FAA to TCCA transition
FAA to TCCA authorized release documentation transition review
This review reads the authorized release documentation behind an aircraft's installed components and asks whether TCCA import will accept it as presented. It is run for the Canadian receiving side, or the seller preparing the handover, before the release file transfers. The work checks each FAA Form 8130-3, any dual-release tag, and the installation record it belongs to, and confirms the release traces to the part actually fitted. You receive an evidence map keyed to the Canadian import questions, a gap list of components whose release will not travel, and a request set for the certificates still to be recovered.
When this review is needed
- A US-registered aircraft is importing into Canada and its component release file has to satisfy TCCA acceptance.
- Components were released on FAA Form 8130-3 alone and the importer needs to know which will travel.
- A dual-release tag is present but the reviewer has to confirm which authorities it actually covers.
- The release file has to be reconciled to the installed parts before the aircraft changes register.
The problem
A release tag proves a part was returned to service, but only if it traces to the unit fitted and carries a basis the receiving authority recognizes. An FAA Form 8130-3 that is valid on the US side may still need a dual-release basis to be relied on for a Canadian import, and a tag that reads clean can belong to a serial number the installation record does not match. The file that looked complete under one authority has to be re-read through the questions the other one will ask.
What gets reviewed
- Each FAA Form 8130-3 read for its release basis and its traceability to the fitted part
- Dual-release tags checked for which authorities they actually cover
- Installation records reconciled to the release certificate for each component
- Serial and part numbers on the tag matched to the removal and installation history
- Release basis assessed against what a Canadian import will accept
- Components whose release will not travel identified and listed for follow-up
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 tag traces to the serial number of the part actually installed
- The release basis on each tag is one the receiving import will accept
- Dual-release tags state the authorities they cover rather than being assumed
- Installation records agree with the release certificate on part and serial number
- Components without an acceptable release are flagged, not counted as complete
Evidence normally required
- The component release file with the FAA Form 8130-3 and any dual-release tags
- Installation records tying each component to the aircraft
- Removal and installation history for the fitted parts
- The parts list or configuration record for the installed components
- Shop-visit packages behind released rotables where available
Common discrepancies
- A release tag whose serial number does not match the installed part
- An FAA Form 8130-3 released on a basis that a Canadian import will not accept alone
- A dual-release tag assumed to cover an authority it does not actually name
- A component fitted with an installation record but no release certificate on file
What is at stake
A component whose release does not travel to the Canadian side becomes an open item at import: the part is fitted, the tag exists, but the basis TCCA needs is missing. Left unresolved, that can force the part removed and reinstalled with acceptable paperwork, or held while a shop is chased for a certificate copy that may no longer exist. On a populated aircraft, a handful of such items can stall the whole import.
How the work runs
Inventory the release file
List the installed components and the release tag each one carries.
Trace tag to part
Match each tag's serial and part number to the installation and removal history.
Test the release basis
Assess each tag against what a Canadian import accepts, including dual-release needs.
List what will not travel
Flag components whose release is missing or insufficient and request the documents.
What the buyer receives
- An evidence map linking each component to its release certificate and installation record
- A gap list of components whose release will not travel as documented
- A request set for the certificates and dual-release confirmations still needed
Who uses the output
- Continuing-airworthiness teams clearing components for the Canadian register
- Acquisition teams sizing the release rework an import implies
- Records staff recovering the certificates the import will require
How the work fits into the transaction or program
The review reads the release file before the import, so components with paperwork that will not travel are known while the aircraft is still under FAA control and shops are still reachable. Its gap list drives the certificate recovery, and its evidence map forms the component section of the Canadian import package.
Start with a single asset
Confirm the status list matches the underlying evidence.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
An FAA Form 8130-3 is a US return-to-service record, but a Canadian import may rely on a dual-release basis for a given component. The review distinguishes releases that travel to TCCA as issued from those that need a dual-release confirmation, so the importer knows which certificates require follow-up before arrival.
Regulatory limits
The review assesses the release documentation and reports what will and will not travel. It does not issue a release certificate, grant a dual release, or determine that a component is airworthy. Acceptance of the components rests with the receiving operator and TCCA.
What this review does not cover
- Issuing or amending any release certificate or dual-release tag
- Physical inspection or re-release of any installed component
- Any airworthiness determination on the components or the aircraft
Specific to this review
- A valid FAA Form 8130-3 is not automatically a valid basis for a Canadian import, because the import may rely on a dual-release that the original tag never carried.
- The most common trap is a clean tag whose serial number does not match the installation record, so a component that looks documented is actually untraced.
- Certificate recovery gets harder once the aircraft leaves the US register, because the shops that issued the tags are easier to reach while it is still under FAA control.
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
Is an FAA Form 8130-3 enough on its own for a Canadian import?
It depends on the component and the release basis. Some 8130-3 releases travel as issued, while others need a dual-release confirmation to be relied on for import into Canada. The review sorts the file into what travels and what needs follow-up, but it does not issue or grant any release.
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.