What is AS9102?
AS9102 is the international standard governing First Article Inspection (FAI) reporting for the aerospace and defence industry. Maintained by the SAE International Aerospace Standards Committee, it defines the format and content of FAI documentation that aerospace suppliers must produce when delivering a part to an OEM for the first time, or after specified changes.
The current revision is Rev C, published in 2023, replacing Rev B (2014). Rev C introduced several clarifications around digital signatures, characteristic accountability for sub-tier suppliers, and electronic FAI submissions. If you are still using Rev B forms, your customer will likely accept them through 2026, but new programs increasingly require Rev C.
When is FAI required?
FAI is mandatory in five specific scenarios per AS9102 Section 4.6:
- First production run of a new part. Always required.
- Change in design. Engineering change order (ECO) or revision affects fit, form, or function.
- Change in manufacturing source. New supplier, new plant, or significant change at existing supplier.
- Change in process or material. New heat treat process, new alloy, new vendor for raw material.
- Lapse in production exceeding 2 years. Even if nothing changed, the lapse triggers re-FAI.
Form 1 — Part Number Accountability
Form 1 is the cover page. It identifies the part, the FAI report itself, the supplier, and the customer. It also tracks whether this is a full FAI (all forms complete) or a partial FAI (delta from a previous FAI).
Critical fields:
- Part Number / Revision: Must match the drawing exactly, including any prefix or suffix.
- FAI Report Number: Your unique tracking number. Customers will reference this in correspondence.
- Reason for partial FAI: If applicable, must reference previous FAI report and changes since.
- Customer Approval: Signed by customer's quality representative after acceptance.
Form 2 — Material, Process, Functional Test
Form 2 documents that the materials and processes used in manufacturing match the engineering requirements. Every material listed in the bill of materials, every special process (heat treat, surface treatment, NDT), and every functional test is recorded with its certification reference.
| Field | What goes here |
|---|---|
| Material specification | e.g., AMS 4117, AMS 5643 |
| Material certification | Heat lot number, mill cert reference |
| Special process | e.g., heat treat per AMS 2750, anodize per MIL-A-8625 |
| Process certification | NADCAP cert number, supplier name |
| Functional test | e.g., proof pressure test, pull test, flow test |
Form 3 — Characteristic Accountability
Form 3 is the heart of AS9102. Every dimensioned feature on the drawing — every length, diameter, angle, surface finish, GD&T callout, note, and material specification — must be assigned a characteristic number, listed on Form 3, and verified by inspection.
The characteristic accountability principle is unique to AS9102 (vs. PPAP). It says: nothing on the drawing can be left out. If the drawing has 247 dimensions, your Form 3 has 247 lines. Each line shows:
- Characteristic number (sequential, matches a balloon on the drawing)
- Drawing requirement (the dimension and tolerance from the drawing)
- Inspection method used
- Measured/verified result
- Pass/fail designation
OEM-specific variations
Boeing
Boeing requires the FAI to follow Boeing standard D6-51991 in addition to AS9102. Key additions: explicit statement of compliance to Boeing process specifications, supplier quality system certification reference (AS9100 + Boeing approval), and Boeing-specific characteristic types (B-Critical, S-Significant) called out separately.
Airbus
Airbus uses EN 9102 (the European-equivalent standard, harmonized with AS9102) and additionally requires Airbus-specific Form A1 for certain part categories. Material certifications must reference Airbus Process Specifications (APS) where applicable.
HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics)
HAL accepts AS9102 forms but also requires its own HAL/QA/F/05 dimensional report format for certain platforms (Tejas, Dornier, ALH). Most Indian Tier-2 suppliers submit both forms in parallel for HAL programs.
Tata Advanced Systems
TASL accepts standard AS9102 Rev C with two additions: a covering "FAI Index" sheet listing every drawing referenced (parent + sub-assemblies) and an explicit declaration of any sub-tier supplier FAI references. For Boeing 737 fuselage program parts, TASL also flows down Boeing D6-51991 requirements verbatim.
Top 10 FAI mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- Missing characteristics on Form 3. Every dimension, every note, every spec callout = one line. Use ballooning software (like CadNexa) to ensure no missed items.
- Mismatched units. Drawing in mm but measurements typed in inches. Always check unit consistency in every column.
- Material certs not tied to heat lots. Listing only the spec (AMS 5643) without the actual heat lot triggers rejection.
- Process certs missing or expired. NADCAP certs expire; check validity at FAI date, not order date.
- Inspection method mismatch. Calling out "CMM" for a feature that needs a thread plug gauge.
- Missing GD&T verification. Position, profile, runout require explicit datum reference and inspection setup notes.
- Form 1 signature fields blank. Both supplier QA and customer fields must be filled and dated.
- Partial FAI without delta justification. Reason for partial must reference previous FAI by report number.
- Drawing rev mismatch. FAI to Rev A but parts shipped against Rev B without re-FAI.
- Sub-tier FAIs not attached. Forging supplier FAI, casting FAI, and special process FAIs must all be referenced or attached.
Related tools
- AS9102 Form 3 Builder — Build compliant Form 3 with auto pass/fail verdicts
- Cp/Cpk Calculator — For process capability supporting AS9102 Form 2 functional test
- Position Tolerance Calculator — For GD&T characteristics on Form 3
- Template downloads — Pre-formatted AS9102 Form 1, 2, 3 spreadsheets