What is a PMA part?

The short definition

In the United States, a Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) is a combined design and production approval issued by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 21 Subpart K. It allows a manufacturer to produce and sell an article for installation on a type certificated product.

In China, the equivalent approval is the parts manufacturer approval issued under CCAR-21. Both approvals cover a specific article, for specific aircraft types and models.

The three approval bases

A PMA is approved against one of three bases. Knowing which one applies tells you what evidence sits behind the approval.

• Identicality — the article is identical to the type certificate holder's design, evidenced against that design.
• Test and computation — the applicant demonstrates the design meets the applicable requirements through test and analysis.
• Licensing agreement — a licence or agreement with the type certificate holder supports the approval.

What a PMA does and does not mean

A PMA means the article is approved for the installation covered by that approval. It does not mean the article is approved for every aircraft that happens to use a similar part, and it does not transfer automatically to a different model.

A PMA part is not a counterfeit part. A counterfeit or unapproved part holds no approval at all, and the difference is documented.

How to check a claim

Ask for the holder name and the approval number, then look them up in the issuing authority's public database. A supplier who cannot produce both is not offering a verifiable approved article.