How to Conduct an Effective Aircraft Records Review

“Good planning without good working is nothing.” ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

If you followed the advice in the previous article, How to Prepare for an Aircraft Records Review, you should have a good list of things to pay attention to or be on the lookout for when you actually get to review records. Having said that, it is critical to go into the records review with your eyes wide open to all of the records. 

Some of these things might seem like common sense, but in the rush that often accompanies records review assignments it can be easy to overlook some of the basics. Like every positive outcome in aviation, having a checklist will help keep you on track. Here are a few key points from our checklist that you might find helpful.

1. Notification: One of the biggest keys to a successful records audit is having support of those who actually maintain the records. It is best to always get contact information for the person who will be hosting you and answering your questions during the records review. Nothing can derail a records review quicker than surprising a DOM or Chief Pilot by showing up at their door to look at a set of aircraft records. 
2. Access: You will need a place in which to work. Large conference tables work well because it allows you to have multiple documents and devices out at the same time when you need to cross reference pieces of information. The other part of access is the time it will take. Of course this depends on the age and time on the aircraft, the condition of the records, and where it has been registered. It is important to be realistic on the time estimate and make sure your point of contact and the client understands how long it will take you. Note: this timing does not typically include the actual report to the client so it is important to disclaim that up front.
3. Self care: Right now you are rolling your eyes, but I am telling you it is important to stay hydrated, eat good food, and be well rested. This is tedious work and you need to be at full power to execute well.
4. Where to begin: This is the fun part! Everyone has their own way of doing this. For me, I treat every set of logbooks like a story, and stories are read from beginning to end. Whether it is the airframe, engine, or APU logbook, I always start with the original production from the manufacturer and work to the present day. Starting with the airframe log and cross referencing to the others as needed is my normal method. 
5. Keep notes: As you go through it is important to keep track of certain data points from the logbooks. You might compare these to an aircraft specification or other document at a later time. As I always say, everything in aviation is about three data points: a date, flight time, and landings. Make sure with each note you take you include this information. Key things to look for that are usually worth noting include major accessory installation and removal, modifications, major alterations, major repairs, recurring discrepancies, non-standard maintenance actions, special inspections, reduced interval inspections, paint jobs, and interior refurbishments to name just a few.
6. Scan: Undoubtedly you will run across an area in the records that might be worth having a copy of for your work file that was mentioned in the first article or for inclusion in your report. There are ton of ways to do this. I prefer a quality scanning app for my iPhone and iPad that allows me to quickly and clearly capture what I need. My preference is Genius Scan because of its OCR capability and the ability to automatically store my scans to Dropbox.
7. Cross-reference: As you go through the logbooks you’ll probably need to look back at the maintenance tracking report, the FAA database files, parts certifications, and the list goes on. For example, a particular installation might include: an airframe logbook entry, an FAA form 337, an AFM supplement, entry into the maintenance tracking software for additional maintenance requirements, parts certification forms, burn certifications, life limited parts tags, and so on. As you can see there is a lot of research and cross-referencing involved to ensure adequate documentation.
8. Debrief: Schedule a debrief with your client for immediately after your done with the review to discuss your observations and when you will have the report issued.

Bonus Tip: take a picture of all the records before you start and when you end. If there is ever a question of what you we given and what you returned you’ll be glad you have these little nuggets.

Once we have been contracted to conduct a records review, we immediately call the point of contact responsible for the records to make sure they know we are coming, and to verify that we have adequate space to conduct the assignment. If space is not available we will get space from an FBO or find a co-working space nearby. Then it is a matter of reading, copious note taking, and researching as we go trough the documents.

In the next and final article in this series on aircraft records reviews, we will take a look at some considerations for developing a meaningful and useful report. Let me know your thoughts or questions on this article in the comments below. If you think it is spot on we ask that you share with your connections.