First article inspection report template, filled in.

What is a first article inspection report template?

A first article inspection report template is a blank set of the AS9102 forms, laid out so you can record one first article inspection (FAI) without rebuilding the layout each time. The FAI is the complete, documented check that your production process makes a part meeting every drawing, spec and PO requirement. The FAIR is the paperwork that proves it.

In aerospace the layout comes from AS9102, published by SAE International. Medical and industrial customers working to ISO 13485 or their own quality manuals often ask for the same three forms because their reviewers already know them. A template is only a starting point. The customer's PO, supplier quality manual and portal decide what they'll accept, and many customers send their own form.

Field numbers here follow AS9102 Rev C, checked against public Rev C training and summaries listed under Sources. This is a working guide, not the standard. The standard has the authoritative field definitions.

What must a FAIR template contain?

A FAIR template must contain all three forms, with every numbered field present and labelled for the revision your customer requires. Missing fields are the problem, not the look of the page. Cirrus Aircraft's supplier FAI instruction, for example, accepts forms with equivalent information but says every field must be addressed, with N/A where a field doesn't apply.

Beyond the fields, a usable template has a few practical features:

• One header, entered once. Fields 1–4 (part number, part name, serial number, FAIR identifier) repeat on Forms 2 and 3. In a spreadsheet, link the Form 2 and Form 3 headers to Form 1 so they can't drift apart.
• Room for every Form 3 row. A drawing with 140 balloons needs 140 rows, or a clean way to add continuation pages with "page x of y".
• Room for multiple results. A "4X" hole needs four results, in one row or in sub-numbered rows.
• Drop-downs for the fixed choices: detail or assembly, full or partial, Yes/No for field 19, Yes/No/N/A for Form 2 approval.
• The template's own revision in a footer, so you know which version of your template a report was built on.

Field-by-field detail for each form is in AS9102 Form 1 explained, AS9102 Form 2 explained and the AS9102 Form 3 guide.

How do you check whether a template is Rev B or Rev C?

Look at Form 1 fields 17 and 19 and the bottom of Form 2. Those three spots differ between the revisions, and a template downloaded years ago, or copied from a customer's old package, often has the Rev B layout.

Run this check on every template you use, ours included, against the revision your customer names in the PO. If they still ask for Rev B, a Rev B template is the right one. The full list of differences is in what changed in AS9102 Rev C.

What does a filled-in first article inspection report look like?

Below is a first article inspection report example for a single machined part: a 6061-T6 aluminium bracket body, anodized, with one out-of-tolerance thickness. Every company, person, part and number below is invented. The shop is "Ridgeback Machine" and the customer is "Anvil Aero", the same pair as in the Form 1 example. This is the detail part that goes into that assembly.

Form 3: the characteristics

Form 3 comes first in practice, because Form 1's field 19 depends on it. The drawing is in inches and carries 12 balloons.

Things worth copying from this example:

• Every variable characteristic has a number. Rows 1–8 show the reading, not "OK". Rows 4 and 5 show a result for each of the two holes. The position tolerance in row 5 applies at MMC, so the actual hole sizes in row 4 set any bonus; both results here are inside .010 even without it. See MMC bonus tolerance.
• The failure is recorded as measured. Row 3 reads .2558 against a .255 maximum. The value stays, the NCR number goes in column 11, and the disposition goes in comments.
• Notes are characteristics. Rows 10–12 are drawing notes with attribute results. Some customers ask for "SAT" and "UNSAT" instead of "Conforms"; use their words.
• Column 10 is for real tooling only. Paradygm's Rev C training says the tooling field shouldn't be used when results are recorded as variable data, and isn't for general tools like calipers or micrometers. Where qualified gauges give an attribute result, as in row 9, record the gauge range. The caliper and micrometer go in comments, if your customer wants the method at all.

Form 2: materials and special processes

No functional test is called out, so columns 11 and 12 read N/A. If the drawing called for a test, it would get its own line with a procedure and a report number. More on the columns in AS9102 Form 2 explained.

Form 1: the cover sheet

Field 19 says Yes because Form 3 references an NCR, even though the customer accepted the part use-as-is. The nonconformance is still documented. How to treat a deviation approved before the part was made varies by customer, so ask. Whether the deviation also belongs in field 8 is another question to settle with the customer once and write into your procedure.

Excel, Word or PDF: which format should a FAIR template be?

Fill the report in Excel, or in software that works like a database, and submit a PDF unless the customer asks for something else. Word suits customers who send Word forms. PDF suits submission and archiving, not data entry.

Customers vary. Cirrus Aircraft's FAI instruction, for one, says the forms may be completed electronically and prefers a Word format. Others want data in a portal such as Net-Inspect, where the template matters less than having clean data per balloon (see uploading FAI data to Net-Inspect). Whatever you submit, keep the native file alongside the signed PDF so a later partial FAI can start from it.

What template mistakes get FAI reports sent back?

Most rejections traced to the template come from the wrong revision, cells that hide the real reading, and headers typed more than once. The ones that show up most:

• A Rev B template for a Rev C customer. Field 17 says serial number, field 19 says "FAI complete", and Form 2 has a signature line. Use the check above.
• Cell formatting that rounds the result. A cell set to three decimals shows a reading of .2553 as .255, which looks like a pass against a .255 maximum. Store the reading as measured, and show it at the instrument's resolution.
• A pass/fail formula nobody checked. Formulas that compare against nominal instead of the limits, or ignore unilateral tolerances like +.003/−.000, pass bad parts. Test the formula with a failing value before you trust it.
• Headers retyped on each form. One typo in the FAIR identifier on Form 3 and the reviewer starts checking everything. Link the cells.
• A fixed row count. A 60-row Form 3 and a 75-balloon drawing ends with characteristics squeezed into comments or a second, unnumbered file. Add rows, or use numbered continuation pages.
• Merged cells in Form 3. They look tidy and break sorting, filtering and pasting CMM output.
• Blank fields instead of N/A. A blank can look like something was missed. Customers such as Cirrus ask for every field to be addressed.
• Signature lines added back to Forms 2 and 3 on a Rev C report, and then left unsigned. Rev C signs once, on Form 1, unless the customer's own form says otherwise.

The full list, across all three forms, is in why FAI reports get rejected. For the steps before and around the paperwork, use the first article inspection checklist.

What goes in the FAIR package besides the template?

The forms are the index. The evidence behind them travels with them: usually the ballooned drawing, material certs, special process certificates, test reports, sub-tier FAIRs and any NCRs or deviations named on the forms. Cirrus Aircraft's instruction lists test records, material certificates and packing lists, special processing certificates, sub-tier FAIs and NCRs as documents to include. Your customer's list is the one that counts.

The ballooned drawing is what makes Form 3 checkable: a reviewer picks a balloon, finds its row and reads the result. If you're numbering by hand, how to balloon a drawing covers the rules, and basic vs reference dimensions covers what to balloon. Customers differ here too: Cirrus allows reference and basic dimensions to be left off Form 3 as long as the GD&T is captured.

First article inspection report template questions

Is there an official first article inspection report template?

The forms are defined in AS9102, which SAE International publishes, so the official layout comes with the standard. Many customers accept equivalent forms: Cirrus Aircraft's supplier FAI instruction, for example, says forms with equivalent information may be used as long as every field is addressed. If your customer supplies its own form, use theirs.

Can I use an Excel template for an AS9102 FAI report?

Yes, as long as the customer accepts it. Excel is a common working format because Form 3 rows grow with the drawing and CMM results paste in. Many shops fill the report in Excel and submit a PDF, or upload the data to the customer's portal. Check the cell formatting: a cell set to three decimals can show 0.255 when the real reading is 0.2553.

How do I tell a Rev B FAIR template from a Rev C one?

Look at Form 1. In a Rev C layout, field 17 is Part Type, field 19 asks whether the FAIR contains documented nonconformances, and the signatures sit at 20 to 23. In a Rev B layout, field 17 is the part serial number and field 19 is a signature with FAI complete or not complete boxes. A Rev B Form 2 also has a signature and date at fields 14 and 15, which Rev C removed.

What should a first article inspection report include besides Forms 1, 2 and 3?

Usually the ballooned drawing, material certs, special process certificates, test reports, sub-tier FAIRs and any NCRs or deviations referenced on the forms. The exact list comes from your customer. Cirrus Aircraft, for example, lists test records, material certificates, special processing certificates, sub-tier FAIs and NCRs as documents to include.

Do I have to record actual measured values on Form 3?

For variable characteristics, record the actual value, not OK or a tick. Many customers reject reports that say conforms where a number could be measured. For attribute checks such as drawing notes or go/no-go gauges, record the outcome plainly, for example Conforms or SAT. Record a result for every instance of a multiplied feature.

Where software helps

A template leaves the typing to you: every balloon, every requirement, every CMM reading, the header three times. Deburr balloons the drawing and flags the balloons it isn't sure about, takes pasted CMM output into Form 3 by balloon number, answers field 19 from the recorded results, and follows the AS9102 Rev C layout and field numbering. People still check, decide and sign. Try the first step free with the AI ballooner.

Related: AS9102 Form 3 explained · AS9102 Form 1 explained · How to read a CMM report · Free AS9102 templates

Sources

1. AS9102C, Aerospace First Article Inspection Requirement, SAE International (the standard itself; field definitions are in its forms)
2. AS9102 Rev C training: summary of changes, Paradygm (Form 1 field 19, signatures removed from Forms 2 and 3, Form 3 comments renumbered to 12)
3. AS9102C Form 3 details, Paradygm training (characteristic designator and designed/qualified tooling)
4. AS9102 First Article Inspection Report: Rev B vs Rev C, Net-Inspect
5. FAI instruction for suppliers, Cirrus Aircraft (example of a customer's rules on equivalent forms, format and package contents)