On August 18, 2026, the FAA published an Unapproved Parts Notification covering 23 separate 3D printed aircraft accessories sold online between 2024 and 2025. These were not wing spars or engine mounts. They were cup holders, headset holders, yoke grips, sunshields, and defroster vent parts, the kind of accessories you can find for almost any hobby. The FAA did not report a single failure or incident. The problem was paperwork: the parts were sold for installation on type-certificated aircraft without FAA approval.
If you buy or sell custom 3D printed parts, this case is the clearest picture in years of where the line sits between a useful accessory and a regulated component. Here is what happened, and what it means for your own parts.
What the FAA actually said
According to the FAA notice and reporting from AVweb and Fabbaloo, the parts were produced by a Kentucky maker doing business as MadeByMike3D and sold on Etsy from May 2024 to August 2025. The list includes cup holders for Beechcraft Bonanza, Debonair, and Grumman aircraft, plus headset holders, yoke grips, windshield shades, and defroster vent components.
The core issue is that FAA rules generally require a Parts Manufacturer Approval, or PMA, for replacement or modification parts produced for sale and installation on type-certificated aircraft. Limited exceptions exist, such as owner-produced parts, but selling printed accessories to other aircraft owners is squarely inside the regulated zone. The FAA is now asking owners, maintenance shops, and parts suppliers to inspect aircraft and inventories for the listed articles and quarantine any they find until eligibility can be determined.
I need a replacement part for my plane. Can someone just 3D print one for me?
For a type-certificated aircraft, generally no: replacement or modification parts produced for sale need FAA authorization such as a PMA, and even legitimate paths like owner-produced parts come with strict conditions, so talk to your mechanic before installing anything. The technology is not the barrier. A modern printer can absolutely produce a dimensionally accurate yoke grip. What it cannot produce is the design approval, the quality system, and the traceability that aviation regulations require. Experimental category aircraft live under different rules, which is exactly why so many builders in that world use printed parts freely while certificated owners cannot.
I sell 3D printed accessories online. How do I know if my product is regulated?
Ask what your part attaches to and who regulates that host product, because the rules follow the equipment: aircraft, medical devices, and children's products each carry their own certification regimes, even for simple accessories. The lesson from this case is that it is just a cup holder is not a defense. A part marketed for installation on a certificated aircraft becomes an aircraft part in the eyes of the regulator, no matter how humble its job. Before listing a product, check whether the host equipment sits inside a regulated category, and if it does, either get the required approval or market the part only for uses outside that category, stated plainly.
The honest claims lesson for every custom part
This is the standard we hold ourselves to at DC Additive Pros. We never claim a temperature, pressure, sealing, or fire rating a part has not been tested to, and we state the honest boundary of every part we make. Most of the work that comes through our shop lives happily outside regulated categories: a discontinued bracket for a machine tool, a fixture for a production line, a housing for a robotics project, an interior accessory for equipment that is not certificated. That is where 3D scanning and reverse engineering shine: we can recreate a part no one makes anymore and tell you exactly what it is and is not rated for.
When a project does touch a regulated space, we say so up front and point you to the right approval path instead of shipping a part with fine print. If you have a part in hand and are not sure which side of the line it sits on, send a photo to info@dcadditivepros.com and we will give you a straight answer. If we can build it, we will quote it through our build and ship service. If it needs an approval we cannot grant, we will tell you that too.
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to 3D print parts for my own airplane?
Owner-produced parts are a recognized path under FAA rules for a part you make or have made under your direction for your own aircraft, but strict conditions apply and installation still requires proper sign off, so involve your mechanic early. Selling those parts to other owners is where PMA requirements apply.
Can a 3D printed part ever be FAA approved?
Yes. 3D printed parts already fly on certificated commercial aircraft, but they go through the same approval paths as any other part. The printing method is not the barrier, the design approval and quality system are.
What should I do if I bought one of the flagged parts?
The FAA asks owners, maintenance organizations, and suppliers to inspect aircraft and inventories for the listed MadeByMike3D articles and quarantine any found until their eligibility for installation is determined. Your mechanic can help you check the notice against what is installed.
Can I get a custom 3D printed part for equipment that is not an aircraft?
Yes. Replacement parts, discontinued components, and custom accessories for unregulated equipment are exactly what a shop like ours builds every day, and a good shop will state plainly what each part is and is not rated for.
This article is for educational purposes and is not legal advice. Consult the FAA, your mechanic, or an aviation attorney for guidance on your specific situation. DC Additive Pros is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the FAA, Etsy, MadeByMike3D, Beechcraft, or Grumman. Third party names are used for identification only.