First Article Inspection (FAI): AS9102 Guide

First article inspection (FAI) is a documented check that a part from the first production run meets every requirement of the drawing and the order, with each characteristic measured and recorded. AS9102 is the aerospace standard that defines how to plan, perform and report it on three forms; the current text is SAE AS9102C:2023, with EN 9102:2024 as the European edition.

What is first article inspection?

FAI answers one question before volume production starts: can this process, with its tooling, programs and documents, make a conforming part? EN 9102 describes FAI as verification that the product realization processes can consistently produce conforming characteristics, and states that it is not a product acceptance document. Customer clauses repeat the point. One published aerospace clause says that accepting a first article is not blanket acceptance of later production.

Two things set an FAI apart from an ordinary inspection report. The sample comes from the first production run on production-intent tooling and programs, so EN 9102 excludes development and prototype parts outside that run unless the contract requires otherwise. And a full FAI accounts for every design characteristic on the drawing: each dimension, note and specification is given a number (a "balloon"), and every number gets a result.

The same logic appears in AS9100 quality systems, which require production processes to be verified on a representative part from the first run. AS9102 standardises how that verification is carried out and documented.

Which edition of AS9102 is current?

SAE issued AS9102C on 2023-06-28, and BSI and DIN Media list it as current. In Europe, EN 9102:2024 replaced EN 9102:2015, and DIN EN 9102:2025-01 replaced DIN EN 9102:2016-12, which DIN now lists as withdrawn. Status as of 2026-10-30.

Purchase orders still name the revision, because customers differ. One clause tells suppliers to read the PO for "which AS9102 revision (B) or (C)" applies. A drawing that says only "FAI per AS9102" leaves the revision open.

What do AS9102 Forms 1, 2 and 3 contain?

A first article inspection report (FAIR) consists of three forms plus the supporting evidence: the ballooned drawing, material and process certificates, test records and, where needed, nonconformance documents.

Table 1. AS9102 forms and what they record

Source: SAE AS9102C:2023, Forms 1 to 3 (Appendix B); field layout as reproduced in customer instructions for AS9102C (L3Harris QA-01.1.1).

Form 3 is where the measuring work sits, and it is the form that links to the drawing. If a note on the drawing contains several requirements, each one needs its own number. If a feature is acceptable only through a bonus tolerance, the actual value is recorded together with that fact. Customer instructions for AS9102C also ask the report to identify the measuring equipment and trace it to calibration records. See inspection reports with CMM and Cpk for how measurement data is presented.

The standard works from a representative part of the first production run. Customers add to that. The clause cited above requires a ballooned drawing with 100% of characteristics, all forms completed and a minimum of 3 pieces fully inspected. Those are customer requirements added to the standard, so read the customer document next to AS9102.

When is a new or partial FAI required?

A full FAI is due for a new part number. After that, a change that could affect conformance triggers a new FAI, either full or partial. Customer clauses that implement AS9102 list the events:

• a change in design characteristics affecting fit, form or function;
• a change in manufacturing source, process, inspection method, location, tooling or material;
• a change in the numerical control program or its translation to another medium;
• a natural or man-made event that may harm the manufacturing process;
• corrective action needed to complete a previous FAI;
• a lapse in production, which clauses set at two years, counted from the last production operation to the restart.

Sources differ on the lapse. One clause says "two years", another certification body writes "more than two years". The purchase order decides.

A partial FAI covers only the characteristics touched by the change. It still uses Form 1 with the baseline part number, and Forms 2 and 3 where the change affects materials, processes or characteristics. It is allowed only when all other characteristics are still made by the originally approved processes. Some customer clauses let a full FAI replace a partial one.

How does FAI differ from PPAP and VDA 2?

Three procedures cover the same ground for different industries. All three prove that the production process makes the part before series delivery starts, and all three contain a dimensional report.

Table 2. FAI compared with PPAP and VDA 2

Source: SAE AS9102C:2023; EN 9102:2024; Ford CSR for PPAP Fourth Edition (2025-02-06); VDA 2, 7th edition (2026), Annex 2 comparing PPF with PPAP.

VDA 2 says that PPF samples must be made fully under series conditions, and its annex maps its own documents onto the PPAP elements. The 6th edition of 2020 dropped fixed submission levels, and the 7th edition ties the scope to the risk grade of the product. German purchasers often call the sample inspection report "Erstmusterprüfbericht" (EMPB); VDA 2 itself speaks of the PPF report.

In aerospace, the PPAP counterpart is SAE AS9145 (issued 2016-11-08), which according to its scope integrates with the 9100 and 9102 standards. So an aerospace customer can ask for an FAI under AS9102 and a PPAP package under AS9145 for the same part. For the automotive side, see PPAP for Tier 2 suppliers.

Do you need an AS9102 FAI outside aerospace?

Only when the order or the customer's quality manual names it. EN 9102 and AS9145 belong to the aerospace series, and AS9102 binds a supplier through the contract, not through law. Automotive customers ask for PPAP or VDA 2. For machinery, hydraulics, energy or laboratory equipment there is usually no governing standard, only the customer's own sample report.

The AS9102 layout is a workable template for that last case, because it ties each result to a numbered drawing feature. Buyers who adopt it should say so on the PO, so that "FAI" means the same thing on both sides.

What should the purchase order say about FAI?

An order that says only "FAI required" leaves format, scope and timing open. Specify:

• the standard and revision, for example AS9102C or EN 9102:2024;
• full or partial FAI, and the baseline part number for a partial one;
• the number of pieces to be inspected;
• who prepares the ballooned drawing, and the CAD data it is built from;
• whether series shipments wait for approval of the first article;
• who approves the report at the customer.

For parts from our network in Bursa, documents that can accompany a first delivery include an FAI report, a measurement report, an EN 10204 3.1 certificate and a certificate of conformity. Format and scope are agreed before the order. Quality documents for machined parts and EN 10204 inspection certificates describe what each one proves, and the quality page gives the overview.

Frequently asked questions

What is AS9102?

AS9102 is the aerospace standard that sets the requirements for performing and documenting a first article inspection. The current edition is SAE AS9102C, published on 2023-06-28. Its European counterpart is EN 9102:2024.

What is the difference between FAI and PPAP?

An FAI proves that the first production part meets the drawing, characteristic by characteristic, and is reported on AS9102 Forms 1 to 3. PPAP is the automotive approval package from AIAG. It wraps dimensional results, material and performance tests, process documents and a part submission warrant into one submission.

What do AS9102 Forms 1, 2 and 3 record?

Form 1 identifies the part, drawing revision and FAI type. Form 2 records raw materials, special processes and functional tests with their certificates. Form 3 lists every design characteristic from the ballooned drawing with its measured result.

When is a partial FAI enough?

When only some characteristics are affected by a change and all other characteristics are still made by the originally approved processes. The partial FAI points to the baseline part number and covers only the changed characteristics. A customer clause can still demand a full FAI.

Does a parts supplier outside aerospace need to follow AS9102?

Only when the purchase order or the customer's quality clause names it. EN 9102 and AS9145 belong to the aerospace series. Automotive customers usually ask for PPAP or the VDA 2 procedure instead.

Sources

1. SAE AS9102C:2023, First Article Inspection Requirements, issued 2023-06-28 (DIN Media)
2. SAE AS9102C:2023 (BSI Knowledge, status current)
3. EN 9102:2024, scope and history (Estonian Centre for Standardisation, EVS)
4. DIN EN 9102:2025-01, German and English version of EN 9102:2024 (DIN Media)
5. DIN EN 9102:2016-12 (EN 9102:2015), withdrawn (DIN Media)
6. SAE AS9145:2016, APQP and PPAP for aerospace (SAE Mobilus)
7. VDA 2, Production Process and Product Approval (PPF), 7th edition, January 2026 (VDA QMC)
8. VDA 2, 6th edition 2020: what changes (VDA QMC)
9. AIAG PPAP manual, product page PPAP-4 (AIAG)
10. Ford customer-specific requirements for PPAP Fourth Edition, effective 2025-02-06 (IATF Global Oversight)
11. Aerospace First Article Inspection Requirement, customer clause 01000-SQ-T&C-54 (Century Fasteners)
12. Supplier First Article Inspection Requirements QA-01.1.1, AS9102C form fields (L3Harris)
13. Verifying the production process under AS9100 (LRQA)

Questions on a drawing? sales@ertas.engineering

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