The end goal of an Original Airworthiness Approval for the domestic shipment of FAA approved parts is to obtain a properly filled out FAA Form 8130-3, Authorized Release Certificate (also known as an Airworthiness Approval Tag) for those parts.   Only those parts produced by a Production Approval Holder (PAH) are eligible for approval.   A Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) with Function Code 08 is authorized to execute this form.   While there is no legal requirement as of yet for these tags, the FAA states that "Form 8130-3 is the preferred method for documenting the approval of products, parts, and appliances that are considered approved by the administrator."

Airworthiness approvals involve the review of design data and production documents generated by a PAH as a part of producing a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved product.   In recent years, the FAA has been moving in the direction of becoming an agency whose function is that of oversight.   Rarely do Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASI) conduct these inspections or issueFAA Form 8130-3 themselves.   Instead, these tasks are now performed by designees, DARs.

In basic terms, an airworthiness approval inspection determines that the applicant has correctly performed all processes and tests necessary to produce airworthy parts, has inspected them, and found that they are in compliance with the design data and in a condition for safe operation.   In that sense, the process is similar to a conformity inspection, although some deviation from the design data is allowed.   However, those deviations must be dispositioned by a Material Review Board (MRB).   Geneally the outcome of MRB action is:   1) use as is, 2), rework, or 3) scrap and remake replacements for those parts that cannot be salvaged.   Items rejected by the MRB that have to be reworked or remade in order to bring them into conformance with the design data will have to be reinspected.   It is also possible that minor changes to the design data can be made to take into account certain deviations found during the inspection.   NOTE:   an airworthiness approval inspection is not to be used in place of a final inspection.   By the time the airworthiness approval inspection takes place, the applicant should have performed all necessary tests and inspections in accordance with the design data and dispositioned any deviations via the MRB process.   The DAR does not perform any tests or measurements himself, rather he/shee will examine all production records and request that certain random inspections be conducted again as a spot check to verify that the approved product is in compliance with the design data. The DAR does not do your job, he/she verifies that you have done your job.   The DAR will examine the following documents and records:

• Design Data (Drawings, Process Instructions, Work Instructions, Aceptance Test Procedures)
• Production records (Travelers, Inspection reports, Test reports)
• Vendor Certificate of Compliance
• Purchase Orders
• Material Certifications

Once the DAR is convinced that the parts meet the design data and are in a condition for safe operation (i.e. airworthy), he/she will issue FAA Form 8130-3 for those parts.   In order to reduce paperwork, multiple parts having the same part number may be approved with a single Form 8130-3.

The following forms are involved in the approval process:

• FAA Form 8100-1, Conformity Inspection Record
• FAA Form(s) 8130-3, Authorized Release Certificate (Airworthiness Approval Tag)

Copies of Forms 8100-1 and 8130-3 are generally sent into the DAR's managing office (usally a MIDO or MISO) with the DAR normally keeping copies of these documents for his/her files.   NOTE:   the words "FOR DOMESTIC SHIPMENT ONLY" will be entered in block 13 of Form 8130-3 (Remarks block).