Report a Suspected Unapproved Part
A Suspected Unapproved Part (SUP) is any aircraft part, component, or material whose eligibility for installation cannot be verified — missing or altered paperwork, a mismatched or duplicate serial number, or documentation that doesn't hold up under review. Reporting a suspected unapproved part protects the whole aviation community, including operators who never bought from us.
What is a Suspected Unapproved Part?
A part becomes "suspected unapproved" when there is reason to doubt that it meets an FAA-approved design or production standard, or that its accompanying paperwork genuinely traces back to that part. Counterfeit, altered, or duplicated certification documents (including 8130-3 tags) are the most common trigger. Reporting a concern does not require proof — the FAA's program exists specifically to investigate reports from the field.
American Aviation Parts' quarantine procedure
When a part sold or received by American Aviation Parts is flagged as suspect — whether by our own receiving inspection or by a report like the one below — it is physically segregated from sellable inventory pending investigation. We record the case internally, gather the available documentation and provenance, and where warranted we prepare FAA Form 8120-11 for our own review and filing with the FAA. Recording a case is not, by itself, a finding that the part is unapproved; it is the first step of an investigation.
FAA guidance on Suspected Unapproved Parts
The FAA runs a standing Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUP) Program, with detection and reporting guidance published in Advisory Circular AC 21-29 ("Detecting and Reporting Suspected Unapproved Parts") and a standardized reporting form, FAA Form 8120-11. You can report directly to the FAA, independent of any report you file with us:
- FAA Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUP) Program
- AC 21-29 — Detecting and Reporting Suspected Unapproved Parts
- FAA Form 8120-11 — Suspected Unapproved Parts Report
- FAA: How do I report a suspected unapproved part?
FAA Hotline (24 hours): (800) 255-1111 or (866) 835-5322 — or email a completed Form 8120-11 to [email protected]
File a report with American Aviation Parts
This form opens an internal case for our quality team to investigate. It does not file anything with the FAA on your behalf — use the FAA Hotline above to report directly to the FAA.
American Aviation Parts makes no determination of a part's airworthiness on the basis of a report alone, and claims no certification or accreditation authority it does not hold. Filing a report opens an internal investigation; it is not a finding, and it does not replace reporting directly to the FAA.