Airspace Distributors

Traceability in Aviation Parts: What a Buyer Should Ask For

When you buy an aircraft part, you are buying its history as well as the hardware. Traceability is the documented chain that shows where a part came from and what has happened to it since. It's how an installer shows the part is eligible for installation and isn't a suspected unapproved part. This guide from Airspace Distributors explains what traceability is, which documents usually make it up, and the questions to ask before you order.

What traceability means

Put simply, traceability links a specific part (identified by part number and serial or lot/batch number) through every owner and every maintenance action back to a known source: usually the manufacturer, or an operator or repair station whose records are reliable.

The FAA's Advisory Circular 00-56B describes a voluntary accreditation program for parts distributors. It exists to help "certificated persons establish the eligibility of parts and products for installation." The quality standards the FAA accepts for that program, listed on the FAA AC 00-56 page, include ASA-100, ISO 9001 and AS9100/AS9110/AS9120. The ASA-100 Quality System Standard includes requirements on keeping traceability records.

What a trace package usually contains

The exact set depends on the part and its history. These are the documents buyers commonly ask about:

  1. Source document: how the part entered the supply chain, for example a manufacturer's certificate of conformity, or a release from a production approval holder.
  2. Maintenance release(s): for overhauled, repaired or inspected parts, the release from the organization that did the work. In the US that's often FAA Form 8130-3 (see FAA AC 43-9D for maintenance releases and FAA Order 8130.21J for new-article releases).
  3. Chain of ownership: invoices, packing slips or certificates showing each transfer.
  4. Last operator / removal information: who removed the part, from what aircraft or engine, and why.
  5. Statements that many quality systems require, such as a non-incident statement (the part wasn't involved in an accident or incident) and a statement on whether it came from government or military sources.
  6. Back-to-birth records for life-limited parts: complete history of cycles/hours since new. Without them, remaining life can't be established.

The ASA publishes guidance on completing and reading its supplier statement: Completing and Interpreting the ASA Statement.

Questions to ask before you order

About the source - What's the original source of this part (manufacturer, operator, repair station, another supplier)? - Can you share copies of the trace documents before I issue a PO?

About the history - Has the part been installed before? If so, what aircraft or engine type, and who was the last operator? - Was it involved in any incident or accident? Is a non-incident statement available? - Was it ever government or military property?

About maintenance - What work was done (overhaul, repair, inspection/test), by whom, and under what approval? - Which manual revision was used? - Are any airworthiness directives or service bulletins recorded as complied with?

About life limits and shelf life - Is it a life-limited part? Are back-to-birth records complete? - For parts with a shelf life (for example elastomers), what's the manufacture or cure date?

About the paperwork itself - Do the part number and serial number on every document match the part's data plate exactly? - Are the documents legible, complete, signed and dated?

Red flags

If you suspect a part is unapproved, the FAA has a reporting process for suspected unapproved parts (SUP) using FAA Form 8120-11. See AC 21-29D, Detecting and Reporting Suspected Unapproved Parts.

Who decides if traceability is enough?

The installer and their quality system do. A supplier provides documents; the certificated person who installs the part determines eligibility. That's why it's worth writing your traceability requirements into the RFQ. Our RFQ guide explains how.

FAQ

Is traceability required by law? Federal rules require that maintenance and the parts used meet airworthiness requirements and be properly recorded. How much trace is enough is set by the installer's quality system and the part's history. Industry standards like ASA-100 set traceability record requirements for participating distributors.

What does "back-to-birth" mean? A complete history from manufacture to the present. It's essential for life-limited parts, because it establishes how much life the part has used.

Is an 8130-3 the same as traceability? No. An 8130-3 documents a specific release, such as new manufacture or a maintenance action. Traceability is the full chain, which may include several documents.

Does FAA AC 00-56 accreditation guarantee every part? No. It's a voluntary program for a distributor's quality system. Buyers still need to review the documents for each part.

Can I ask for documents before buying? Yes. Asking for copies of the trace package at quote stage is common practice.

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