AD compliance
Embraer E-Jet Airworthiness Directive status records review
This review tests an Embraer E-Jet AD status list against the evidence behind it, one directive at a time. It is run by or for a lessor, airline, or manager evaluating, transferring, or operating the tail who needs the AD position to be defensible rather than asserted. It covers applicability to the serial number, the method of compliance recorded, the accomplishment evidence for each closed directive, and the tracking of any that recur. You receive a supported AD position, a list of directives whose closure is unsupported, and a source map from each line to its accomplishment record.
When this review is needed
- An E-Jet is being acquired and the buyer needs the AD position verified before pricing it.
- The tail is transferring between operators and each directive has to reconcile to the receiving records.
- A recurring AD is on the list and no one has confirmed the recurring inspections stayed on interval.
- A status list was generated by a tracking system and the accomplishment evidence has never been checked.
The problem
An AD status list is a summary, and summaries are confident where the evidence is thin. A directive shows as complied with, but the accomplishment record is missing, the method of compliance does not match what the directive allows, or the applicability was misjudged for the serial number. A recurring AD can slip its interval quietly. Whoever relies on the list inherits the directives that cannot actually be supported.
What gets reviewed
- Applicability of each directive assessed against the serial number and configuration
- The method of compliance recorded checked against what the directive permits
- Accomplishment evidence located for every directive shown as closed
- Recurring directives and whether their inspections stayed on interval
- Directives complied with by a service bulletin or STC and the link to that basis
- The status list reconciled against both FAA and EASA applicable directives
Scope this review
Tell us the asset, the event, and the evidence in scope, and we will outline a focused first engagement.
Send a representative, redacted record set and we will scope the review.
What gets validated
- Each closed AD carries an accomplishment record, not just a status-list annotation
- The recorded method of compliance is one the directive actually allows
- Applicability calls match the serial number, engine, and installed configuration
- Recurring AD inspections show the last accomplishment and the next due within interval
- Compliance by SB or STC references the specific document and its embodiment record
Evidence normally required
- The current AD status list for the airframe, engines, and appliances
- Accomplishment records and work orders for each closed directive
- The configuration and modification status affecting applicability
- Service bulletin and STC references used as a compliance basis
- The applicable FAA and EASA AD listings for the type
Common discrepancies
- A directive shown complied with but with no accomplishment record behind it
- A recurring AD whose next inspection is past due against its interval
- An applicability call that does not fit the serial number or engine fitted
- Compliance claimed by a service bulletin with no embodiment record to support it
What is at stake
A directive shown complied with but lacking evidence is an open AD the moment a regulator or receiving operator checks. A recurring inspection that slipped its interval can ground the aircraft, and an applicability error means either an AD was worked that did not apply or one that did was missed. Each of those surfaces at the worst time, during a transfer or a surveillance visit.
Move from findings to resolution
Move from findings to a documented resolution path.
How the work runs
Fix applicability
Establish which directives apply to the serial number, engines, and installed configuration.
Test each closure
Match every closed AD to its accomplishment record and check the method of compliance.
Check the recurring items
Confirm recurring inspections stayed on interval and the next due is within limit.
Report the position
Deliver the supported AD position, the unsupported list, and the source map.
What the buyer receives
- A supported AD position for the airframe, engines, and appliances
- A list of directives whose closure or applicability is unsupported
- A source map linking each status line to its accomplishment record
Who uses the output
- Asset managers pricing the AD exposure on the aircraft
- Continuing-airworthiness staff reconciling the position at induction
- Records teams closing the directives that lack supporting evidence
How the work fits into the transaction or program
The AD position sits at the center of any E-Jet records review, because so much of the file's value rests on it being defensible. What this check surfaces feeds the remediation that closes unsupported directives and the status the receiving operator will build its program on.
Aircraft-specific considerations
An E-Jet's directive list usually reflects regional-airline utilization, with high cycle counts that make recurring inspection intervals bite sooner than on a lower-utilization type. Cabin and avionics upgrade history also shifts applicability, because a modification embodied under an STC can change which directives apply, so the AD position has to be read against the tail's actual configuration rather than a type-level list.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
An E-Jet operated under an FAA certificate and one under an EASA certificate face overlapping but not identical directive sets, and the same corrective action can be mandated by both authorities on different terms. The review reconciles the list against both applicable sets and flags where a directive was tracked under one authority but not the other.
Regulatory limits
The review reports whether the AD position is supported by evidence. It does not determine compliance on an authority's behalf, accept a method of compliance, or make an airworthiness determination on the aircraft.
What this review does not cover
- Performing or signing off AD accomplishment work
- Approving an alternative method of compliance
- Any airworthiness determination on the tail
Specific to this review
- Recurring directives are where an E-Jet's high utilization bites: an interval that looks comfortable on calendar can be past due on cycles.
- An STC or modification can change which directives apply, so the AD position cannot be read without the tail's actual configuration.
- A status-list annotation is not compliance evidence; the accomplishment record is what a regulator or receiving operator will demand.
Sources
U.S. Government (eCFR). The legal basis for issuing and enforcing Airworthiness Directives on U.S.-registered products.
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.
European Union / EASA. Continuing airworthiness, maintenance records, CAMO responsibilities, and the airworthiness review process in the EASA system.
Frequently asked questions
Does a clean status list mean the AD position is sound?
Not on its own. A status list is a summary that can show a directive complied with while the accomplishment record is missing or the method does not fit what the directive allows. The position is only sound when each line traces to evidence a regulator would accept.
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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