AS9102 Form 3 is the characteristic accountability form for a First Article Inspection. It records each design characteristic that must be verified, where it comes from, what the requirement is, what result was obtained, and whether any nonconformance was found. In practical terms, it is the link between the ballooned drawing or digital product definition and the inspection evidence for the first article.
Typical content on Form 3
Form 3 commonly includes:
- Characteristic number: the balloon number or other unique identifier used to tie the record back to the drawing, model, specification, or planning document.
- Reference location: the drawing sheet, zone, model view, note, specification paragraph, or other location where the requirement is defined.
- Characteristic designator: any designator that affects the characteristic, such as key characteristic, critical item, safety-related marking, or customer-defined classification, when applicable.
- Requirement: the actual design requirement, such as a dimension, tolerance, note requirement, finish, marking, thread callout, material condition, or other verifiable characteristic.
- Result: the measured or observed result. For variable characteristics, this is normally the actual measured value, not only “accept” or “pass.” For attribute characteristics, an appropriate attribute result may be acceptable if the requirement is not numerically measured.
- Designed tooling: identification or indication when customer- or design-controlled tooling is used as an inspection media, where required by the AS9102 revision or customer process.
- Nonconformance number: the reference to the nonconformance, rejection, deviation, waiver, or disposition record if the characteristic does not meet the requirement.
What should be included as a characteristic
Form 3 is broader than dimensional inspection alone. It should account for all applicable design characteristics that require verification. That can include dimensions, tolerances, drawing notes, surface finish, edge break requirements, marking, part identification, configuration-specific requirements, and characteristics defined in referenced specifications when they apply to the part.
Material, special process, and functional test accountability are typically summarized on AS9102 Form 2, but related drawing or specification characteristics may still need to be accounted for on Form 3 if they are design requirements being verified. The split depends on the AS9102 revision, customer requirements, and the organization’s approved FAI procedure.
What should not be treated casually
Form 3 should not be reduced to a generic checklist unless the characteristic is genuinely attribute-based. For numerical requirements, many customers expect actual measured values and sufficient evidence to show the part was evaluated against the defined tolerance. “OK,” “conforms,” or “within tolerance” may be rejected if actual values are required by the customer or internal procedure.
Repeated features, multiple locations, multi-cavity parts, family parts, and model-based definitions need careful handling. The record must make clear which instances were verified and how the results map back to the design requirement. This is often where weak ballooning practices, spreadsheet shortcuts, or disconnected inspection systems create traceability problems.
System and control considerations
In a brownfield environment, Form 3 data may originate from PLM, CAD, inspection software, MES, QMS, or spreadsheets. The risk is not only data entry error; it is version mismatch. The Form 3 record must align with the released drawing, model, specification revision, routing, inspection plan, and any approved changes or deviations.
Replacing every legacy tool just to improve Form 3 generation is usually unrealistic in regulated aerospace environments. Qualification burden, validation cost, downtime risk, customer approvals, and long product lifecycles often make integration and controlled data handoff more practical than full replacement. Whatever system is used, the organization still needs document control, change control, review, approval, and traceability.
A completed Form 3 does not guarantee customer acceptance or audit success. It is evidence that must be accurate, complete, revision-controlled, and consistent with the applicable AS9102 revision, contract requirements, customer flowdowns, and the organization’s quality management system.