The Structure of an AS9102 First Article Inspection Package
The aerospace standard SAE AS9102 establishes standard documentation requirements for First Article Inspection (FAI). The purpose of an AS9102 FAI is to provide documented physical verification that production manufacturing processes are capable of consistently producing conforming parts that satisfy all customer engineering drawings, specifications, and purchase order requirements.
An AS9102 Rev C compliant FAI package is composed of three mandatory forms:
- Form 1: Part Number Accountability — Identifies the assembly, sub-assembly, or detail part being inspected, associated drawing revisions, organization metadata, and baseline FAI status.
- Form 2: Product Accountability — Documents all raw materials, special processes (heat treating, anodizing, plating, NDT), and functional testing requirements.
- Form 3: Characteristic Accountability, Verification and Compatibility Evaluation — Documents every ballooned design characteristic, dimensional tolerance, visual note, GD&T feature control frame, inspection method, and actual measured values.
Revision C Transition Notice: AS9102 Rev C introduced streamlined field identifiers, clarified requirements for Digital Product Definition (DPD / MBD), and harmonized characteristic identification rules. Whether submitting via software portals like Net-Inspect or standalone Excel/PDF files, strict field compliance is required by Tier-1 aerospace primes (Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman).
AS9102 Form 1: Part Number Accountability
Form 1 establishes the legal and configuration baseline for the inspected part. It links the physical workpiece to the purchase order and drawing revision.
| Field # | Field Name | Requirement | Operational Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field 1 | Part Number | Mandatory (R) | The exact top-level part number as identified on the engineering drawing and purchase order. |
| Field 2 | Part Name | Mandatory (R) | The official name of the part as designated in the title block of the engineering blueprint. |
| Field 3 | Serial Number | Conditional (CR) | Individual serial number if the physical part is serial-tracked by customer requirements. |
| Field 4 | Fair Identifier | Mandatory (R) | Unique internal tracking number assigned by the supplier to identify this specific First Article report. |
| Field 5 | Part Revision Level | Mandatory (R) | The latest drawing revision letter/number to which the first article was manufactured. |
| Field 6 | Drawing Number | Mandatory (R) | The primary engineering drawing number associated with the part (often identical to Field 1). |
| Field 7 | Drawing Revision Level | Mandatory (R) | The revision level of the engineering drawing used for manufacturing and inspection. |
| Field 8 | Additional Changes | Conditional (CR) | Any approved engineering change orders (ECO), engineering orders (EO), or deviations not yet incorporated in the drawing revision. |
| Field 9 | Manufacturing Process Reference | Mandatory (R) | Internal traveler, routing sheet, shop order number, or job tracking identifier. |
| Field 10 | Organization Name | Mandatory (R) | Legal company name of the manufacturing contractor or machine shop performing the inspection. |
| Field 11 | Supplier Code | Conditional (CR) | Customer-assigned vendor code (e.g., CAGE code or customer vendor ID number). |
| Field 12 | P.O. Number | Conditional (CR) | Customer purchase order number authorizing the manufacturing run. |
| Field 13 | Detail / Assembly FAI | Mandatory (R) | Checkbox indicating whether this report covers a detail component or an assembled multi-part unit. |
| Field 14 | Full / Partial FAI | Mandatory (R) | Indicate whether this is a baseline 100% full FAI or a Delta/Partial FAI following a design or process revision. |
| Field 15–18 | Baseline FAIR Reference | Conditional (CR) | If Field 14 is marked Partial FAI, record the previous FAIR identifier and the specific reason for delta re-inspection. |
| Field 19–24 | Signatures & Approval | Mandatory (R) | Quality inspector name, signature, date, and customer sign-off block where contractually mandated. |
AS9102 Form 2: Product Accountability (Materials & Special Processes)
Form 2 ensures that all material specifications, chemical compositions, heat treats, coatings, and subcontracted special processes meet engineering specifications. Every line on Form 2 must link to verifiable Mill Test Reports (MTR) or Certificate of Conformity (CoC) documents.
Required Fields on Form 2:
- Field 1–4: Header synchronization (Part Number, Part Name, Serial Number, and FAIR Identifier matching Form 1).
- Field 5: Material or Process Name: The designated material (e.g., Aluminum 7075-T651 Bar, Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5) or special process (e.g., Anodize Type II Class 1 per MIL-A-8625, Passivation per AMS 2700).
- Field 6: Specification Number: The exact AMS, ASTM, MIL, or proprietary prime specification callout including revision letter.
- Field 7: Code: Customer-designated special process approval code (e.g., Nadcap accreditation code).
- Field 8: Special Process Supplier: Name, address, and CAGE code of the processing vendor performing the operation.
- Field 9: Customer Approval Verification: Confirmation that the special processor is currently listed on the customer's Approved Special Processors List (ASPL).
- Field 10: Certificate of Conformance / Test Report Number: The unique certificate number cross-referenced in the FAI document package.
- Field 11: Functional Test Procedure: Test specification number for pressure testing, proof loading, or electronic continuity tests.
- Field 12: Acceptance Report Number: Test result sheet or calibration record number verifying acceptance.
AS9102 Form 3: Characteristic Accountability & Ballooned Drawings
Form 3 is the most labor-intensive portion of First Article Inspection. It requires indexing every single characteristic from the engineering blueprint, including linear dimensions, GD&T feature control frames, thread specifications, surface finish values, and engineering drawing notes.
| Field # | Field Name | Requirement & Guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Field 5 | Char No. (Balloon #) | The unique sequence number matching the balloon bubble on the drawing. Every ballooned requirement must have a corresponding row in Form 3. |
| Field 6 | Reference Location | Drawing sheet and grid coordinates (e.g., Sheet 1, Zone D4) to ensure traceability. |
| Field 7 | Characteristic Designator | Classifies critical characteristics, such as Key Characteristics (KC), Critical to Quality (CTQ), Flight Safety, or Major/Minor per drawing notes. |
| Field 8 | Requirement | The full nominal dimension, high/low limits, or exact drawing note text (e.g., 25.40 ± 0.05 mm or ANODIZE PER MIL-A-8625). |
| Field 9 | Results (Actual Measured) | The physical measured value recorded during inspection. Vague terms like "Pass" or "OK" are prohibited for variable dimensions. Exact numeric readings are required. |
| Field 10 | Designed Tooling / Gage | The specific calibrated inspection tool used (e.g., Micrometer #MIC-042, CMM Zeiss Prismo #CMM-01, Optical Comparator #OPT-03). |
| Field 11 | Non-Conformance Number | If the measured characteristic is out of specification, record the internal Non-Conformance Report (NCR) number. |
Common Form 3 Rejection Reason: Over 70% of supplier FAI rejections are caused by human transcription errors on Form 3 — including missed blueprint notes, swapped tolerance limits, and unballooned drawing features. Using automated bubble drawing software like BalloonPlot eliminates these errors by extracting dimensions directly via OCR into AS9102 Form 3 templates.
When is a Partial (Delta) FAI Required under AS9102?
AS9102 Section 4.6 mandates that an organization must perform a Partial (Delta) FAI when any of the following triggers occur:
- Engineering Drawing Change: Any design change that affects fit, form, or function requires re-inspection of affected characteristics.
- Manufacturing Process Change: Changing cutting tool paths, NC programs, sequence of operations, or machine types (e.g., moving from a 3-axis to a 5-axis CNC mill).
- Tooling or Fixture Changes: Replacing worn manufacturing fixtures, stamping dies, or custom inspection gages.
- Manufacturing Facility Relocation: Moving production equipment to a new shop floor or external supplier facility.
- Production Laps (2-Year Rule): A lapse in production for two or more consecutive years requires a full new First Article Inspection prior to shipment.
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