The Challenge Facing the Aviation Industry - Suspect Unapproved Parts

Sofema Online looks at the issues surround Suspect Unapproved Parts (SUP’s)

Whether you are dealing with EASA or FAA parts the challenge remains the same – namely to ensure that the parts are airworthy and from a reputable source.

EASA Article 4(4) of Regulation (EU) 376/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council tasks EASA with the establishment of a mandatory reporting system. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1018 specifies that one of the occurrences which are subject to reporting is ‘the use of products, components or materials, from unknown, suspect origin, or unserviceable critical components’ – SUP.

FAA Advisory Circular AC No: 21-29D provides guidance to the aviation community for detecting suspected unapproved parts (SUP) and reporting them to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Appendix A contains FAA Form 8120-11, Suspected Unapproved Parts Report, (with instructions) which serves as a standardized means of reporting.

Consider the following:

Operator of New York Aircraft Parts Supplier Sentenced

On October 3, 2019, William Vanmanen, operator of Star Aero (formerly Aero-Star) in Long Island, New York, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, to 30 months’ incarceration, 2 years’ supervised release, and a $300 special court assessment.

In March 2016, Vanmanen pleaded guilty to a three-count information that charged him with fraud involving aircraft parts in interstate commerce, attempting to violate the Arms Export Control Act, and submitting false export information.

The criminal investigation determined that in approximately August 2011, Vanmanen created and used false Airworthiness Approval Tags (FAA Form 8130-3) that falsely reflected the aviation quality of anti-ice controllers installed on aircraft. (The investigation was conducted jointly by DOT-OIG, the Department of Defense OIG, and the FBI.)

Ensuring that parts installed on aircraft and their component parts meet applicable aviation regulatory requirements is the responsibility of every Repair Station.

Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUPs) is a very real problem that threatens the supply chain of many aviation organizations.

SUPs cover a multitude of aspects such as parts lacking proper documentation; counterfeit parts; parts rejected during production because of defects; improperly maintained parts, etc.
Substantial progress has been made to reduce the number of unapproved parts being introduced into the aviation system, yet constant vigilance and training is paramount to ensure that the harm SUPs impose is addressed.

Sofema Aviation Services www.sassofia.com and Sofema Online www.sofemaonline.com provides a regulatory training course covering the important subject of Suspect Parts within both FAA and EASA Jurisdictions.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) & Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Suspect Parts Training – ½ Day course defines the SUPs policy of EASA & FAA; provides procedures to identify SUPs; and outlines investigative techniques which satisfy safety and enforcement responsibilities.

For additional information please see the website or email office@sassofia.com or online@sassofia.com