Supplemental type certificate

A supplemental type certificate (STC) is a national aviation authority-approved major modification or repair to an existing type certified aircraft, engine or propeller. As it adds to the existing type certificate, it is deemed "supplemental". In the United States issuance of such certificates is under the purview of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Purpose

Due to their inherent criticality, all changes to the design of an aircraft are required to be approved in some form. How this is achieved varies from country to country. Generally, modifications and repairs deemed to be "minor", such as the installation of a radio or the repair to upholstery, may be approved by the aircraft mechanic or maintenance engineer. However, larger changes, such as changing the type of engine or increasing the maximum weight, are deemed "major" and require formal approval from the applicable authority.

Under the U.S. FAA's regulatory system, there are various methods to obtain approval for a major modification or repair to a type-certified aircraft (the following list is not exhaustive):

Advantages

An STC has the following advantages over other forms of modification or repair approval:

  • It may be developed and owned by a person other than the aircraft or equipment manufacturer,
  • It is essentially unlimited in the scope of the modification.
  • It may cover a single aircraft (serial number) or many types of aircraft.
  • It may be bought and sold
  • It has greater recognition and acceptance in foreign countries.

Due to these advantages, many minor modifications are also approved under STCs for increased salability. Some national aviation authorities also issue Limited or LSTCs that are only applicable to a single aircraft or small number of specific serial numbers.

Form

As its name suggests, an STC is a certificate. It defines the product design change, states how the modification affects the existing type design, and lists serial number effectivity. It also identifies the certification basis, listing specific regulatory compliance for the design change. Information contained in the certification basis is helpful for those applicants proposing subsequent product modifications and evaluating certification basis compatibility with other STC modifications.

Regulation

The United States regulations for STCs are found at 14 CFR 21.111.[1]

The European Union regulations for STCs are found Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 of 3 August 2012 as amended, Part-21, Subpart E[2] et seq.

In 2010 at the US/Europe International Aviation Safety Conference, Eurocopter discussed concerns about potential risks with, and incompatibilities in, STCs. In response the Modification and Replacement Parts Association (MARPA) highlighted the success that the Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) industry had experienced in implementing Continued Operational Safety (COS) programs for the prediction and proactive addressing of hazards.[3] Jason Dickstein, President of the Modification and Replacement Parts Association, suggested that STC Holders could use the same techniques to better manage the safety of their STCs.

References

  1. ↑ "United States 14 CFR 21.111".
  2. ↑ Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 of 3rd August 2012 as amended, Part-21, Subpart E
  3. ↑ 2010 US/Europe International Aviation Safety Conference, Aircraft Certification Information Session 3 (Summary of Major Discussion Points, produced by the Federal Aviation Administration). Archived 2012-10-21 at the Wayback Machine.
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