Considering Airworthiness Review Certificate Issue In an EASA Combined Airworthiness Organisation (CAO)

Sofema Online - SOL (www.sofemaonline.com) offers updated information concerning the issue of ARC,s for CAO applicable aircraft in accordance with Annex VD (PART-CAO) (EU) 2019/1383 (Amended by (EU) 2020/270).

Introduction

Part-MG, Part-MF or Part-145 approval certificate should amend their exposition/ manual and associated procedures where applicable to account for changes introduced by Regulation (EU) 2019/1383 and 2020/270.

For that purpose, below is a non-exhaustive list of some of the main changes:

Airworthiness Review Requirements

EASA Forms 15a/b/c are updated. As of 24 March 2020, EASA Forms 15 have to be used as follows:

EASA Form 15a: to be issued by the competent authority for aircraft following Part-M regime.

EASA Form 15b: to be issued either by Part-CAMO or Part-CAO (or Subpart G during transition period) for aircraft following Part-M regime.

EASA Form 15c: to be issued either by Part-CAMO, Part-CAO, Subpart F, Subpart G, Part-145, independent airworthiness review staff, or the competent authority for aircraft following Part-ML regime.

Note that existing Airworthiness Review Certificates (ARC) issued before 24 March 2020 continue to be valid after 24 March 2020.

As of 24 March 2020, Airworthiness reviews for light aircraft not used by licensed air carriers shall be performed in accordance with Subpart I of Part-ML

EASA Form 15c becomes extendable and corresponding extension have to be carried out in accordance with ML.A.901(c).

SUBPART I - AIRWORTHINESS REVIEW CERTIFICATE (ARC) 

ML.A.901 Aircraft airworthiness review 

To ensure the validity of the aircraft airworthiness certificate ('ARC'), an airworthiness review of the aircraft and its continuing airworthiness records shall be carried out periodically.

(a) An ARC is issued in accordance with Appendix IV (EASA Form 15c) to this Annex upon completion of a satisfactory airworthiness review.

The ARC shall be valid for 1 year.

(b) The airworthiness review and the issuance of the ARC shall be performed in accordance with point ML.A.903, alternatively by

     (1) the competent authority

     (2) an appropriately approved CAMO or CAO

     (3) the approved maintenance organisation while performing the 100-h/annual inspection contained in the AMP

Airworthiness Reviews Performed by Part 66 Certifying Staff

Independent certifying staff holding a licence issued in accordance with Annex III (Part-66), may perform airworthiness reviews and issue the ARC for aircraft registered in any Member State.

However, independent certifying staff holding a national qualification shall only perform airworthiness reviews and issue the ARC for aircraft registered in the Member State responsible for the national qualification.

ARCs issued by independent certifying staff holding a national qualification shall not benefit from mutual recognition when transferring the aircraft to another Member State.

Whenever circumstances reveal the existence of a potential safety threat, the competent authority shall carry out the airworthiness review and issue the ARC itself.

(c) The validity of an ARC may be extended maximum two consecutive times, for a period of one year each time, by an appropriately approved CAMO or CAO, subject to the following conditions:

     (1) the aircraft has been continuously managed for the previous 12 months by this CAMO or CAO

     (2) the aircraft has been maintained for the previous 12 months by approved maintenance organisations; this includes pilot-owner maintenance tasks carried out and released to service either by the pilot-owner or by independent certifying staff

     (3) the CAMO or CAO does not have any evidence or reason to believe that the aircraft is not airworthy

This extension by the CAMO or CAO is possible regardless of which staff or organisation, as provided for in point (b), initially issued the ARC.

(d) By derogation from point (c), the extension of the ARC may be anticipated for a maximum period of 30 days, without loss of continuity of the airworthiness review pattern, to ensure the availability of the aircraft in order to place the original ARC on board.

(e) When the competent authority carries out the airworthiness review and issues the ARC itself, the owner shall provide the competent authority with:

     (1) the documentation required by the competent authority

     (2) suitable accommodation at the appropriate location for its personnel

     (3) when necessary, the support of appropriate certifying staff

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