Civilian Airports / Self-Inspections
Self-Inspections
Part 139 self-inspections stepped through item by item, with the record to prove it.
The problem
A self-inspection has to be provable, not just performed
§139.327 doesn't just ask whether the self-inspection happened. It asks for a record: what was checked, its condition, and who found it that way. A record pieced together afterward, from memory or scattered notes, is exactly the kind of record an inspector has reason to double-check.
And one fixed form doesn't fit two different jobs. The daily surface inspection and the lighting inspection ask about different things on different schedules, but both need the same standard of proof behind them. And both need it every single day, not just the days someone remembers.
How it works
Stepped through item by item, filed as its own record
- 01
Two workflows, each showing where today stands
The daily surface inspection and the lighting inspection run as separate, complete workflows, each showing at a glance whether today's has been started, is in progress, or is done.
- 02
Graded item by item, grouped by section
Every item gets its own pass or fail, grouped into sections like surface condition, marking, and habitat management, so a completed inspection shows exactly what was checked, not one overall judgment call.
- 03
Conditions captured with the checklist, not beside it
Runway Surface Condition and Bird Watch Condition are recorded as part of the same inspection record, so they're never a separate note that has to be matched up later.
- 04
A failed item is already halfway to a discrepancy
An item marked failed carries its note and location forward, ready to open a discrepancy without describing what was found a second time.
Built on the regulation
The citation, implemented
- 14 CFR §139.327
§139.327 requires a self-inspection program covering the airport's movement areas, safety areas, and NAVAIDs at a set frequency, with a record of what was found. The daily surface and lighting inspections, graded item by item and filed the moment they're completed, are how that requirement gets met and how the record proves it.
The benefit
What it automates
A pass means every item was actually checked
Grading item by item means "complete" reflects what was actually inspected, not just that a form got submitted.
Conditions are part of the record, not a separate call
Bird Watch Condition and Runway Surface Condition are captured inside the same inspection, not logged elsewhere and reconciled after the fact.
A failed item is already a discrepancy
One that reaches maintenance with its note and location intact, not retyped from a second description of the same problem.
Related
Works alongside
FAQ
Straight answers
Does the self-inspection cover both the movement area and the lighting, or are they separate?
Both run as their own workflow (one for the daily surface inspection, one for lighting), each showing whether today's has been completed.
What does "graded item by item" mean in practice?
Every item on the checklist gets its own pass or fail, grouped by section, so a completed inspection shows exactly what was checked and what it found, not a single overall judgment call.
What happens when an item fails?
It can open a discrepancy directly, carrying its note and location forward so nothing has to be described a second time to route it to maintenance.
Can I search past inspection reports?
Yes. History keeps every completed report, filterable by category and searchable, with conditions and item-by-item results attached to each one.