§ 21.1 - Applicability and definitions.  


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  • § 21.1 Applicability and definitions.

    (a) Except for aircraft subject to the provisions of part 107 of this chapter, this part This part prescribes -

    (1) Procedural requirements for issuing and changing -

    (i) Design approvals;

    (ii) Production approvals;

    (iii) Airworthiness certificates; and

    (iv) Airworthiness approvals;

    (2) Rules governing applicants for, and holders of, any approval or certificate specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section; and

    (3) Procedural requirements for the approval of articles.

    (b) For the purposes of this part -

    (1) Airworthiness approval means a document, issued by the FAA for an aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, or article, which certifies that the aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, or article conforms to its approved design and is in a condition for safe operation, unless otherwise specified;

    (2) Article means a material, part, component, process, or appliance;

    (3) Commercial part means an article that is listed on an FAA-approved Commercial Parts List included in a design approval holder's Instructions for Continued Airworthiness required by § 21.50;

    (4) Design approval means a type certificate (including amended and supplemental type certificates) or the approved design under a PMA, TSO authorization, letter of TSO design approval, or other approved design;

    (5) Interface component means an article that serves as a functional interface between an aircraft and an aircraft engine, an aircraft engine and a propeller, or an aircraft and a propeller. An interface component is designated by the holder of the type certificate or the supplemental type certificate who controls the approved design data for that article;

    (6) Product means an aircraft, aircraft engine, or propeller;

    (7) Production approval means a document issued by the FAA to a person that allows the production of a product or article in accordance with its approved design and approved quality system, and can take the form of a production certificate, a PMA, or a TSO authorization;

    (8) State of Design means the country or jurisdiction having regulatory authority over the organization responsible for the design and continued airworthiness of a civil aeronautical product or article;

    (9) State of Manufacture means the country or jurisdiction having regulatory authority over the organization responsible for the production and airworthiness of a civil aeronautical product or article.

    (10) Supplier means a person at any tier in the supply chain who provides a product, article, or service that is used or consumed in the design or manufacture of, or installed on, a product or article.

    [Doc. No. FAA-2006-25877, Amdt. 21-92, 74 FR 53384, Oct. 16, 2009; Doc. No. FAA-2013-0933, Amdt. 21-98, 80 FR 59031, Oct. 1, 2015; Amdt. 21-98A, 80 FR 59031, Dec. 17, 2015; Docket FAA-2015-0150, Amdt. 21-99, 81 FR 42207, June 28, 2016; Docket FAA-2018-1087, Amdt. 21-105, 86 FR 4381, Jan. 15, 2021]