Inspection and update of the Finnish Border Guard's Engineering Order Modification document

Abstract

As a governmental authority, the Finnish Border Guard may design and approve changes to the operational equipment of its aircraft. When changes are required to other aircraft areas in the type-certificate, the changes must be approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency, EASA. The European Commission regulations detail the requirements for the approval. This bachelor’s thesis explains the European Commission requirements for minor changes and provides further guidance on the approval process based on industry standards and EASA guidance documents. The Engineering Order – Modification document, EOM, which is used as a certification programme and a work order in Finnish Borger Guard’s modification projects, is updated to correspond with the requirements and recommendations set for minor changes. Additionally, this thesis details the obligations of a minor change approval holder and advises including them in the EOM. The research indicates that fundamental updates to the EOM document are the inclusion of rationale for minor change classification and the creation of a separate compliance document that includes the substantiation data for the regulation compliance. Additionally, the examination suggests including responsibilities for production coordination, record-keeping and continuing airworthiness in the EOM. The thesis further recommends using industry standards to demonstrate compliance with regulations and provides guidance if standards are not available. While the thesis considers the regulations and recommendations from the governmental authority perspective, the thesis would support any European organisation in a minor change approval process.