AS9102 First Article Inspection Report: Forms and Template

An AS9102 first article inspection report is not a thicker version of your usual inspection report. It is a one-time proof that your process, not just one part, can produce the drawing. Get the scope wrong and the customer sends it back; get Form 3 wrong and they send it back twice. Here is what the standard asks for, when it asks for it, and a template for the form that takes the most work.

What AS9102 first article inspection actually proves

AS9102 is the aerospace standard, published by SAE and maintained by the IAQG, that defines how a first article inspection (FAI) is planned, performed and documented. The idea is simple: before a part goes into production, one representative part from the first production run is verified against every requirement on the drawing and the specification, and the evidence is filed in a fixed format. Any AS9100 supplier is expected to follow it, and most primes call it out in their purchase order quality clauses.

The output is the first article inspection report, the FAIR. It has three forms, one ballooned drawing behind them, and a pile of supporting certificates. The word "article" matters: the FAI is done on a real part made by the real process, with production tooling, production operators and production inspection methods. A prototype from the model shop does not count.

When a first article inspection is required

AS9102 requires a full FAI on the first production run of a new part number. After that, a new FAI, full or partial, is triggered by anything that could change the outcome of the process:

• A design change that affects fit, form or function of the part.
• A change in manufacturing source, process, inspection method, location, tooling or material, for example a new supplier for the heat treatment, a program moved to a different machine, or a new fixture.
• A change in a numerical control program or the translation to a different media.
• A natural or man-made event that could adversely affect the manufacturing process.
• A lapse in production of two years or more. Customers may specify a shorter period.

When the change affects only some characteristics, the standard allows a partial FAI, sometimes called a delta FAI, covering only the affected characteristics. The reason for a partial FAI and the baseline part number are recorded on Form 1, and your customer may still ask for the full thing. Plan on a full FAI unless the clause says otherwise.

Forms 1, 2 and 3 under AS9102 Rev C

The three forms split the report by what is being accounted for. Rev C, the current revision, kept that structure and simplified the sign-off: one signature on Form 1 now approves the complete FAIR, and the separate signature fields on Forms 2 and 3 are gone.

Form	Accounts for	What goes on it	Rev C change
Form 1	Part number	Part number, name, revision and drawing, FAIR number, organization and customer, serial or lot number, full or partial FAI with reason, sub-assembly FAIRs, the approval signature	Field 17 is now "Part Type"; this signature approves all three forms
Form 2	Product	Raw material with certificate numbers, special processes such as heat treat or plating with process spec and approved supplier, functional tests with result and report number	Signature field removed
Form 3	Characteristics	Every dimension, tolerance and note on the drawing, each with a unique number that matches the ballooned drawing, the requirement, the measured result, the tooling used and any nonconformance number	Signature field removed; results column renumbered; reviewer and approver on Form 1 must be different people

Form 3 is where the time goes. A moderately complex machined part carries 60 to 150 characteristics once every dimension, GD&T callout, thread, surface finish and drawing note is counted, and every one of them needs a row.

The ballooned drawing is the backbone of Form 3

Form 3 starts with the drawing, not with the CMM. Every characteristic on the drawing gets a unique identifier, a balloon, and that number is what appears in the first column of Form 3. A reviewer reads the FAIR with the ballooned drawing beside it: balloon 14 on the drawing, row 14 on the form, requirement, result, done.

Three rules make the drawing usable in an audit. Number in a consistent direction, view by view, so a missing balloon is obvious. Balloon notes and specifications too, not only dimensions: a surface finish callout, a "break all edges" note and a material spec are all characteristics. And never renumber after the report is issued, because the customer's copy already references the old numbers. If the drawing is not ballooned yet, the free drawing ballooning tool lets you number every characteristic in the browser and export the ballooned PDF, no login needed.

Free AS9102 Form 3 template

The official form layout is defined in the standard, and most customers accept any layout that carries the same columns in the same order. This is the column set. Copy it into a spreadsheet, one row per balloon.

1. Requirement is the full callout, nominal, tolerance, datums and modifiers, exactly as drawn. Not a paraphrase.
2. Results are actual values wherever a value exists. "Accept" is only for attribute checks such as a thread gauge or a visual note.
3. Every nonconformance gets a number on the row, and the NCR travels with the FAIR. A FAIR with an out-of-tolerance result and no NCR number is an automatic rejection.
4. Tooling means the measuring equipment, and it must be in calibration on the date of the FAI. Reviewers do check the calibration records.
5. Designator column marks key characteristics, critical items and flight-safety features as the drawing defines them. Leave it blank otherwise.

Filling Form 3 from CMM data instead of retyping

The requirement column comes from the drawing and the results column comes from measurement, and with 100 rows the temptation is to type both. Do not. The requirement text is already captured when the drawing is ballooned, and the CMM has already recorded the results.

1. Balloon the drawing digitally, so each balloon carries its nominal, tolerance and GD&T modifiers as data, not as a picture.
2. Import the CMM results from PC-DMIS, Calypso or MCOSMOS and map each measured feature to its balloon once. The mapping is reused for every later batch and for the next delta FAI. The CMM data import guide walks through the export settings.
3. Let the tolerance check run, including MMC and LMC bonus, so the out-of-tolerance rows are flagged before anyone opens a form.
4. Export the characteristic table, balloon number, requirement, result, tool, to Excel and drop it into your Form 3 layout. Add the NCR numbers and the designators, sign Form 1, attach the certificates for Form 2.

The same characteristic table is what a normal CMM inspection report is built from, which is the point: the FAIR is not a separate measurement job. It is the routine report with two extra forms and a stricter completeness rule.

Why FAIRs get rejected

• A drawing note or specification that was never ballooned, so a requirement is missing from Form 3.
• Requirement column paraphrased, datums or modifiers dropped.
• A result outside tolerance with no nonconformance number.
• Form 2 missing a special process certificate, or naming a processor that is not on the customer's approved list.
• FAI performed on a part that was not made by the production process, for example on a prototype or with a temporary fixture.
• Reviewer and approver on Form 1 are the same person.
• Ballooned drawing revision does not match the revision on Form 1.

AS9102 FAQ

When is a first article inspection required under AS9102?

On the first production run of a new part number, and again, in full or in part, after a design change affecting fit, form or function, a change of manufacturing source, process, inspection method, location, tooling or material, a change to the NC program, an event that could affect the process, or a lapse in production of two years or more.

What are AS9102 Forms 1, 2 and 3?

Form 1 is part number accountability: part, revision, drawing, FAIR number, organization, full or partial FAI and the approval signature. Form 2 is product accountability: raw material, special processes and functional tests with their certificates. Form 3 is characteristic accountability: every ballooned drawing requirement with its measured result, tooling and any nonconformance number.

What changed in AS9102 Rev C?

One signature on Form 1 now approves the whole report, and the separate signature fields on Forms 2 and 3 were removed. Form 1 field 17 became Part Type. The reviewer and the approver on Form 1 must be different people.