Airworthiness review
Boeing 787 family airworthiness review evidence records review
This review examines the airworthiness review file behind a specific Boeing 787 and confirms the evidence supporting its review certificate holds together. It is run by or for a lessor, operator, or manager relying on that certificate during a transfer or continued operation. It covers the review certificate basis, the CAMO records behind it, the open finding log, and the continued-airworthiness status the review rested on. You receive a supported view of the certificate's foundation, a list of findings that remain open or unsupported, and a source map tying the certificate back to the records that justify it.
When this review is needed
- A 787 with a current review certificate is transferring and the buyer wants the evidence behind it verified.
- The last airworthiness review closed with findings and their disposition needs confirming.
- A CAMO handover is underway and the incoming CAMO wants the review file it is inheriting checked.
- The certificate is approaching its validity limit and the file has to support the next review cleanly.
The problem
A review certificate is only as sound as the file behind it, and that file is where shortcuts hide. Findings raised at the last review may be recorded as closed without the supporting action, or the continued-airworthiness status the reviewer signed against may have moved since. The certificate looks current, but the CAMO records, the finding log, and the actual status have drifted apart, and whoever relies on the certificate inherits that drift.
What gets reviewed
- The basis on which the current review certificate was issued
- CAMO records supporting the continued-airworthiness status at the review
- The open finding log and the disposition claimed for each finding
- Continued-airworthiness status reports the review relied on
- Whether the recorded status has moved materially since the review
- Evidence gaps that would weaken the certificate at the next review or handover
Scope this review
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What gets validated
- Each finding recorded as closed carries the action evidence that closed it
- The review certificate basis traces to the status reports current at the review date
- CAMO records support the continued-airworthiness position the reviewer signed against
- Open findings are tracked with an owner and a route to closure, not left dangling
- The status the file rests on still reflects the aircraft, or the delta is identified
Evidence normally required
- The current airworthiness review certificate and the review report behind it
- The CAMO records and continued-airworthiness status reports at the review date
- The open finding log with the disposition recorded for each item
- AD and modification status current at the time of the review
- Any change of status recorded since the last review
Common discrepancies
- A finding recorded as closed with no supporting action evidence in the file
- A review certificate basis that no longer matches the current continued-airworthiness status
- CAMO records that do not fully support the position the review signed against
- An open finding with no owner or route to closure carried since the last review
What is at stake
A certificate resting on unsupported findings can be challenged at the next review or by a receiving CAMO, which reopens work the parties assumed was closed. If the underlying status has moved and the file was not maintained, the aircraft can be operating against a review that no longer reflects it, and a transfer can stall while the review evidence is reconstructed.
Move from findings to resolution
Move from findings to a documented resolution path.
How the work runs
Read the certificate basis
Establish what status and records the current review certificate was issued against.
Test the finding log
Confirm each closed finding has action evidence and each open one has an owner.
Check the status delta
Compare the status the file rests on with the aircraft's current position.
Report the foundation
Deliver the supported view, the open-finding list, and the source map.
What the buyer receives
- A supported view of the review certificate's foundation for the tail
- A list of findings that remain open or lack closure evidence
- A source map tying the certificate to the records that justify it
Who uses the output
- Incoming CAMO staff inheriting the review file and its open items
- Asset managers relying on the certificate during a transfer
- Records teams preparing the file for the next airworthiness review
How the work fits into the transaction or program
The airworthiness review file is the top layer of the continued-airworthiness record, and this check confirms the layers beneath it hold. What it surfaces feeds the CAMO handover and the preparation for the next review, so the certificate rests on evidence rather than assumption.
Aircraft-specific considerations
On a 787 the continued-airworthiness status the review signs against carries more configuration and systems weight than on an older widebody, because software part numbers and electrical change history feed the position. A review file that treated those as settled without reconciling them to source is where the certificate's foundation most often turns out to be thinner than it looks.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
The airworthiness review construct is an EASA continuing-airworthiness feature, so a 787 moving from an FAA operator toward an EASA register will need a review built rather than inherited. The check notes where the existing file supports an EASA review and where the continued-airworthiness evidence has to be assembled to the receiving system's expectations.
Regulatory limits
The review confirms whether the certificate's supporting evidence is present and consistent. It does not conduct an airworthiness review, issue or extend a review certificate, or make an airworthiness determination on the aircraft.
What this review does not cover
- Performing the airworthiness review or issuing its certificate
- Acting as the CAMO for the aircraft
- Any airworthiness determination on the tail
Specific to this review
- A review certificate can be current while the file behind it has drifted, because the certificate is not re-tested until the next review or a handover.
- Findings closed on the log without supporting action are the most common weakness, and they surface fastest when a new CAMO takes over.
- On the 787 the continued-airworthiness position depends on configuration and software evidence, so a review that skipped that reconciliation leaves the foundation thin.
Sources
European Union / EASA. Continuing airworthiness, maintenance records, CAMO responsibilities, and the airworthiness review process in the EASA system.
International Civil Aviation Organization. International standards for the airworthiness of aircraft and the framework states use for type and continuing airworthiness.
U.S. Government (eCFR). Records an owner or operator must keep, including total time in service, current status of life-limited parts, and AD compliance.
Frequently asked questions
The certificate is current, so why review the file?
A current certificate has not been re-tested since it was issued. A receiving CAMO or the next review will test the file behind it, and findings closed without evidence or status that has since moved are exactly what fail that test. Checking now avoids reopening the work under time pressure.
Relevant glossary terms
Related pages
Where this fits
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We will walk through your current state, the records or evidence involved, and a scoped first engagement.
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