FAR 21.500 — Foreign Engine & Propeller Acceptance

FAR 21.500 sets the rules for accepting an aircraft engine or propeller that was manufactured in a foreign country or jurisdiction into the U.S. system. This matters because many engines and props installed on U.S.-registered aircraft are built overseas, and the FAA needs assurance that they meet U.S. type design and safety standards before they can be used here.

To be accepted, all three of the following must be true:

• The country or jurisdiction of manufacture must be subject to a bilateral agreement with the United States covering acceptance of that product.
• The product must be marked in accordance with part 45 (identification and registration markings).
• The holder or licensee of the U.S. type certificate must furnish, with each imported engine or propeller, an export airworthiness approval issued under that agreement, certifying that the individual unit:
  • Conforms to its U.S. type certificate and is in condition for safe operation; and
  • Has been subjected by the manufacturer to a final operational check.

Without all three, the engine or propeller is not acceptable for installation on a U.S. aircraft.