Definition
A maintenance facility that has been issued an FAA repair station certificate under 14 CFR Part 145, authorizing it to perform specified maintenance, preventive maintenance, inspections, and alterations on aircraft, engines, propellers, or components within the ratings listed on its certificate.
Plain English
A maintenance shop that the FAA has officially approved to work on aircraft. The FAA has reviewed its facilities, tools, procedures, and people, and has given it a certificate spelling out exactly what kinds of work it is allowed to do.
Context Anchor
Seen in maintenance and inspection discussions, especially when deciding who may perform or sign off an annual inspection.
Derivation
‘Certificated’ comes from the Latin certificare, meaning ‘to make certain’ or ‘to attest.’ In FAA usage, a certificated facility is one the agency has formally attested as meeting specific standards. ‘Repair station’ is the FAA's chosen term for an approved maintenance shop, distinguishing it from an individual mechanic working under their own certificate.
Why Pilots Care
Only work performed at a certificated repair station meets the regulatory standard needed to return an aircraft to service and maintain its airworthiness certificate.
Intuition Check
Do not read certificated repair station as “any aircraft repair shop.” In this FAA context, it means a repair station with an official FAA certificate for specific kinds of aircraft work.
Example Sentence 1
The owner flew the aircraft to a certificated repair station for its annual inspection because the local mechanic was not available.
Example Sentence 2
After the propeller overhaul the aircraft was returned to service only because the work was done by a certificated repair station.