FAR 21.53 — Statement of Conformity
FAR 21.53 requires applicants to submit a statement of conformity for engines, propellers, aircraft, or parts presented to the FAA for type certification testing.
In Plain English
FAR 21.53 governs how applicants seeking type certification confirm that what they're presenting to the FAA actually matches the approved type design. It applies during the certification process for aircraft engines, propellers, aircraft, and parts submitted for FAA testing.
The rule has two parts:
- (a) Engines and propellers: Each applicant must provide, in a form and manner acceptable to the FAA, a statement of conformity declaring that each engine or propeller presented for type certification conforms to its type design.
- (b) Aircraft and parts for testing: For each aircraft (or part of one) presented for FAA tests, the applicant must submit a statement of conformity that also confirms compliance with § 21.33(a) — the inspection and test requirements — unless that paragraph authorizes otherwise.
Why it matters operationally: this statement is the manufacturer's formal accountability that the test article is built to spec. Without it, FAA inspectors and test pilots have no documented basis to begin certification flight or ground testing.
Regulation Text
14 CFR § 21.53§ 21.53 Statement of conformity.
(a) Each applicant must provide, in a form and manner acceptable to the FAA, a statement that each aircraft engine or propeller presented for type certification conforms to its type design.
(b) Each applicant must submit a statement of conformity to the FAA for each aircraft or part thereof presented to the FAA for tests. This statement of conformity must include a statement that the applicant has complied with § 21.33(a) (unless otherwise authorized under that paragraph).
[Amdt. 21-17, 32 FR 14926, Oct. 28, 1967, as amended by Amdt. 21-92, 74 FR 53386, Oct. 16, 2009]
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1What is a statement of conformity, and when is it required?
Per FAR 21.53, a statement of conformity is the applicant's declaration that an engine, propeller, aircraft, or part presented for type certification conforms to its type design. It must be submitted for engines and propellers presented for certification, and for any aircraft or part presented to the FAA for testing.
Q2When submitting an aircraft for FAA tests, what additional certification must the statement of conformity include?
FAR 21.53(b) requires the statement of conformity for an aircraft or part presented for tests to include a statement that the applicant has complied with § 21.33(a), unless otherwise authorized under that paragraph.
Q3Who is responsible for providing the statement of conformity to the FAA?
Under FAR 21.53, the applicant for type certification is responsible for providing the statement of conformity, in a form and manner acceptable to the FAA, for each engine, propeller, aircraft, or part presented.
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Related Sections in Part 21