Authorized release certificates
ATR 72 authorized release documentation records review
This review examines the authorized release documents in an ATR 72's component file and confirms each certificate is valid, correctly completed, and matched to the part it released. It is run for a lessor, operator, or manager who needs the release evidence to hold before a transaction or an audit. The work checks FAA Form 8130-3 and EASA Form 1 certificates, dual-release entries, and the installation records that tie a released part to its position on the aircraft. You receive an exception list of release documents that do not stand up, a map to the parts they cover, and a closure plan for the certificates that need re-issue or recovery.
When this review is needed
- An ATR 72 is changing hands and the buyer will check each installed part has a valid release certificate.
- A lease return requires release documents present and matched for the components on the aircraft.
- Parts were installed from stock and their release paperwork has never been reconciled to the install records.
- The aircraft is moving between the FAA and EASA systems and dual-release status has to be confirmed.
The problem
A release certificate proves a part was returned to service under an approval, but only if it is complete, valid, and tied to the specific part installed. A blank left unfilled, a certificate for a similar part number that is not the one on the aircraft, or a single-release form where the destination system needs dual release all break the chain. Installation records are where the certificate meets the airframe, and on an ATR 72 with a long install history those links are easy to lose.
What gets reviewed
- FAA Form 8130-3 and EASA Form 1 certificates for the installed components
- Dual-release status where the part has to satisfy both systems
- Certificate completeness, including block entries, status, and authorization signatures
- Part and serial numbers on the certificate matched to the part actually installed
- Installation records tying each released part to its position on the aircraft
- Certificates for parts installed from stock reconciled to their incoming paperwork
Scope this review
Tell us the asset, the event, and the evidence in scope, and we will outline a focused first engagement.
Send a representative, redacted record set and we will scope the review.
What gets validated
- Each installed component carries a release certificate valid on its face and correctly completed
- Part number and serial number on the certificate match the part in the installation record
- Dual-release is present where the part crosses between the FAA and EASA systems
- The certificate's status entry supports the way the part was returned to service
- The installation record ties the released part to its position and date on the aircraft
Evidence normally required
- The component release file with the 8130-3 and Form 1 certificates
- Installation records for the components on the aircraft
- Part and serial-number data for the installed configuration
- Incoming release paperwork for parts fitted from stock
- The register the aircraft operates under for dual-release requirements
Common discrepancies
- A release certificate with a required block left blank or incorrectly completed
- A certificate whose part or serial number does not match the installed part
- A single-release form where the aircraft's register requires dual release
- A stock-installed part whose install record has no release certificate behind it
What is at stake
A part without a valid, matched release certificate cannot be relied on, so a buyer treats it as suspect and either holds back value or requires it removed and re-released. A single-release form that does not satisfy the receiving system can block a part from crossing registers. Chasing a missing or incorrect certificate from the shop that raised it is slow once time has passed, and the exposure sits on the asset until it is resolved.
Move from findings to resolution
Move from findings to a documented resolution path.
How the work runs
Inventory the certificates
List the release documents in the file against the installed component configuration.
Test validity
Check each certificate for completeness, authorization, and correct status entry.
Match to the part
Confirm part and serial numbers tie to the installation record and the aircraft position.
Plan the recovery
List invalid, mismatched, or missing certificates and sequence their re-issue or recovery.
What the buyer receives
- An exception list of release documents that are invalid, mismatched, or missing
- A source map linking each certificate to the part and position it covers
- A closure plan for the certificates needing re-issue, dual-release, or recovery
Who uses the output
- Asset managers confirming installed parts carry valid, matched release evidence
- Technical acceptance teams verifying release documents before a return or induction
- Records teams recovering or re-issuing certificates before the next transaction
How the work fits into the transaction or program
Release documents are the evidence every installed part rests on, so their validity underpins LLP trace, configuration status, and the redelivery binder alike. This review confirms the certificates before a counterparty tests them, and its closure plan drives the re-issue and recovery that has to finish before the parts can be relied on across a sale or a register change.
Aircraft-specific considerations
ATR 72 component files weight propeller, landing-gear, and engine accessory releases more heavily than a narrowbody file, and these parts move through shops that issue release paperwork under varied conventions. Long service lives and frequent stock installations mean many certificates in the file, and dual-release status matters often because these aircraft trade across regions.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
A part released only on an FAA Form 8130-3 may not be acceptable where the ATR 72 moves onto an EASA register without a corresponding EASA Form 1, so the review flags every certificate whose release basis does not satisfy the destination system.
Regulatory limits
This work confirms that release documents are valid, complete, and matched to the installed parts. It does not issue or re-issue any release certificate, return a part to service, or make an airworthiness determination.
What this review does not cover
- Issuing or re-issuing any authorized release certificate
- Physical inspection or return-to-service of the components
- Any airworthiness determination on the released parts
Specific to this review
- A release certificate for the wrong serial number is as good as missing, even if a valid form is on file.
- Single-release paperwork can block an ATR 72 part from crossing between the FAA and EASA systems.
- Stock installations are where release certificates most often fail to reconcile to the install record.
Sources
Federal Aviation Administration. Completion and use of FAA Form 8130-3, Authorized Release Certificate, for new and used parts.
European Union Aviation Safety Agency. EASA authorised release certificate for components, equivalent in function to FAA Form 8130-3.
U.S. Government (eCFR). Maintenance recordkeeping content and approval-for-return-to-service requirements, including 43.9, 43.11, and Appendix B.
European Union / EASA. Continuing airworthiness, maintenance records, CAMO responsibilities, and the airworthiness review process in the EASA system.
U.S. Government (eCFR). Records an owner or operator must keep, including total time in service, current status of life-limited parts, and AD compliance.
Frequently asked questions
A part is physically fine. Does a paperwork issue really matter?
Yes. The release certificate is the evidence the part was returned to service under an approval. Without a valid, matched certificate a buyer treats the part as unsupported regardless of condition, which is why the paperwork is checked before a transaction.
Relevant glossary terms
Related pages
Where this fits
Talk to an engineer who has done this work
We will walk through your current state, the records or evidence involved, and a scoped first engagement.
Talk through the aircraft, records, evidence, deadline, and next useful step.