ML.A.901 Aircraft airworthiness review

To ensure the validity of the aircraft airworthiness certificate, an airworthiness review of the aircraft and its continuing airworthiness records shall be carried out periodically.

(a)     An ARC is issued in accordance with Appendix IV (EASA Form 15c) to this Annex upon completion of a satisfactory airworthiness review. The ARC shall be valid for 1 year;

(b)     The airworthiness review and the issuance of the ARC shall be performed in accordance with point ML.A.903, alternatively by:

(1)     the competent authority;

(2)     an appropriately approved CAMO or CAO;

(3)     the approved maintenance organisation while performing the 100-h/annual inspection contained in the AMP;

(4)     for aircraft operated under Annex VII (Part-NCO) to Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 or, in the case of balloons, not operated under Subpart-ADD of Annex II (Part-BOP) to Regulation (EU) 2018/395[43] or, in the case of sailplanes, not following Subpart DEC of Annex II (Part-SAO) to Regulation (EU) 2018/1976[44], the independent certifying staff while performing the 100-h/annual inspection contained in the AMP, when holding:

(i)      a licence issued in accordance with Annex III (Part-66) rated for the corresponding aircraft or, if Annex III (Part-66) is not applicable to the particular aircraft, a national certifying-staff qualification valid for that aircraft;

(ii)     an authorisation issued by, alternatively:

(A)     the competent authority who issued the licence issued in accordance with Annex III (Part-66),

(B)     if Annex III (Part-66) is not applicable, the competent authority responsible for the national certifying-staff qualification.

Independent certifying staff holding a licence issued in accordance with Annex III (Part-66), may perform airworthiness reviews and issue the ARC for aircraft registered in any Member State. However, independent certifying staff holding a national qualification shall only perform airworthiness reviews and issue the ARC for aircraft registered in the Member State responsible for the national qualification.

ARCs issued by independent certifying staff holding a national qualification shall not benefit from mutual recognition when transferring the aircraft to another Member State.

Whenever circumstances reveal the existence of a potential safety threat, the competent authority shall carry out the airworthiness review and issue the ARC itself.

(c)      The validity of an ARC may be extended maximum two consecutive times, for a period of one year each time, by an appropriately approved CAMO or CAO, subject to the following conditions:

(1)     the aircraft has been continuously managed for the previous 12 months by this CAMO or CAO;

(2)     the aircraft has been maintained for the previous 12 months by approved maintenance organisations; this includes pilot-owner maintenance tasks carried out and released to service either by the pilot-owner or by independent certifying staff;

(3)     the CAMO or CAO does not have any evidence or reason to believe that the aircraft is not airworthy.

This extension by the CAMO or CAO is possible regardless of which staff or organisation, as provided for in point (b), initially issued the ARC.

(d)     By derogation from point (c), the extension of the ARC may be anticipated for a maximum period of 30 days, without loss of continuity of the airworthiness review pattern, to ensure the availability of the aircraft in order to place the original ARC on board.

(e)     When the competent authority carries out the airworthiness review and issues the ARC itself, the owner shall provide the competent authority with:

(1)     the documentation required by the competent authority;

(2)     suitable accommodation at the appropriate location for its personnel;

(3)     when necessary, the support of appropriate certifying staff.