Part III
The integrity of aeronautical products such as aircraft spare parts is critical for the continuing airworthiness of an aircraft. Defective components must be replaced during the maintenance process with an approved spare part.
Aeronautical products fall into three main classes and are procured from manufacturers approved by the aeronautical authorities, and known as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Parts manufactured by OEMs are designed to fit the parts being replaced, in every sense of the word “fit.” This means the replacement part must serve the same exact purpose as the original part used during the testing and certification of the aircraft.
A class I product is a complete aircraft, engine or propeller which has been type certificated in accordance with the appropriate airworthiness requirements and for which the necessary type certificate, or equivalent, have been issued.
A class II product is a major component of a class I product such as a wings, empennages, landing gears, hydraulic pumps, starters and flight controls etc.
A class III product is any part or component which is not a class I or class II product including standard parts.
A standard part is manufactured in compliance with a specification approved by airworthiness authorities including the design, manufacturing, and uniform identification requirements. Nuts, bolters, washers and rivets are standard parts.
All aeronautical products are accompanied by airworthiness approval tags issued by the OEMs attesting to its conformity with the approved manufacturing specifications.
Aircraft maintenance organisations (AMO) have a "bonded area" with systems and procedures for the handling of aircraft spare parts.
All incoming aircraft spares parts are routed to a designated area called "receiving inspection" where the parts are inspected by qualified inspectors for any signs of obvious damage. The airworthiness approval tag is scrutinised to ensure that the part number and/or the serial number matches the component and appropriately certified. Upon satisfactory inspection of the part, a "serviceable tag”, normally with a green band and a QR code, is attached to the part containing the description, part number and/or model number, serial number and signed and dated by the receiving inspector. The part is then released for storage in another designated area.
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Parts that are damaged or missing its airworthiness approval tag are routed to a quarantine area for shipping back to the OEM for repair and/or re-certification.
An "unserviceable tag", normally with a red band, is attached to all defective components removed from an aircraft containing the description, part number and/or model number, serial number, reason for removal and signed and dated by the person removing the part. The part is then routed to a designated area for unserviceable parts.
All serviceable a
