A First Article Inspection Report is the documented record of a first article inspection, showing whether a production-representative part or assembly meets the applicable drawing, specification, and purchase order requirements. It records the evidence used to compare actual production output against defined design and process requirements.
In aerospace and other regulated manufacturing contexts, the report is commonly associated with AS9102 first article inspection practices. A typical report may include part accountability, referenced materials and special processes, drawing characteristics, measured results, acceptance status, and links to supporting records such as certificates or inspection data.
The report should not be confused with the inspection activity itself. First article inspection is the verification process; the First Article Inspection Report, often abbreviated FAIR, is the controlled record of that process. A FAIR can support traceability and review, but the existence of a report does not by itself imply production approval, certification, or compliance status.