Export package preparation
Authorized release certificate review for an export package
This review prepares the authorized release certificates that anchor an aircraft or component export package so the receiving side accepts them without rework. It is run for the exporting party as the package is assembled, before it is handed to the buyer or importing authority. It checks that each FAA Form 8130-3 and EASA Form 1 is complete, that dual-release status is correct where both authorities are involved, and that installation records tie each certificate to the part it covers. You receive a component release file keyed to the export questions, a list of certificates that need correction or reissue, and a document request set for the release evidence still missing.
When this review is needed
- An export package is being assembled and the release certificates have to satisfy the receiving side.
- Components carry release forms whose dual-release status has to be confirmed before export.
- A release certificate references a part or serial that has to be tied back to the installation record.
- A prior export was rejected on release paperwork and the package is being rebuilt to avoid a repeat.
The problem
A release certificate is only useful if it is complete, current, and unambiguously tied to the part it covers, and export packages routinely carry certificates that fail one of those tests. A FAA Form 8130-3 missing a dual-release statement, an EASA Form 1 with a blank that the receiving authority treats as fatal, or a certificate whose serial does not match the installation record all read as acceptable until the receiving side looks closely. The exporting party discovers the defect at handover, when the schedule no longer has room to reissue.
What gets reviewed
- Each FAA Form 8130-3 and EASA Form 1 checked for completeness and currency
- Dual-release status confirmed where both authorities are in play
- Installation records tying each certificate to the part and serial it covers
- Certificates matched to the removal and installation history on file
- Release documents the receiving side is likely to challenge raised before handover
- A component release file indexed to the export package questions
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 release certificate is complete with no blank the receiving authority treats as fatal
- Dual-release statements are present where the export requires both FAA and EASA acceptance
- The part number and serial on each certificate match the installation record
- The releasing organization's approval reference is current for the date of release
- Certificates flagged for the receiving side are supported by retrievable installation records
Evidence normally required
- The authorized release certificates proposed for the export package
- Installation and removal records tying each certificate to a part
- The receiving side's requirements for release documentation
- Dual-release requirements for the export routing
- The component release file structure for the package
Common discrepancies
- A FAA Form 8130-3 missing the dual-release statement the export routing needs
- An EASA Form 1 with a field left blank that the receiving authority treats as invalidating
- A certificate whose serial does not match the installation record on file
- A release issued under an approval reference that had lapsed at the date of release
What is at stake
A defective release certificate can hold the whole export until it is corrected or reissued, and reissue depends on the releasing organization still existing and willing to act. Where a certificate cannot be reissued, the item may have to be re-inspected and re-released, which is expensive and can strand a component that was otherwise ready to ship.
How the work runs
Check completeness and routing
Confirm each certificate is complete and carries the dual-release status the export needs.
Tie paper to part
Match each certificate's serial to the installation and removal record.
Resolve the defects
List certificates needing correction or reissue and request the missing evidence before handover.
What the buyer receives
- A component release file keyed to the export package questions
- A list of certificates needing correction, reissue, or re-release
- A document request set for the missing release and installation evidence
Who uses the output
- Records staff assembling the release file the receiving side will accept
- Continuing-airworthiness teams resolving certificates that need reissue
- Asset managers tracking whether release-paperwork defects threaten the export date
How the work fits into the transaction or program
The review runs while the export package is still being built, so certificate defects surface before handover rather than at the receiving side's desk. Its correction list drives the reissue and re-release work, and the finished component release file becomes the backbone of the export package alongside AD and LLP status.
Start with a single asset
Confirm the status list matches the underlying evidence.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
Dual release between FAA and EASA depends on the releasing organization holding the right approvals and on the export routing, and TCCA acceptance adds its own conditions. The review confirms each certificate carries the release statements the specific routing requires rather than assuming a single-authority form will be accepted.
Regulatory limits
The review prepares and checks release certificates so the receiving side can accept them. It does not issue a release certificate, grant a dual-release privilege, or make any airworthiness determination on a released part.
What this review does not cover
- Issuing or reissuing an authorized release certificate
- Re-inspecting or re-releasing any component
- Any airworthiness determination on a released part
Specific to this review
- A release certificate that reads as acceptable can fail on a single blank field the receiving authority treats as invalidating, so completeness is checked line by line.
- Reissue depends on the releasing organization still existing and willing to act, which is why defects are found before the shipping window closes.
- A serial mismatch between the certificate and the installation record breaks the tie between the paper and the part, and it is the defect most often missed on a fast package.
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). Export airworthiness approval requirements and special requirements of an importing authority.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need dual-release certificates for every component in the export?
It depends on the export routing and which authorities the receiving side answers to. The review determines which items need a dual FAA and EASA release and confirms each certificate carries the statements that routing requires before the package ships.
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.