# Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUP) Receiving Inspection Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/suspected-unapproved-parts-receiving-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A receiving inspection checklist for catching suspected unapproved aircraft parts before they reach stock or an aircraft. ## Category aerospace-defense ## Industry Aerospace MRO ## Audience - Receiving inspector - Stores supervisor - Quality manager ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Scoring Note:** Every critical item must be answered yes before the part is accepted into serviceable stock. Any critical item answered no means the part goes to quarantine and the case goes to your quality department. **Groups:** #### Paperwork and traceability **Items:** **Text:** Release document is present and matches the part number and serial number on the unit **Critical:** true **Text:** Release document is issued by an organisation approved for that work, and the approval reference is legible **Critical:** true **Text:** Quantity, batch or lot and description on the document match the part **Critical:** true **Text:** Document is the original or an accepted certified copy, with no sign of alteration **Critical:** true Dates are logical (manufacture, repair and release dates are in order) Traceability back to the manufacturer or approved repair source is available for the purchase Remarks block refers to the work done and the data used **Text:** Life limited parts arrive with their full back to birth history **Critical:** true Status of any Airworthiness Directives or modifications is stated where applicable #### Part identification and marking **Items:** **Text:** Part number marked on the unit matches the paperwork **Critical:** true Serial number plate is original, riveted or fixed correctly and not re-stamped Fonts, spacing and marking method look consistent with a genuine unit Modification status or dash number on the plate matches the document No evidence of removed or painted over labels or data plates Manufacturer or approval marks (such as PMA or TSO marks) are present where required Part is compared with the illustrated parts catalogue or a known good sample where one exists #### Physical condition and packaging **Items:** Packaging is original or appropriate to the part type and protects against damage Seals, tamper tapes and protective caps are intact where supplied No unexplained corrosion, fresh paint, cleaning marks or tool marks No signs of fire, impact, water ingress or use beyond the declared status **Text:** Elastomers and shelf life items are within their limits, with cure or manufacture date visible **Critical:** true Electrical connectors and fittings are undamaged and clean Software or firmware level is recorded where the part contains programmable items #### Supplier and purchase checks **Items:** **Text:** Supplier is on your approved vendor list, or the purchase went through the approval route **Critical:** true Purchase order requirements (condition, release type, certificate) are met Price is not far below normal market for the part and condition Shipping origin and route are consistent with the supplier declared location Any unusual urgency, change of bank details or unusual shipping request has been checked #### Disposition and reporting **Items:** **Text:** Suspect parts are tagged, segregated and recorded in a quarantine location **Critical:** true Photos of marks, plates and documents are saved to the receiving record **Text:** Quality department is notified and decides on supplier contact and reporting **Critical:** true Required reporting to the authority is considered by the quality manager Part is not returned to the supplier or scrapped until quality releases it Outcome of the case is recorded for supplier evaluation ## Content **Intro:** Suspected unapproved parts are parts that may not meet approved design or production requirements, or whose documents do not support their claimed status. This checklist structures the checks a receiving inspector can make before a part is accepted into stock. **Sections:** #### How to use the checklist **Body:** Work through the groups in order on every incoming safety relevant part, or on a sampling plan agreed with your quality department for lower risk items. Tick each item as checked. Critical items are marked because failure of any one of them is a reason to stop and quarantine. Save the completed list or export it to PDF and attach it to the receiving record so there is evidence of what was checked. **Bullets:** - Do not accept on a verbal assurance - Photograph plates and documents - When in doubt, quarantine and ask quality #### What the checks are looking for **Body:** Unapproved parts rarely announce themselves. The signs are small: a release document with the wrong approval reference, a serial plate that has been re-stamped, fresh paint over a data plate, dates that do not add up, or a price far below the market. No single sign proves a part is unapproved, but a pattern of small mismatches justifies a hold. The checklist forces the inspector to compare paperwork against the physical unit rather than checking each in isolation. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Common failures include trusting a document because it looks official, skipping checks on small hardware or consumables, and returning a suspect part to the supplier before quality has seen it. That last action can destroy evidence and send the part back into the supply chain. Make sure stores staff understand that they may not release a quarantined item, even to a senior manager, without a recorded quality decision. **Bullets:** - Hardware and consumables can be unapproved too - Keep the suspect part and its packaging - Record who tagged it and when **Cta:** If you want these checks enforced as hold statuses in your ERP receiving flow, we can help you set up the rules and the quarantine workflow. **Faq:** #### What is a suspected unapproved part? **Answer:** It is a part that may not conform to an approved design, may have been produced or repaired without authority, or has documents that do not support its claimed status. The term covers counterfeit, bogus and fraudulently documented parts. #### Does this checklist replace my procedures? **Answer:** No. It is a general aid. Your approved procedures, quality system and regulator requirements take priority, and your quality department decides what must be checked and reported. #### Which parts need the full checklist? **Answer:** Apply it to all safety relevant parts and to any part with unusual risk, such as a new supplier or a price well below market. Lower risk items can follow a sampling plan that quality approves. #### What should I do if I suspect a part? **Answer:** Stop, tag and segregate the part, keep all packaging and documents, take photographs and inform your quality manager. Do not return it, scrap it or install it until quality has made a decision. ## Search terms suspected unapproved parts checklist, sup receiving inspection, aircraft parts incoming inspection checklist, bogus parts detection aviation, counterfeit part checklist aerospace, parts receiving mro checklist, unapproved parts quarantine --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json