)(2) to (b)(6) of point 21.A.307 of Annex I (Part 21) to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 shall be performed by maintenance organisations approved in accordance with Subpart F of this Annex or with Annex II (Part-145) or with Annex Vd (Part-CAO), as applicable.
(b) By way of derogation from point (a), where a component is fitted to the aircraft, the maintenance of such a component may be performed by an aircraft maintenance organisation approved in accordance with Subpart F of this Annex or with Annex II (Part-145) or with Annex Vd (Part-CAO) or by the certifying staff referred to in point (b)(1) of point M.A.801. Such maintenance shall be performed in accordance with the aircraft maintenance data or in accordance with the component maintenance data if agreed by the competent authority. Such aircraft maintenance organisation or the certifying staff may temporarily remove the component for maintenance if this is necessary to improve access to the component, except where additional maintenance is required due to the removal. Component maintenance performed in accordance with this point shall not be eligible for the issuance of an EASA Form 1 and shall be subject to the aircraft release requirements provided for in point M.A.801.
(c) By way of derogation from point (a), where a component is fitted to the engine or the auxiliary power unit (APU), the maintenance of such component may be performed by an engine maintenance organisation approved in accordance with Subpart F of this Annex, or with Annex II (Part-145), or with Annex Vd (Part-CAO). Such maintenance shall be performed in accordance with the engine or the APU maintenance data or in accordance with the component maintenance data if agreed by the competent authority. Such engine maintenance organisation may temporarily remove the component for maintenance if this is necessary to improve access to the component, except where additional maintenance is required due to the removal.
(d) The maintenance of components referred to in point (b)(2) of point 21.A.307 of Annex I (Part 21) to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012, where the component is fitted to the aircraft or is temporarily removed to improve access, shall be performed by an aircraft maintenance organisation approved in accordance with Subpart F of this Annex or with Annex II (Part-145) or with Annex Vd (Part-CAO), as applicable, by the certifying staff referred to in point (b)(1) of point M.A.801 or by the pilot-owner referred to in point (b)(2) of point M.A.801. Component maintenance performed in accordance with this point shall not be eligible for the issuance of an EASA Form 1 and shall be subject to the aircraft release requirements provided for in point M.A.801.
(e) The maintenance of components referred to in points (b)(3) to (b)(6) of point 21.A.307 of Annex I (Part 21) to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 shall be performed by the organisation referred to in point (a), or performed by any person or organisation and released with a “declaration of maintenance accomplished” issued by the person or organisation that performed the maintenance. The “declaration of maintenance accomplished” shall contain at least basic details of the maintenance carried out, the date on which the maintenance was completed, and the identification of the organisation or person that issues it. It shall be considered a maintenance record and equivalent to an EASA Form 1 in respect of the maintained component.
AMC M.A.502 Component maintenance
ED Decision 2015/029/R
Component removal from and installation on an aircraft is considered to be aircraft maintenance and not component maintenance. As a consequence, M.A.502 requirements do not apply to this case.
AMC M.A.502(b) and (c) Component maintenance
ED Decision 2020/002/R
M.A.502(b) and (c) allow the performance of certain component maintenance, in accordance with component maintenance data, to maintenance organisations not holding the corresponding B/C rating and to independent certifying staff, subject to the agreement of:
The authority responsible for the oversight of the maintenance organisation (refer to M.1, paragraph 2 for M.A. Subpart F maintenance organisations, or to 145.1 for Part-145 maintenance organisations, or to CAO.1 for Part-CAO maintenance organisations) or,
The authority of the Member State of registry in the case of maintenance performed by independent certifying staff.
This should only be permitted by the competent authority in the case of simple component maintenance, where the competent authority is satisfied that the certifying staff are appropriately qualified and the proper tooling and facilities are available. It is important to note that for more complex component maintenance, special qualifications may be required and it is not enough with holding a Part-66 aircraft maintenance licence.
GM1 M.A.502(e) Component maintenance
ED Decision 2021/009/R
A ‘declaration of maintenance accomplished’ is a certificate prepared in any shape/form by the person or organisation that performed any maintenance on the component covered by the certificate and subject to the conditions in M.A.502(e). This person or organisation does not need an approval to perform maintenance in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014. In order for the component to be eligible for installation with a ‘declaration of maintenance accomplished’, this declaration, together with other records, should allow the determination that the component was first installed as ‘new’, as a component referred to in M.A.502(e). Such a component should not be installed in an aircraft if there is information on the certificate which is not readable or not understandable or states that the component is not in a satisfactory condition for operation.
M.A.503 Life-limited parts and time-controlled components
Regulation (EU) 2020/270
(a) Installed life-limited parts and time-controlled components shall not exceed the approved limitation as specified in the AMP and ADs, except as provided for in point M.A.504(b).
(b) When the approved limitation expires, the component shall be removed from the aircraft for maintenance, or for disposal in the case of life-limited parts.
M.A.504 Segregation of components
Regulation (EU) 2019/1383
(a) Unserviceable and unsalvageable components shall be segregated from serviceable components, standards parts and materials.
(b) Unsalvageable components shall not be permitted to re-enter the component supply system unless the mandatory life limitation has been extended or a repair solution has been approved in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 748/2012.
AMC1 M.A.504 Segregation of components
ED Decision 2020/002/R
(a) Unserviceable components should be identified and stored in a separate secure location that is managed by the maintenance organisation until a decision is made on the future status of such components. Certifying staff outside maintenance organisations (M.A.801(b)(1), or M.A.801(c)) that release aircraft maintenance should send, with the agreement of the aircraft owner/lessee, any unserviceable component to a maintenance organisation for controlled storage. Nevertheless, the person or organisation that declared the component unserviceable may transfer its custody, after identifying it as unserviceable, to the aircraft owner/lessee provided that such transfer is reflected in the aircraft logbook, or engine logbook, or component logbook.
(b) ‘Secure location under the control of an approved maintenance organisation’ refers to a location that is managed by the approved maintenance organisation that prevents the component from being reused or tampered with. This may include facilities that are established by the organisation at locations different from the main maintenance facilities. These locations should be identified in the relevant procedures of the organisation.
(c) In the case of unsalvageable components, the person or organisation should:
(1) retain such components in the secure location referred to in paragraph (b);
(2) arrange for the component to be mutilated in a manner that ensures that it is cannot be restored for use, before disposing it; or
(3) mark the component indicating that it is unsalvageable, when, in agreement with the component owner, the component is disposed of for legitimate non-flight uses (such as training and education aids, research and development), or for non-aviation applications, mutilation is often not appropriate. Alternatively to marking, the original part number or data plate information can be removed, or a record kept of the disposal of the component for legitimate non-flight uses.
GM1 M.A.504 Segregation of components
ED Decision 2019/009/R
MUTILATION OF COMPONENTS
(a) Mutilation should be accomplished in such a manner that the components become permanently unusable for their originally intended use. Mutilated components should not be able to be reworked or camouflaged to provide the appearance of being serviceable, such as by replating, shortening and rethreading long bolts, welding, straightening, machining, cleaning, polishing, or repainting.
(b) Mutilation may be accomplished by one or a combination of the following procedures:
(1) grinding;
(2) burning;
(3) removal of a major lug or other integral feature;
(4) permanent distortion of parts;
(5) cutting a hole with cutting torch or saw;
(6) melting;
(7) sawing into many small pieces; and
(8) any other method accepted by the competent authority.
(c) The following procedures are examples of mutilation that are often less successful because they may not be consistently effective:
(1) stamping or vibro-etching;
(2) spraying with paint;
(3) small distortions, incisions, or hammer marks;
(4) identification by tags or markings;
(5) drilling small holes; and
(6) sawing in two pieces only.