Simplified STC Validation for Single Serial Number Imports to the European Union

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency — Federal Aviation Administration (EASA-FAA) Technical Implementation Procedures (TIP) at revision 7.1 offers in chapter 7.16, a simplified validation process for FAA supplemental type certificates (STCs) classified as “Basic” that are installed to a second-hand aircraft at the time of the export from the United States (US) to the European Union, where the US STC holder is either unwilling or unable to apply for a validation:

• the scope is limited to aircraft and installed engines, if applicable, in the following categories:
  • aeroplanes with a maximum take-off mass (MTOM) of 5 700 kg or less, having a Maximum Mach operating (MMo) equal or less than 0,6 and/or a maximum operating altitude equal or less than 25 000 ft;
  • sailplanes or powered sailplanes;
  • balloons;
  • hot air airships; or
  • rotorcraft with an MTOM of 3 175 kg or less and limited to 4 seats, including pilot;
• the STC holder is unable or unwilling to apply for a validation of the STC;
• the STC is classified as “Basic” according to the criteria stipulated in Section 3.5.3;
• STCs to an aircraft or aircraft engine that may result in a change (increase or decrease) in the noise level(s) are excluded; and
• STCs for external installations to a rotorcraft are excluded.

The EU applicant needs to:

• in preparation of an application to EASA:
  • check against the latest EASA-FAA Technical Implementation Procedures (TIP), point 3.5.3.2 (b) that the FAA STC can be classified as “Basic”, see also FAQ: What is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) “Basic” supplemental type certificate (STC)?;
  • Have available evidence that the aircraft in question is in the process of being imported from the US to an EU Member State;
  • Have available evidence that the FAA STC in question has been installed already before export from the US;
  • Have available the relevant correspondence with the US STC Holder (STCH) aimed at demonstrating his unwillingness to follow the normal validation process stipulated in the TIP, and a STCH statement indicating the “no objection to EASA validation for one serial number”; or;
  • evidence that the STCH no longer exists and therefore cannot apply for validation;
  • have available a copy of the FAA STC; and
  • have available the applicable documentation available to the applicant (e.g. Master Drawing List, Installation Instructions, Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM), Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL), Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) including the published safety documents as Service Bulletins, Safety Information Letters, Airworthiness Directives, etc.);
• complete the EASA application form FO.CERT.00134; and
• submit the signed application including the data package to STC [at] easa.europa.eu (STC[at]easa[dot]europa[dot]eu).
   

This is a STC meeting the criteria for “Basic” classification stipulated in the current TIP for Airworthiness and Environmental certification between the FAA and EASA at paragraph 3.5.3.1.

The classification criteria for “Basic” supplemental type certificates (STCs) are stipulated in Section 3.5.3.1 of the current Technical Implementing Procedures (TIP) for Airworthiness and Environmental Certification between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and are listed below for your convenience.

Major design changes to a type certificate (TC), including STCs, are eligible for a “Basic” classification if not impacting any of the following items:

1. any item in the safety emphasis item (SEI) list of the validating authority (VA) (i.e. EASA in this case) as defined in Section 3.5.10.4;
2. the certification basis of the certificating authority (CA) (i.e. the FAA in this case) or of the VA includes or is anticipated to include a new or amended:
   • FAA exemption or EASA deviation,
   • special condition (SC), or
   • equivalent level of safety (ELOS/ESF);
3. a classification of “Significant” has been made by the CA in accordance with FAA 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 21.101(b) or EASA point 21.A.101(b) to Annex I (Part 21) to Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012;
4. an airworthiness directive (AD) is affected, which was unilaterally issued by the VA; or an AD is affected, which was issued by the VA, and where the VA is the Authority for the State of Design (SoD) of the TC;
5. changes involving the use of a new applicable method of compliance (MoC)^* or different from that previously agreed by the CA and the VA;
6. new technology^** exists;
7. novel applications of existing technology^*** exist;
8. the applicant has proposed to the CA non-simple substantiations of acoustic or emissions changes, whereas a simple substantiation is when the compliance demonstration with the CA has involved standard means of compliance and procedures that were already regularly agreed by the VA and CA in previous projects of the same applicant (using the same test organisation)  (Note: TIP Chapter 7.16 is more stringent and excludes any STC that has an impact on noise values (increase or decrease));
9. changes that have an appreciable effect on any one of the operational suitability data (OSD) constituents (refer to EASA Guidance Material GM 21.A.91 to determine an appreciable effect); and
10. any other design change designated as "Non-Basic" by the CA.

Note 1: Please consult the EASA lists of SEIs for General Aviation and Rotorcraft.

Note 2: Please note that this information is typically quoted in the FAA STC.

^* A method of compliance would not be considered “new” or “different” if it had been previously applied in a similar context by both the CA and the VA.

^** New technology is technology that is new to the VA as a whole, not just new to the VA team members. For example, if technology used by the applicant were new to the VA team, but not to the VA itself, it would not be considered new. It is the VA management’s responsibility to make sure the VA team members are properly informed of the earlier use of the technology, VA standards, and MoC.

^*** Novel application of technology is where a particular technology is being used in a manner that causes the precepts of the technology to be questioned. However, it does not mean that existing technology being applied for the first time to a particular product line is automatically novel. Additionally, novel applies to the VA as a whole, not just to a project being assessed by the specific VA team members.

Note 3: Please note that applicants may not have all the elements and information required for a correct classification. Therefore, the classification proposed by the applicant may be questioned by EASA and eventually not accepted.

The application form can be found on the FO.CERT.00134 — Application for Simplified STC Validation for Single Serial Number Imports to the European Union page.

Please use the mailboxes below, as applicable, for any queries regarding this process:

• GADadmin [at] easa.europa.eu (GADadmin[at]easa[dot]europa[dot]eu)
• VTOL [at] easa.europa.eu (VTOL[at]easa[dot]europa[dot]eu) (for very light aircraft (VLR) and small rotorcraft only)

Provided that the application has been accepted, applicants will be charged 2 hours at the applicable hourly rate, as per Part II of the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2153 on the fees and charges levied by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

The FO.CERT.00134 — Application for Simplified STC Validation for Single Serial Number Imports to the European Union application form contains on page 3 the EASA statement and approval number which will be signed, dated, and stamped.

The statement below is proof of the EASA validation. Please place this page in the aircraft log.

Double check whether the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supplemental type certificate (STC) has been validated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) already or is deemed to be validated by EASA (grandfathering of validations done by EU Member States before the establishment of EASA, see FAQ on ‘grandfathered STCs’).

If this is not the case, as per the EASA-FAA Technical Implementation Procedure (TIP), a simplified validation can only be applied, during the import of the aircraft to which the STC is installed. This means that the FAA STC holder has to apply for a normal validation procedure at EASA as outlined here: Steps to Obtain EASA Type Certificate (TC)/Supplemental Type Certificate (STC).