related to technical projects, material, systems, and
services. These may include specifications, stan-
dards, engineering drawings, associated lists, man-
uals, and reports, including scientific and technical
reports; they may be in the form of documents,
displays, sound records, and digital or analog data.
DATA COLLECTION CODES—3M codes used in
the MDS.
DATA ELEMENT—Data related to an item record.
Each data element is identified by a specific data
element number to permit its selection for inclusion
in output documents, indicating its relationship to
other data., and for file maintenance purposes.
DATA STORAGE UNIT—A storage medium used
by the data storage set for significant maintenance
data measured in-flight and after landing.
DEFECT—Any nonconformance of the unit or
product with specified requirements. Defects will
normally be grouped into one or more of the
following classes but may be grouped into other
classes or subclasses within these classes:
DEFECT, CRITICAL—A
defect
that
constitutes a hazardous or unsafe condition, or
as determined by experience and judgment
could conceivably become so, thus making the
aircraft unsafe for flight or endangering
operating personnel.
DEFECT, MAJOR—A defect, other than
critical, that could result in failure or materially
reduce the usability of the unit or part for its
intended purpose.
DEFECT, MINOR—A defect that does not
materially reduce the usability of the unit or
part for its intended purpose or is a departure
from standards but which has no significant
bearing on the effective use or operation of the
unit or part.
DESIGN ACTIVITY—The activity responsible for
design, preparation, and maintenance of
engineering documents for a given item of military
property. The activity may be a government
activity, contractor, or vendor.
DETACHMENT —A temporary reporting custodian
formed with aircraft assigned from a parent
squadron or unit. Detachments are established
when a squadron deploys one or more aircraft to a
ship or base substantially removed from the
location of the parent organization; the parent
squadron CO feels that it would be impractical to
retain reporting custody of the aircraft so deployed.
Detachments have the same responsibilities as all
other reporting custodians of aircraft.
DEVIATION—To depart from established policy or
procedures, such as deviation from the NAMP. A
specific written authorization, granted prior to the
manufacture of an item, to depart from a particular
performance or design requirement of a
specification, drawing, or other document for a
specific number of units or a specific period of
time. A deviation differs from an engineering
change in that an approved engineering change
requires corresponding revision of the
documentation defining the affected item, whereas
a deviation does not contemplate revision of the
applicable specification or drawing.
DISCD—(When Discovered Code). A one-character
alpha code that identifies when the need for
maintenance was discovered.
DOD—Department of Defense.
DODIC —Department of Defense Identification Code.
DON—Department of the Navy—Separately organ-
ized under the SECNAV. It operates under the
authority, direction, and control of the SECDEF. It
is composed of the executive part of DON;
including the Office of the SECNAV, the Office of
the CNO, and the Headquarters, Marine Corps; the
entire operating forces, including naval aviation, of
the Navy and the Marine Corps, and the reserve
components of those operating forces; and all shore
activities, headquarters, forces, bases, installations,
activities, and functions under the control or
supervision of the SECNAV. It includes the Coast
Guard when it is operating as a service in the Navy.
DOWNTIME—That element of time during which
the item is not in condition to perform its intended
function.
DPVS—Distributed Plain Language Address (PLA)
Verification System.
DSF—Data Services Facility—An activity that con-
verts document data into machine records and uses
these records to produce machine reports and
listings.
DSN—Defense Switched Network.
DTG—Date-Time-Group.
E CARDS —Engine Record Cards.
AI-7
