Where to search, and what each tool can do
Official databases are authoritative but narrow. Knowing the exact limitation of each one saves hours and explains why a search sometimes returns nothing at all.
FAA — Dynamic Regulatory System
The FAA maintains its list of PMA articles in the Dynamic Regulatory System, which replaced the older Regulatory and Guidance Library. In the DRS you can search by PMA holder, article name, part number, approval basis, and the aircraft make and model the article can be installed on.
The limitation that catches people out
The DRS is indexed by the PMA article and the aircraft it fits, not by the OEM part number the article replaces. Searching an OEM part number can therefore return nothing even when an approved alternative exists. Industry bodies have raised this limitation, because it is precisely the case a buyer most often faces: the OEM part is unavailable and an approved alternative is needed.
The workaround of entering an OEM number into the part number field only works where the PMA part number happens to embed the OEM number. It fails whenever the PMA holder uses its own numbering scheme, which is common.
What we do instead
Our cross-reference is built the other way round. You enter the OEM part number you are trying to replace, and we hold the mapping to approved alternatives together with the source of that mapping, so you can see how the relationship was established rather than taking it on trust.
Sources
- FAA DRS — PMA article listings
- FAA — Parts Manufacturer Approval overview
- MARPA — navigating the FAA DRS to find PMAs
References are provided for orientation. The applicable revision in force at the relevant date governs; confirm against the issuing authority's current publication before relying on any statement here.