Open-item gap
Open findings without a documented disposition
An open finding without documented disposition is an inspection or audit item that was raised against the aircraft and never shown to be closed, deferred under an approved basis, or carried as a known item. It is a problem for lessors, airlines, and MROs at handback, induction, or before a transaction. The check reads non-routine cards, audit findings, deferral records, and the rectification evidence each finding should point to. You receive a register of findings with no resolution on file, the deferrals that have lapsed their basis, and the path to close or substantiate each one.
When this review is needed
- A work package is handing back and the MRO has to show every finding it raised was rectified, deferred on an approved basis, or formally accepted.
- An aircraft is inducted and the incoming team finds open items in the prior operator's records with no close-out attached.
- A redelivery is being assembled and the return conditions require an open-item list with each entry resolved or carried as a stated exception.
- A deferral was raised against a finding and the basis or the time limit on that deferral can no longer be confirmed.
The problem
A finding starts as a line on a non-routine card or an audit report, and it is meant to drive a rectification that closes the loop. In practice the rectification is performed and signed somewhere else, the finding card is filed without a back-reference, and the two never get connected. Months later the records show a finding raised with no visible end state, and there is no way to tell from the file whether the item was fixed, deferred, or simply forgotten.
What gets reviewed
- Every finding raised across inspections, audits, surveys, and work-package non-routines
- The disposition recorded for each finding, whether rectified, deferred, or accepted
- Rectification evidence and the sign-off that should close each finding
- Deferral records, their approved basis, and any time or cycle limit attached
- Cross-references linking a finding to the work order that resolved it
- Findings carried forward across visits, operators, or program changes
Scope this review
Tell us the asset, the event, and the evidence in scope, and we will outline a focused first engagement.
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What gets validated
- Each finding shows a recorded disposition rather than ending without an outcome
- A rectified finding points to the rectification evidence and the sign-off that closed it
- A deferred finding carries an approved basis and a limit that has not lapsed
- An accepted finding is recorded as a known item with the acceptance documented
- Findings carried across visits are tracked continuously without dropping out of view
Evidence normally required
- Non-routine and finding cards from recent and historical work packages
- Audit, survey, and inspection finding reports
- Deferral and MEL records with their approved basis and limits
- Work orders and rectification sign-offs
- The open-item or carry-forward list maintained for the aircraft
Common discrepancies
- A finding card filed with no disposition and no link to any rectification
- A rectification performed under a separate work order that never back-references the finding it closed
- A deferral whose time or cycle limit has passed without a recorded close-out
- An audit finding marked closed in a summary with no underlying evidence behind the closure
- An item carried forward across visits until it disappears from the list with no resolution
What is at stake
An open finding with no disposition is an unresolved item the receiving party inherits. It may turn out to be long closed, but until the rectification is found, it has to be treated as live, which can hold a redelivery, force a precautionary inspection, or reduce the price the asset trades at. A lapsed deferral is worse, because the basis that allowed the item to be carried no longer holds.
Move from findings to resolution
Sequence the fixes and the documentation that closes each finding.
How the work runs
Inventory the findings
Pull every finding raised across non-routines, audits, surveys, and inspections, and record the end state shown for each.
Match finding to resolution
Trace each finding to its rectification, deferral, or acceptance and connect items closed under a separate reference.
Test the deferrals
Confirm each carried item has an approved basis and a live limit, and flag any that have lapsed.
Map close-out
For each item still open, recommend linking existing evidence, performing the work, or formally accepting it, and name the owner.
What the buyer receives
- A register of open findings with the state of each and the evidence it lacks
- A list of deferrals that have lapsed their basis or limit
- A close-out path per finding, whether linking existing rectification, performing it, or formally accepting the item
Who uses the output
- Quality staff confirming the work package closed every finding it raised
- Records teams clearing open items before redelivery or induction
- Asset teams pricing the risk of findings that cannot yet be shown as closed
How the work fits into the transaction or program
The review separates findings that are genuinely unresolved from those that were closed under a different reference, so effort goes to the items that actually need work. It feeds the open-item list in a redelivery binder and the discrepancy register in a wider records audit.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
What counts as an acceptable disposition and how a deferral is authorized differ between the FAA and EASA systems. A finding deferred under one authority's process is not automatically a valid carry-forward under another, so disposition is read against the system the aircraft is operating in or moving to.
Regulatory limits
The review establishes whether each finding has a documented disposition and whether the supporting evidence is present and consistent. It does not rectify the finding, approve a deferral, accept an item on the operator's behalf, or make an airworthiness determination.
What this review does not cover
- Physical rectification of any finding
- Approval or extension of a deferral
- Any airworthiness determination or regulatory acceptance
Specific to this review
- A finding and its rectification are often recorded under separate references, so an open finding frequently turns out to be closed work that was never linked back.
- A deferral is only a valid disposition while its approved basis and limit still hold; once the limit lapses, the carried item reverts to open.
- An audit summary that marks a finding closed is not a disposition on its own; the close-out is only supported when the underlying rectification evidence is present.
Sources
U.S. Government (eCFR). Maintenance recordkeeping content and approval-for-return-to-service requirements, including 43.9, 43.11, and Appendix B.
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
Does an open finding mean the aircraft has an active defect?
Not necessarily. It often means the rectification was done but never linked to the finding. Until that link is found, the item has to be treated as live, which is why the review traces each one to its actual outcome.
How are lapsed deferrals handled?
A deferral is only valid while its basis and limit hold. The review flags any that have passed their limit so they can be rectified or re-deferred under a current basis before the aircraft moves.
Relevant glossary terms
Related pages
Where this fits
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