Authorized release
Bombardier CRJ family authorized release documentation review
This review reads the authorized release documentation behind the components on a Bombardier CRJ and tests whether each certificate matches the part it released and the record of its installation. It is run by or for the party buying, transferring, or maintaining the regional jet, before the release file is relied on for a component's status. It covers the FAA Form 8130-3 and EASA Form 1 certificates, the dual-release status where a component crosses authorities, and the installation records that tie each release to the tail. You receive an exception list keyed to the component release file, a source map behind each certificate, and a closure plan for the components whose release evidence does not hold.
When this review is needed
- A CRJ is changing hands and the buyer requires release certificates matched to the installed components.
- A component's release is being relied on for its status and the certificate has not been checked against the install record.
- The tail is moving between an FAA and an EASA operator and dual-release status has to be confirmed.
- A remarketing team needs the release file supported before the components carry their status into a sale.
The problem
A release certificate proves a component's status only if it matches the part serial, the installation record, and the authority the receiving side needs. On a CRJ that has changed operators, the release file fills with certificates that reference part numbers superseded since, forms whose serial does not match the unit actually installed, and single-authority releases on components that now have to satisfy a second register. The status the file asserts rests on each of those certificates, and a mismatch between the form and the install record is exactly what a diligence team pulls first.
What gets reviewed
- Each release certificate matched to the part number and serial it released
- FAA Form 8130-3 and EASA Form 1 forms checked for completeness and validity
- Dual-release status confirmed for components crossing between authorities
- Installation records reconciled to the release for each installed component
- Certificates referencing superseded part numbers flagged for re-verification
- The release file reconciled against the components the tail actually carries
Scope this review
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What gets validated
- Each release certificate names the part number and serial of the component it is filed against
- FAA Form 8130-3 and EASA Form 1 entries are complete and internally consistent
- Components crossing authorities carry the dual release the receiving register requires
- The installation record for each component ties to the release certificate on file
- A certificate referencing a superseded part number is re-verified against the installed unit
Evidence normally required
- The component release file with its FAA Form 8130-3 and EASA Form 1 certificates
- Installation records tying components to the tail
- Part number and serial data for the installed components
- The dual-release requirements of the receiving register
- Any prior findings on the release documentation for the tail
Common discrepancies
- A release certificate whose part serial does not match the installed component
- A single-authority release on a component that now has to satisfy a second register
- An FAA Form 8130-3 filed against a part number superseded since it was issued
- An installation record with no matching release certificate in the file
What is at stake
A component whose release does not match its installation record cannot carry its status cleanly, which can force the part to be treated as unreleased until the paperwork is corrected. On a tail crossing authorities, a single-authority release where a dual release is needed can stall the component's acceptance on the new register, and a certificate that references a superseded part number reopens the question of what is actually installed, at a point when the receiving party sets the terms.
Move from findings to resolution
Move from findings to a documented resolution path.
How the work runs
Match the certificates
Tie each release in the file to the part number and serial of the component it is filed against.
Check the forms
Confirm each FAA Form 8130-3 and EASA Form 1 is complete and valid for its component.
Confirm dual release
Verify components crossing authorities carry the release the receiving register requires.
Plan the closures
List the mismatched, single-authority, and missing releases and the documents that settle each.
What the buyer receives
- An exception list keyed to the component release file, flagging the certificates that do not hold
- A source map linking each release to the installation record and part it supports
- A closure plan for the components needing dual release, re-verification, or a retrieved certificate
Who uses the output
- Asset managers confirming the components carry status their releases actually support
- Records teams retrieving or re-verifying the certificates that failed the check
- Continuing-airworthiness leads confirming dual-release status for a cross-authority transfer
How the work fits into the transaction or program
The review runs before the release file is relied on at a sale or a cross-authority transfer, so mismatched and single-authority releases are found while the issuing shops can still be reached. Its closure plan drives the certificate retrieval and dual-release confirmation that has to finish before the components carry their status onto a new register or into a deal.
Aircraft-specific considerations
A CRJ's high-cycle regional service turns components over often, so the release file accumulates certificates from many shop visits, and a part removed and reinstalled across operators can carry a release whose serial no longer matches the unit on the tail. Landing-gear and engine components dominate the high-value releases on this family, and because those parts move between operators, their dual-release status is checked closely where the tail has crossed authorities.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
A CRJ moving between an FAA and an EASA operator needs its components to carry release evidence each register accepts, which is where dual-release status matters: a component released on an FAA Form 8130-3 alone may need an EASA Form 1 or a dual release before the receiving authority accepts it. The review flags the components that will need additional release evidence for the destination.
Regulatory limits
The review checks release documentation against the parts and installations it supports. It does not issue a release certificate, grant any authority's acceptance, or make an airworthiness determination on a component.
What this review does not cover
- Issuing or re-issuing any release certificate
- Performing the maintenance behind a component's release
- Any airworthiness determination on a component or the aircraft
Specific to this review
- On a CRJ that changed operators, the most common release defect is a certificate whose part serial no longer matches the unit installed, because the part moved between tails.
- A single-authority release is only a defect when the tail crosses registers, so dual-release status is checked specifically where the CRJ has moved between an FAA and an EASA operator.
- A release filed against a superseded part number is re-verified against the installed unit, because the supersession can change what evidence the receiving side accepts.
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
The components all have release certificates on file. What would this review add?
Having a certificate is not the same as having one that matches. On a CRJ that has moved parts between tails, a release can name a serial that is no longer installed, and a single-authority release can fall short once the tail crosses registers. The review matches each certificate to its installed part and the receiving authority's requirement.
Relevant glossary terms
Related pages
Where this fits
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