AD compliance evidence
How to validate AD compliance from source records
Validating AD compliance from source records means confirming each Airworthiness Directive against the document that accomplished it rather than the line in a status report that claims it is done. It is read by records and airworthiness teams whose AD status is feeding a transaction or a return. The work covers the applicable AD list, the method of compliance each AD permits, the work record showing the method used, the recurrence and next-due, and how superseded revisions are carried forward. You produce a per-AD result tying each directive to its accomplishment evidence and method, with a list of any the source records do not actually support.
When this review is needed
- An AD status list is being relied on for a transaction or return and nobody has checked it against the work records.
- A directive allows several methods of compliance and the status line does not say which one was used.
- A recurring AD shows a next-due date that has to be confirmed against the last accomplishment.
- A directive has been superseded and the records may still be tracking the prior revision.
The problem
An AD status list is a summary built and re-built by hand over years of revisions, and a line that reads compliant is only as good as the work record behind it. A directive often permits more than one method, so a status line that omits which method was used cannot be trusted without the document. Superseded revisions make this worse, because a record can keep faithfully tracking an old AD while the current revision goes unaddressed and the status still reads green.
What gets reviewed
- The applicable AD list for the airframe, engines, and installed appliances
- The method of compliance each AD permits and which one was used
- The work record that shows the chosen method was accomplished
- The recurrence interval and the next-due the evidence supports
- Superseded and revised ADs and how the records carry the change forward
- Effectivity that confirms which ADs apply to this configuration
Scope this review
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What gets validated
- Each applicable AD links to a work record showing the method actually used
- The method shown in the record is one the AD permits
- Recurring AD next-due dates trace to the last documented accomplishment
- A superseded AD is reconciled so the current revision governs the status
- Effectivity confirms the AD applies to this aircraft's configuration
Evidence normally required
Common discrepancies
- An AD marked complete on the status list with no accomplishment record behind it
- A method of compliance recorded that the AD does not actually permit
- A recurring AD whose next-due does not match the last documented action
- A superseded AD still driving the status while the current revision is unaddressed
- An AD shown applicable that effectivity says does not apply to this configuration
What is at stake
An AD shown complete with no accomplishment evidence is a finding that surfaces at the worst time, during a return inspection or a buyer's diligence, when there is no slack to recover the record. A recurring AD whose next-due rests on an unconfirmed last accomplishment can fall due earlier than the status implies, turning a paperwork gap into an operational one.
How the work runs
Fix applicability
Confirm which ADs apply to this configuration from effectivity, so the list under review is the right one.
Match method to record
For each AD, read the permitted methods and find the work record that shows which one was accomplished.
Confirm recurrence
Trace each recurring AD's next-due back to the last documented accomplishment rather than the status line.
Reconcile supersession
Check that the current revision governs the status and that no superseded AD is still driving it.
What the buyer receives
- A per-AD result mapping each directive to its accomplishment evidence and method
- A recurrence schedule confirmed against the last documented action
- A list of ADs the source records do not support, with the evidence each needs
Who uses the output
- Airworthiness teams confirming the AD position is defensible
- Asset and transaction teams relying on the AD status
- Records teams closing the unsupported ADs the review surfaces
How the work fits into the transaction or program
AD validation is a deep check that feeds a records audit, a return binder, or a data room. Its per-AD result becomes the AD section that the larger review or transaction rests on.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
Applicability and recurrence can read differently across authorities, since a directive issued by one authority may have a counterpart or a different effectivity under another. The validation checks the AD position against the authority whose acceptance matters for the event.
Regulatory limits
Validation confirms that the records support the AD status. It does not issue or close an AD, make an airworthiness determination, or guarantee an authority will accept the position, and an unsupported AD is a records finding rather than a ruling on compliance.
What this review does not cover
- Performing the AD accomplishment work itself
- Issuing an alternative method of compliance
- Any airworthiness determination or regulatory approval
Specific to this review
- An AD is validated against the work record that shows a permitted method was used, because a status line can claim a compliance the underlying evidence never establishes.
- A superseded directive is a frequent source of false status, since a record can keep tracking an old revision while the current one goes unaddressed.
- A directive that permits several methods cannot be confirmed from a status line alone, because the line rarely says which method the work actually used.
Sources
U.S. Government (eCFR). The legal basis for issuing and enforcing Airworthiness Directives on U.S.-registered products.
Federal Aviation Administration. FAA guidance on making and keeping maintenance records and acceptable recordkeeping practices.
European Union / EASA. Continuing airworthiness, maintenance records, CAMO responsibilities, and the airworthiness review process in the EASA system.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a status line not enough to confirm an AD?
Because the line is a summary, and a directive often permits several methods of compliance. The work record shows which method was actually used and whether the AD permits it, which a status line that simply reads compliant cannot establish.
Relevant glossary terms
Related pages
Where this fits
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