Circular No. 4-015 June 30, 2004 October 1, 2005 March 28, 2007 June 30, 2011 March 30, 2012 First Issue (KOKU-KU-KI-1359) Amended (KOKU-KU-KI-682) Amended (KOKU-KU-KI-1360) Amended (KOKU-KU-KI-282) Amended (KOKU-KU-KI-740) Director, Airworthiness Division Aviation Safety and Security Department Civil Aviation Bureau Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Subject: Replacing Critical parts without Spare Parts Certification for Aircraft used for International Air Transport Service 1. Introduction When the applicable Approved Organization (hereinafter called to as AMA ) who is approved under the provisions of Article 20 paragraph 1-(4) of the Civil Aeronautics Act (Law) (hereinafter referred to as CAL ) replaces the Critical Components for Aircraft Safety and performs the confirmation under the Article 19 paragraph 1 or Article 19-2 of the CAL (hereinafter called to as Confirmation ), the applicable Critical Components for Aircraft Safety is required to obtain the Spare Parts Certification (including the case that the parts are regarded as spare-part-certified such as the certifications issued by foreign aviation authorities and the Authorized Release Certificate, also applicable hereinafter). However, in order to consider the convenience of passengers for the case of occurring unexpected failure of components on the aircraft for international air transportation, it is accepted that the air carriers borrow a spare part of Critical Components for Aircraft Safety without a Spare Part Certification and perform a confirmation under AMA on a temporary basis at outside Japan under the requirements prescribed in this Circular. 4-015 (1) (translated on May. 19, 2014)
Also, this Circular is applicable to the parts which are confirmed the airworthiness by the operator who has the certificate of flight operation issued by contracting states of the Convention on International Civil Aviation and are provided under the standard and procedures prescribed in the International Airlines Technical Pool (IATP) agreement (in case there is any individual lease agreement of spare parts between the Japanese operators based on the IATP agreement, shall comply with the applicable lease agreement). 2. Conditions and others 2.1 When JCAB approved organization of AMA performs the confirmation of aircraft after replacing the Critical Components for Aircraft Safety without a Spare Part Certification, the applicable Critical Components for Aircraft Safety, the applicable aircraft installed the Critical Components for Aircraft Safety and the applicable approved organization must satisfy all the following conditions: (1) The part installed must be temporarily borrowed part from other airlines. (2) The temporary borrowing part must have an effective certificate that certifies the airworthiness issued by the organization approved by the foreign aviation authority (a serviceable tag which has been confirmed to have the traceability to the original certificate is acceptable) (3) There is no problem on the temporary borrowing part after performing the general visual inspection on the parts (4) The aircraft must be in the condition of AOG (Aircraft On the Ground: It is unable to use the aircraft for operation because the appropriate maintenance is not performed caused by the case such as the non-availability of spare part) (5) The aircraft which will be installed the temporary borrowing part is used by the international air carrier (6) The applicable JCAB approved organization of AMA who performs confirmation after replacing the spare part shall have the limited rating for the applicable aircraft type, the limitation by category of work or contents of work, and also the place of performing the work and confirmation shall be at outside of Japan. For the replacement work of the spare part under this Circular, it is possible for the organization to be approved by the 4-015 (2)
JCAB only for the limited categories of work or contents of work relating to the replacement of the spare parts. 2.2 When JCAB approved organization of AMA performs the confirmation of aircraft after replacing the Critical Components for Aircraft Safety without a Spare Part Certification, it is required to describe the procedures for handling of temporary borrowing parts including the following items in their Approved Organization Exposition: (1) List of provider of temporary borrowing parts (2) List of effective certificates etc. If the certification document is FAA Form 8130-3 or EASA (JAA) Form One, it is acceptable to describe the applicable certificate name. (3) Contents of receiving inspection items for the temporary borrowing parts The receiving inspection for the temporary borrowing parts must include the following items: (a) Confirm that the temporary borrowing parts have valid certificates, etc. (b) Confirm that the temporary borrowing parts have no visible damages by visual inspection (c) Perform the functional check (only for the one which needs a functional check) after installing it on the aircraft and confirm that there is no problem as a result of the functional check (4) Necessary entries on the technical log book after installing the temporary borrowing parts It is required to describe on the technical log book that the aircraft has been executed the necessary confirmation after installing the borrowing Critical Components for Aircraft Safety without a Spare Part Certification. (5) Audit procedures for the provider of temporary borrowing parts. The audit to the provider of temporary borrowing parts shall be performed on site or by document once every two years. However, in case the air carrier performs audit to the provider of temporary borrowing parts, the JCAB approved organization of AMA may use the audit to the provider of temporary borrowing part by confirming that the air carrier s audit is appropriately performed. 4-015 (3)
(Note) When the air carrier directly provides the temporary borrowing parts to the JCAB Approved Organization of AMA, if the air carrier performs an audit to the provider of temporary borrowing parts and describes the above procedures of item 2.2(1), (2) and (5) in the air carrier s Maintenance Manual, the applicable JCAB Approved Organization of AMA may omit to describe the above procedures of item (1), (2) and (5) in the AMA s Approved Organization Exposition. However, even if that is the case, the applicable AMA must confirm that the air carrier performs an audit to the provider of temporary borrowing parts appropriately. 2.3 If the replacement of Critical components for aircraft safety is not applicable to the condition described in the Paragraph 2.1, it is necessary for such part to obtain the Spare Part Certification. 2.4 In case the aircraft is confirmed by JCAB Approved Organization of AMA after installing the Critical Components for Aircraft Safety without a Spare Part Certification at outside of Japan used under this Circular, the Maintenance Manual applicable to the aircraft shall have descriptions of procedures that it is required to remove and replace the temporary borrowing part with a part which has a Spare Part Certification when the aircraft first returns to the main maintenance base or within two weeks after the installation, whichever is the sooner. However, when the aircraft is returned to the main maintenance base, but it is not available to receive the applicable part even if the spare part is requested for replacement (including a purchase order or borrowing from other company), it shall be replaced by the spare part with a Spare Part Certification as soon as possible within the two weeks. In this case, the control procedure for extension of replacing the temporary borrowing part must be described in the Maintenance Manual. In the event of this case, the air carrier shall report it during the periodic meeting with JCAB. 2.5 In case JCAB determines that the applicable part used under this Circular has safety problem, JCAB may request a hearing investigation or on-site inspection to such air carrier who use the subject parts or to the AMA who performed the confirmation after installing the part, under the provisions of Article 134 of CAL. 4-015 (4)
Supplementary Provisions 1. This Circular shall be enforced on June 30, 2004. 2. The former rule is accepted up to two years after enforcing this Circular. 3. The Circular TCL-162-98 General policy of replacement work of the without a Spare Part Certification performed at outside Japan on aircraft for air transportation or international unscheduled air transportation shall be superseded by this Circular. Supplementary Provisions (October 1, 2005) 1. This Circular shall be enforced on October 1, 2005. Supplementary Provisions (March 28, 2007) 1. This Circular shall be enforced on March 30, 2007. Supplementary Provisions (June 30, 2011) 1. This Circular shall be enforced on July 1, 2011. Supplementary Provisions (March 30, 2012) 1. This Circular shall be enforced on March 30, 2012. Please contact for questions or comments regarding this Circular to: Air-carrier Airworthiness Engineer, Air Transport Safety Unit Civil Aviation Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and, Transport and Tourism 2-1-3, Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8918 Tel: 03-5253-8731 Fax: 03-5253-1661 4-015 (5)