scope:

PURPOSE.

This notice provides guidelines to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) personnel, Manufacturing Inspection District and Satellite Office (MIDO/MISO) personnel, authorized Designated Engineering Representatives (DER), authorized Designated Manufacturing Inspection Representatives (DMIR), and authorized Designated Airworthiness Representatives (DAR) for approving field loadable software (FLS) using the Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) process for identicality. These guidelines are applicable to software data approvals related to type certificate (TC) approvals, amended type certificate (ATC) approvals, supplemental type certificate (STC) approvals, or Technical Standard Order authorizations (TSOA). This notice is for guidance purposes only and is supplemental to document RTCA/DO-178B, "Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification," dated December 1, 1992.