Repair Station Contract Maintenance

by Tom
(Pennsylvania)

An FAR 145 repair station sends out a GPS receiver to be repaired by another FAR 145 repair station as an approved function. The GPS receiver is repaired and returned to the original repair station in serviceable condition with an FAA Form 8130-3.

Can the original repair station that contracted this part out as an approved function put its own 8130 on it if they cannot fully test the GPS receiver?

ANSWER: If you sent the GPS receiver to another certificated repair station and it is returned with FAA Form 8130-3, you wouldn't need to inspect or test it. That is only when you contract to non-certificated persons.

FAR 145.217 (b)(3) says that “a certificated repair station may contract a maintenance function pertaining to an article to a non-certificated person provided the certificated repair station verifies, by test and/or inspection, that the work has been performed satisfactorily by the non-certificated person and that the article is airworthy before approving it for return to service.”

NOTE: A repair station cannot put their own FAA Form 8130-3 on an article that has been repaired and released to service with an FAA Form 8130-3 by another repair station. That would be considered re-tagging and is illegal.