Open items & deferrals
Deferred-maintenance history review
A deferred-maintenance history review traces each deferred item from how it was raised through its category, its time limit, and the work that cleared it. It is used before a purchase, a lease return, or an operator transition. It checks that every deferral was raised against a valid basis, carried the correct interval, and was either cleared in time or extended on a recorded basis. You receive a deferral-by-deferral register, the items open past their limit or cleared without evidence, and what is needed to close each one.
When this review is needed
- An aircraft carries open deferrals and a buyer needs each one categorised and time-limited.
- A return references a clean or limited deferral state the lessor needs to verify.
- An operator transition requires the deferral log to be handed over and reconciled.
- A history of deferrals exists and the question is whether each was cleared within its limit.
The problem
Deferrals are raised quickly to keep an aircraft moving, and each carries a category and a time limit that someone has to honor. A deferral can be raised against the wrong category, sit open past its allowable interval, or be marked cleared with no work record behind it. The current open list shows what is live today, but the history shows whether the discipline held, and the two often tell different stories.
What gets reviewed
- Each deferred item with its raising basis, category, and time limit
- The clearance record for each item and the work it references
- Deferrals extended beyond their original limit and the recorded basis
- Items still open and their position against their allowable interval
- Repeat deferrals of the same item that point to an unresolved defect
- The deferral log against the underlying defect and work records
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 deferral was raised against a valid category with a defined time limit
- Cleared deferrals reference the work record that actually closed them
- No open deferral sits past its allowable interval without a recorded extension
- Any extension carries a basis and stays within what the category allows
- Repeat deferrals of one item are linked rather than treated as unrelated
Evidence normally required
- The deferred item log and the open item list
- The clearance records and the work that closed each item
- The deferral category definitions and their time limits
- Extension approvals and their recorded basis
- The defect and non-routine records the deferrals arose from
Common discrepancies
- A deferral raised against the wrong category or with no time limit set
- An open item carried past its allowable interval
- A deferral marked cleared with no work record behind the clearance
- An extension applied with no recorded basis
- The same defect deferred repeatedly without being resolved
What is at stake
A deferral carried past its limit is an open item operating without a valid basis, and a clearance with no work record cannot be relied on. In a transaction, a deferral history that does not reconcile forces the buyer to treat the open list as unverified, and confirming clearances after acceptance is the buyer's cost.
Move from findings to resolution
Move from findings to a documented resolution path.
How the work runs
Compile the deferral set
Pull every deferral from the open list and the history with its raising basis, category, and time limit.
Check category and limit
Confirm each deferral was raised against a valid category with a defined interval and that open items sit within their allowable limit.
Verify clearances
Tie each cleared deferral to the work record that closed it and confirm extensions carry a recorded basis within the category.
Surface repeat and stale items
Link repeat deferrals of the same defect, flag clearances with no work behind them, and set a closure path for each.
What the buyer receives
- A deferral-by-deferral register from raising to clearance or current status
- A list of items open past limit or cleared without evidence
- A recommended closure path for each item, including extensions to substantiate
Who uses the output
- Continuing-airworthiness teams confirming the open list is valid
- Records teams reconciling deferrals to defect and work records
- Acquisition and asset teams pricing open items into the aircraft
How the work fits into the transaction or program
The review supports a pre-purchase, a redelivery, or a transition by turning a deferral log into a traced history. It feeds the open-items section of a discrepancy register and the decision on what must clear before acceptance.
Jurisdiction-specific considerations
Deferral categories and allowable intervals follow the operating rule and authority the aircraft was operated under. Where it changes authorities, the review identifies deferrals whose category or limit will need to be re-established under the receiving framework.
Regulatory limits
The review confirms that the deferral history is complete, consistent, and traceable to clearance evidence. It does not raise or clear a deferral, grant an extension, or make an airworthiness determination.
What this review does not cover
- Raising, extending, or clearing a deferral
- Performing the work that would close an open item
- Any airworthiness determination on the aircraft
Specific to this review
- The open list shows what is live today; the deferral history shows whether the time-limit discipline held, and the two frequently disagree.
- A clearance is only valid if it points to the work that closed it, so a cleared item with no work record stays unverified.
- The same defect deferred again and again is a signal of an unresolved problem that the log can hide by treating each instance as new.
Sources
U.S. Government (eCFR). Maintenance recordkeeping content and approval-for-return-to-service requirements, including 43.9, 43.11, and Appendix B.
European Union / EASA. Continuing airworthiness, maintenance records, CAMO responsibilities, and the airworthiness review process in the EASA system.
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
Is this the same as checking the open deferral list?
The open list is a snapshot of live items. This review traces the full history, including whether past deferrals were cleared within their limits and whether each clearance has a work record behind it.
Relevant glossary terms
Related pages
Where this fits
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