Avionics News January 2018 - 14

F R O M
R I C
P E R I
A EA V I C E P R ES I D E N T O F G OV E R N M E N T & I N D U ST RY A F FA I RS

The Aircraft Electronics Association's international membership continues to grow. Currently, the AEA represents
avionics businesses in more than 40 countries throughout the world. To better serve the needs of the AEA's international
membership, the "International News and Regulatory Updates" section of Avionics News offers a greater focus on
international regulatory activity, international industry news and an international "Frequently Asked Questions" column
to help promote standardization. If you have comments about this section, send emails to avionicsnews@aea.net.

UNITED STATES

News & Regulatory Updates
Meaning of the terms "acceptable to"
and "accepted by" for use by aviation
safety inspectors
On Nov. 28, 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration
published FAA Notice: N 8900.444. This notice explains the
terms "acceptable to" and "accepted by." The following is
extracted from the Notice N 8900.444:
Acceptable To. The terms "acceptable to the
administrator" and "acceptable to the FAA" appear
numerous times in the FAA's regulations. If an item
is required to be acceptable to the FAA, the FAA's
active review and acceptance prior to use is not
normally required. However, in exercising its oversight
responsibilities, the FAA may make case‑specific
determinations as to a particular item's acceptability.
A person or certificate holder should be able to
reference some standard or publication as the basis
for the acceptability of the intended application,
procedure, method, etc. The standard or publication
used should be an accepted industry practice previously
found acceptable by the FAA, or, at a minimum, the
person using it should be able to articulate a clear
and reasonable basis for the action taken being an
acceptable practice or procedure. This could include,
but is not limited to, a practice or procedure contained
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avionics news

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2018

in an FAA‑issued advisory circular or other published
guidance, information contained in the original
equipment manufacturer's published procedures for
performing a maintenance task, or relevant information
from an ASTM International standard. However, if a
regulation requires that a submission to the FAA must
be acceptable to the FAA as a precondition for the FAA
to act, the FAA may exercise discretion as to whether
the determination must be made before or after the FAA
acts. For example, operations specifications, which
contain authorizations, typically necessitate an item
be acceptable to the FAA before the FAA issues the
authorization.
Note: A person should be able to demonstrate, if called
upon to do so, that the method, technique, practice, etc.,
would in fact be acceptable to the FAA. For example, it
would not be an acceptable practice for a maintenance
provider to torque bolts by "feel" when Title 14 of the
Code of Federal Regulations Part 43, § 43.13(a) states
that each person performing aircraft maintenance must
use "methods, techniques, and practices acceptable
to the administrator." Instead, an acceptable industry
practice is to use a properly calibrated torque wrench
to ensure the required torque values are achieved. The
practice of failing to use a torque wrench and hoping
for the best would be a practice the FAA would not find
acceptable.
Accepted By. The terms "accepted by the FAA" or
"accepted by the administrator" appear infrequently in
the FAA's regulations. Where the term is used, it means
that the item at issue must be submitted to the FAA for
review and acceptance prior to use. By whatever means

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News January 2018