AS9102 first article inspection is the aerospace first article inspection process associated with SAE AS9102, used to document verification of a first production item against applicable design, engineering, and process requirements.
In manufacturing operations, AS9102 FAI commonly applies when a new part is produced, a design revision is introduced, production is moved, tooling or processes change, or production resumes after a significant interruption. The output is typically a first article inspection report, or FAIR, that records part identifiers, revision levels, drawing characteristics, measured results, materials, special processes, and related approvals or signatures as required by the organization’s workflow.
AS9102 first article inspection is not the same as routine in-process inspection, receiving inspection, or final inspection. It is a structured evidence package for the initial or changed production condition. In digital manufacturing environments, AS9102 FAI data is often linked across PLM, ERP, MES, QMS, supplier portals, and document control systems to maintain traceability between part numbers, revisions, characteristics, work orders, and quality records.