Considerations Related to the Scope of Operational Suitability Data (OSD)

Sofema Online (SOL) www.sofemaonline.com reviews features related to OSD.

Introduction

Operational Suitability Data (OSD) refers to a suite of data which is required to be established by aircraft manufacturers under the control and oversight of EASA Part 2. OSD is considered as Data which is important for the safe operation of aircraft type.

Note: OSD is approved by EASA under the Type Certificate to be used by operators and training organizations.

Type Certificate Application

Within the scope of the application for the approval of operational suitability data, the TC applicant may apply for the approval of different types of operations.

If the aircraft is certified for certain types of operations (e.g. ETOPS, RNP, LVO), the impact on the OSD constituents of 21.A.15(d) should also be addressed.

» The five defined OSD constituents are listed in paragraph (2)(k) of Article 1 of Regulation (EU) No 748/2012. Operational Suitability Data (OSD)” means data, which are part of an aircraft type-certificate, restricted type- certificate or supplemental type-certificate, consisting of all of the following:

o The minimum syllabus of pilot type rating training, including determination of type rating;
o The definition of scope of the aircraft validation source data to support the objective qualification of simulators or the provisional data to support their interim qualification;
o The minimum syllabus of maintenance certifying staff type rating training, including determination of type rating;
o Determination of type or variant for cabin crew and type specific data for cabin crew;
o The master minimum equipment list (MMEL).

As explained in GM No 1 to 21.A.15(d), they may not all be applicable to all aircraft types.

» The content of each OSD constituent is defined in the relevant certification specification (CS) and will be approved under a type certificate (TC), supplemental type certificate (STC) or change to those certificates.

» As explained in GM No 3 to 21.A.15(d), each OSD constituent can have a part that is mandatory for the end user (operator, training organisation, etc); and

» A part that is not mandatory (recommendation) for the end user. However, both the mandatory and the non-mandatory part together are the OSD constituent.

Furthermore, the OSD constituent always includes the element required from the TC/STC applicant, as specified in the CS, and may include additional elements at the request of the TC/STC applicant, but still as defined in the CS.

» OSD needs to be approved before the data is used by a training organisation for the purpose of obtaining a European Union (EU) licence, rating or attestation, or by an EU operator.

» This is normally done before the entry into service of the first aircraft by an EU operator but it could also be done later for some of the OSD constituents, such as the definition of the scope of validation source data to support the objective qualification of a simulator, which should only be available when a simulator has to be qualified.

GM No 1 to 21.A.93(b)(1)(iii) Interaction of changes to the type design and changes to operational suitability data (OSD) (Ref ED Decision 2019/018/R).

» In general, it has to be assumed that changes to the type design can have an effect on the OSD.

» Due to the alleviating nature of the OSD constituent master minimum equipment list (MMEL), the impact of design changes on the MMEL can be treated differently from the impact on other OSD constituents.

» Changes to the type certificate (TC) that only include a minor change to the type design (‘stand-alone’ type design changes) do not have an effect on the OSD. No dedicated assessment of the effects of the minor type design change on the OSD is needed in this case.

» TC changes that only include a major type design change do not need to be assessed for their effect on the OSD in case the experience of the applicant has demonstrated that similar changes do not have an effect on the OSD.

Next Steps

Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) www.sassofia.com provides regulatory training for EASA Part 21, CS 25 & OSD – please see the following course. For additional details, please visit our website or email team@sassofia.com