Field approval, conformity
Field-approval conformity records support
This support confirms that the articles a field-approval package relied on for testing and installation are tied to a controlled configuration through their conformity records. It checks article identity, the configuration each was built or installed to, and the eligibility of each test to support the compliance evidence that cites it. A conformity-minded engineer runs it before submission. You come away with a gap assessment on article identity and eligibility, a map from each test article to its conformity record, and a plan to tie the loose articles back to the approved build.
When this review is needed
- Environmental or system test results support the package but the tested article's conformity was never confirmed.
- A test was run on an engineering unit and it is unclear whether that build represents the approved configuration.
- The installed article and the test article need to be shown as the same configuration.
- A reviewer previously questioned whether a cited test actually applied to the configuration under approval.
The problem
A compliance argument is only as good as the article the underlying test was run on. A strong DO-160G result means nothing to a field approval if the unit tested was an earlier build than the one being installed, and that link lives in conformity records that are easy to leave loose. Test campaigns run over time on evolving hardware, so the article identity behind each result has to be pinned down before the results can carry weight.
What gets reviewed
- Article identity for each test and installation article cited in the package
- The configuration each article was built or installed to at the time it was used
- Test eligibility linking each result to the configuration under approval
- Conformity records establishing that test articles represent the approved build
- The relationship between test articles and the installed article for the field approval
- Effectivity connecting the conformity evidence to the covered installation
Scope this review
Tell us the asset, the event, and the evidence in scope, and we will outline a focused first engagement.
Identify what is missing against the means of compliance.
What gets validated
- Each test article's identity and build state are established by a conformity record
- The configuration tested matches the configuration the package seeks to approve
- Test eligibility is documented for each result the compliance evidence relies on
- The installed article traces to the same configuration as the qualifying test articles
- Effectivity ties the conformity evidence to the specific installation covered
Evidence normally required
- Conformity records for the test and installation articles
- Test reports and the article identity data behind each result
- The build or installation configuration for each cited article
- The controlled configuration the field approval seeks to establish
- Effectivity and installation definition for the covered aircraft
Common discrepancies
- A qualifying test run on an engineering unit with no conformity record tying it to the approved build
- A test article whose configuration differs from the installed article in a way that matters to the result
- A cited result with no documented eligibility to the configuration under approval
- Effectivity that does not connect the conformity evidence to the covered installation
What is at stake
If a test article cannot be tied to the approved configuration, the reviewer discounts every compliance claim resting on that test, and the modifier may have to repeat testing on a conforming article. Re-running an environmental campaign to recover a broken conformity link is one of the more expensive ways a field approval can slip.
How the work runs
Identify the articles
List each test and installation article the package cites and the build state it was in when used.
Tie articles to conformity
Confirm each article's identity and configuration are established by a conformity record.
Check test eligibility
Verify each cited result applies to the configuration the field approval seeks to establish.
Close the untied articles
Sequence the conformity evidence needed so every relied-on test article represents the approved build.
What the buyer receives
- A gap assessment against article identity and test eligibility
- An evidence map from each test article to its conformity record
- A closure plan for the articles not yet tied to the approved configuration
Who uses the output
- Engineering leads deciding whether a test result can carry or has to be repeated
- Compliance managers confirming the tested article represents the approved build
- Maintenance leadership relying on installation evidence tied to a conforming article
How the work fits into the transaction or program
Conformity records are what let a test result stand as compliance evidence, so this review runs alongside the configuration and compliance work. It confirms the articles behind the package's tests represent the approved build, which is the link a reviewer follows before accepting any qualifying result.
Start with a single asset
Reduce finding cycles by checking the package first.
Regulatory limits
The review confirms that test and installation articles tie to a controlled configuration and reports where they do not. It does not perform or witness conformity inspections, issue conformity findings, approve the article, or determine airworthiness.
What this review does not cover
- Performing or witnessing the conformity inspection itself
- Re-running qualification tests on a conforming article
- Any approval or airworthiness determination on the tested or installed article
Specific to this review
- A perfect DO-160G result is worthless to the package if the tested unit was not the configuration being installed.
- Test campaigns run on evolving hardware, so article identity has to be pinned to each result before it can carry weight.
- Recovering a broken conformity link often means repeating an environmental test, one of the costliest ways a field approval slips.
Sources
U.S. Government (eCFR). Type certificates, STCs (Subpart E), TSO authorizations (Subpart O), PMA (Subpart K), and export airworthiness approvals (Subpart L).
U.S. Government (eCFR). Maintenance recordkeeping content and approval-for-return-to-service requirements, including 43.9, 43.11, and Appendix B.
Federal Aviation Administration. FAA type certification process, certification basis establishment, and compliance findings.
European Union / EASA. EASA design and production certification, STCs, ETSO authorizations, and EASA Form 1 release.
Frequently asked questions
The tests passed. Why do the conformity records still matter?
A passing test only supports the package if the article tested was the configuration being approved. Conformity records establish that link. Without them, a reviewer cannot tell whether the result belongs to the installed configuration or an earlier build, and the result gets discounted.
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.