SofemaOnline.com presents - The Role of the EASA Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC)
Considerations to support the understanding of the role of the EASA Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC).
Applicability
Effective 29th September 2007 - All aircraft used for Commercial Air Transport have been subject to the full requirements of Part M.
ARCs are valid for 12 months. Before your ARC expires, you need to ensure that a new ARC is issued or that the current one is extended to allow legal flight to continue.
Following Part M of Regulation (EC) 1321/2014, all EASA aircraft types that qualify for an EASA Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) are issued with a non-expiring CofA, validated annually with an Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC).
The European Commission published amendment 1056/2008 Regulation (EC) 2042/2003 on 29 October 2008. The changes in the amendment introduce new rules and new categories of aircraft that are affected by Part M.
Major changes in the issue of the ARC mean it is now acceptable to extend the ARC after the expiry date provided the aircraft could not fly since the expiry date of the last ARC. The new expiry date, after the extension, remains one year after the expiry date of the last ARC.
An aircraft must have remained in a Controlled Environment under Part M for 12 months before an ARC may be extended.
If your aircraft has an MTWA of 5700 kg or more or is a multi-engined helicopter, you must do the following in order to ensure that a new ARC can be issued: Ensure that your Maintenance Program is in accordance with M.A.302.
Establish a contract with a suitably approved Part M Subpart G organisation to manage the continuing airworthiness of your aircraft. This organisation will then be able to recommend to the CAA that a new ARC be issued.
If your aircraft has an MTWA of 2730 kg or above but is less than 5700 kg, you must do the following in order to ensure that a new ARC can be issued.
Ensure that your Maintenance Program is by M.A.302
Contract a suitably approved Part M Subpart G organisation to recommend to the CAA that a new ARC be issued.
Before a new ARC can be issued, the aircraft must have a full airworthiness review by M.A.710. An airworthiness review may be conducted only by an approved Part M Subpart G organisation with the ARC privilege.
- A fully documented review of the aircraft records and a physical survey of the aircraft will be required to ascertain that: The airframe, engine, and propeller flying hours and associated flight cycles have been properly recorded
- The flight manual applies to the aircraft configuration and reflects the latest revision status
- All the maintenance due on the aircraft according to the approved maintenance program has been carried out
- All known defects have been corrected or, when applicable, carried forward in a controlled manner
- All applicable airworthiness directives have been applied and properly registered
- All modifications and repairs applied to the aircraft have been registered and are approved per Part-21
- All service life-limited components installed on the aircraft are properly identified and registered and have not exceeded their approved service life limit
- All maintenance has been released following Part M requirements
- The current mass and balance statement reflects the configuration of the aircraft and is valid
- The aircraft complies with the latest revision of its type design approved by EASA
Extension
The validity of an ARC may be Extended provided that the aircraft has remained in a Controlled Environment under Part M for 12 months before ARC expiry. An ARC may be extended twice. After this, a new ARC must be issued.
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