--- title: "How to Actually Fill Out an AS9102: Forms 1, 2, and 3" description: "How to complete AS9102 Forms 1, 2, and 3 for Rev C FAIRs" url: "https://gndctl.com/insights-library/how-to-fill-out-as9102-forms" author: "GroundControl Editorial Team" published: "2026-07-31" updated: "2026-08-25" insights_url: "https://gndctl.com/resources/how-to-fill-out-as9102-forms" category: "FAI" tags: ["AS9102","FAIR","FAI","Form 1","Form 2","Form 3","First Article Inspection","aerospace quality"] --- # How to Actually Fill Out an AS9102: Forms 1, 2, and 3 > Full Markdown index: https://gndctl.com/llms.txt > Human-readable version: https://gndctl.com/resources/how-to-fill-out-as9102-forms ## Key takeaways - Form 1 identifies the part and the FAIR. Form 2 proves materials and special processes. Form 3 proves every characteristic. - Balloon the drawing before you touch Form 3. Balloon numbers become characteristic numbers: one balloon, one row. - Rev C (published July 2023) renamed several Form 1 fields, removed the Form 2 signature, and added a Requirement field to capture embedded software. - Rev C also requires that the person reviewing the FAIR is not the same person approving it. - The most common failure is inconsistency across the three forms: mismatched part numbers, revisions, or FAIR identifiers. An AS9102 First Article Inspection Report is three linked forms: Form 1 accounts for the part, Form 2 accounts for its materials and processes, and Form 3 accounts for every drawing characteristic. Most rejections happen because the three forms disagree with each other, not because any single field was wrong. See [Top Five Reasons for an FAI Rejection](https://gndctl.com/resources/top-five-reasons-for-an-fai-rejection) for the patterns reviewers catch most often. ## What are AS9102 Forms 1, 2, and 3? - **Form 1 (Part Number Accountability):** Which part, which revision, why an FAI was triggered, and who signed off - **Form 2 (Product Accountability – Materials, Special Processes, and Functional Testing):** That every material, special process, and functional test meets spec, with certs to back it - **Form 3 (Characteristic Accountability, Verification and Compatibility Evaluation):** That every ballooned drawing characteristic was measured and passed ## How do you fill out Form 1? This form is used to identify the product that is having the First Article Inspection (FAI) conducted on (for example, a detail part, sub-assembly, or assembly), referred to as the FAI part. ![AS9102C Form 1 Part Number Accountability template with numbered fields](https://gndctl.com/images/insights/as9102-form-1.png) *AS9102C Form 1: Part Number Accountability* - **Part number, part name, and drawing revision**: copy these exactly from the [title block](https://gndctl.com/resources/title-block-what-to-look-for-before-you-start-ballooning), including the revision letter. - **FAIR Identifier**: your unique ID for this report. Use the same string on all three forms and on every piece of objective evidence. - **Reason for Full / Partial FAI**: under Rev C this is required on every FAIR, not just partials. Be specific: "first production run," "design change to Rev D," "two-year lapse in production," "change of manufacturing location." - **Part Type and BOM detail**: for an assembly FAIR, list all BOM parts and reference each sub-component's own FAIR. - **Nonconformance declaration**: state plainly whether the FAIR contains a documented nonconformance. - **Reviewed by / Approved by**: Rev C expects these to be two different people. Ensure your workflow actually enforces it. ## How do you fill out Form 2? This form is used if any materials, special processes, or functional testing are defined as a design characteristic. For every material, special process, and functional test called out on the drawing or in the spec tree, record one row: the material or process name, the specification number and revision, the supplier and their approval code, and the certificate number that backs it. **Three things reviewers check first:** - **Spec revisions match the drawing.** A cert to AMS 2700 Rev E against a drawing calling Rev F is a finding. - **Special process suppliers are customer-approved.** Nadcap accreditation alone is not the same as your customer's approved-source list. - **Every row has a traceable cert number.** "On file" is not a cert number. ![AS9102C Form 2 Product Accountability template for materials, special processes, and functional testing](https://gndctl.com/images/insights/as9102-form-2.png) *AS9102C Form 2: Product Accountability* ## How do you fill out Form 3? This form is used to record inspection results for the design characteristics and to document any applicable nonconformances (reference section 4.5). - **Balloon the drawing first.** Every dimension, tolerance, note, [GD&T](https://gndctl.com/resources/understanding-gd-t-a-practical-guide-for-aerospace-quality-teams) feature control frame, and flag note gets a unique balloon. - **One balloon = one characteristic number = one row.** - **Reference Location**: record the drawing zone or sheet so a reviewer can find the requirement in seconds. - **Characteristic Designator**: flag key and critical characteristics here. Missing a flagged characteristic is a hard rejection. - **Requirement**: transcribe the nominal and tolerance exactly as drawn, including basic dimensions and units. - **Results**: record actual measured values, not "OK" or "pass." Variable data where variable data exists. - **Designed Tooling and Nonconformance Number**: populate where applicable rather than leaving them blank without reason. Then reconcile: your highest characteristic number should equal your balloon count. If they differ, something was missed. ![AS9102C Form 3 Characteristic Accountability template with characteristic and results columns](https://gndctl.com/images/insights/as9102-form-3.png) *AS9102C Form 3: Characteristic Accountability* ## FAQ ### Do I need a separate FAIR for each serial number? No. An FAI covers a representative part from the first production run. You need a new or delta FAIR when a design, process, tooling, or location change affects fit, form, or function, or after a lapse in production if your customer specifies one. ### What's the difference between a full, partial, and delta FAI? A full FAI verifies every characteristic. A partial FAI verifies only the characteristics affected by a specific change. A delta FAI is the common industry term for a partial that references the original FAIR. Under Rev C you must state your reason either way. ### Can I write "pass" in the Form 3 Results column? Not for anything measurable. Attribute results are acceptable for pass/fail requirements, but variable characteristics need actual values. "Pass" against a ±0.005 tolerance is one of the most common rejection causes. ## Ready to simplify your AS9102 workflow? GroundControl automates ballooning, Form 1–3 assembly, and tolerance validation so your team produces audit-ready FAIRs faster, with fewer rejections. Explore [First Article Inspection software](https://gndctl.com/solutions/first-article-inspection-software) or [book a demo](https://gndctl.com/#demo) to see how it fits your workflow. --- Full site index: https://gndctl.com/llms.txt