Technical records services
Records review and back-to-birth
When an aircraft or engine changes hands, its value sits in the paperwork. We review the technical records line by line and trace every life-limited part back to birth, so you know what the records prove before you bid, pay or hand over.
How the work runs
Six steps for every aircraft or engine. Missing documents go back to the seller early, and every finding lives in one register with the evidence attached.
1 · Scope
Purpose of the review and the standard the records are judged against.
2 · Index
Every document in the pack logged, so nothing is reviewed twice or missed.
3 · Completeness
Missing documents go back to the seller within 24 hours, while there is still time to find them.
4 · Technical review
Airworthiness directives, modifications and repairs, checked against the actual configuration.
5 · Back-to-birth
Life-limited parts on engines, landing gear and APU traced from manufacture. Runs in parallel with step 4.
6 · Findings and sign-off
One register, every finding with its evidence attached.
What back-to-birth means
Each life-limited part (disks, shafts, landing gear parts, APU parts) has a fixed life in cycles. Its value depends on proving every cycle since it was made: the birth record, each operator's history, and the sheets in and out of every shop visit.
What the rules require
For a life-limited part, FAA rules require records of its current life status. FAA Chief Counsel opinion 1992-35 says the rule is not meant to require back-to-birth traceability.
Source: ASA LI 100-010
What buyers pay for
Used-part buyers ask for more: a birth document, the back-to-birth history and the disk sheets for every LLP. So each part gets two answers: can it be installed, and will it sell at full value.
Foreign repairs
Under the FAA–EASA bilateral, the FAA accepts EASA-approved repair data without further review, subject to conditions. Repairs approved only by another authority need FAA approval before a US airworthiness certificate is issued. Every repair is coded for this.
Source: FAA–EASA TIP Rev 7 §3.3.5.2 · FAA AC 21-23B
The records keep working after the review
Built per part, the review's outputs feed the bid price, the release certificate and each part sale. For parts removed from an aircraft withdrawn from service, an EASA Form 1 lists the directives, repairs and modifications incorporated and the life used on life-limited parts. Source: AMC2 145.A.50(d)
What is checked
| Area | What we check | Typical finding |
|---|---|---|
| Certificates and status | CofA, registration, noise; status summaries reconciled to source records | Summary does not match the source |
| Airworthiness directives | Applicability against the actual configuration with reasoning per directive; signed task card for each compliance; repetitive next-due | Missing signed task card |
| Mods and repairs | Embodiment evidence; approval basis of every repair | Repair approved by a local authority only |
| Programme and components | Last-done / next-due; serialised components with release certificates | Rotable without a release certificate |
| Engines | Install / removal history, shop visits, thrust-rating history, engine ADs | Life calculated against the wrong rating |
| Life-limited parts | Each part traced from birth; cycles reconciled per thrust rating; limit for the specific part number | Module swapped, paperwork followed the other engine |
| Statements | Non-incident, non-military and operator statements | Statement missing for an earlier operator |
What you receive
Records index and gap register
Every document logged. Every gap stated as a specific question, with who is likely to hold the answer.
AD status and repair register
One row per directive with the evidence chain; every repair and mod with its approval basis.
LLP sheets with the chain
Back-to-birth chain per part, cycles per rating, trace breaks flagged. Structured for reuse on release certificates.
The report is engineering input to your own quality and airworthiness decisions; it is not an airworthiness review or a release certificate. Trace breaks are flagged, not reconstructed, unless reconstruction is agreed separately.