Definition
Technical information whose accuracy and suitability for use in the inspection, maintenance, repair, or alteration of an aircraft has been formally accepted by the Federal Aviation Administration. Examples include type certificate data sheets, FAA-approved sections of manufacturer maintenance manuals, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificates, and FAA Form 337 data approved by an FAA inspector or a Designated Engineering Representative.
Plain English
Information the FAA has officially signed off on as correct and acceptable for fixing or changing an aircraft. If the data isn't approved, you can't legally use it as the basis for the repair or alteration.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft maintenance records, repair and alteration paperwork, inspections, and discussions about whether work was done in a legally acceptable way.
Derivation
Approved comes from a Latin idea meaning “to prove or accept as good.” Data comes from Latin datum, meaning “something given.” In this term, the important idea is information that has been officially accepted, not just information that exists.
Why Pilots Care
Using anything other than approved data for repairs or alterations can render the aircraft unairworthy and expose the owner and mechanic to legal and safety risks.
Intuition Check
Approved does not mean “the mechanic thinks it is okay.” Here it means the FAA, or an FAA-authorized person or organization, has formally accepted the information for that use.
Example Sentence 1
Before signing off on the major repair, the mechanic confirmed that the manufacturer's structural repair manual section he was using qualified as approved data.
Example Sentence 2
The inspector rejected the repair because it was performed without approved data.