CHAPTER 6 AIRCRAFT LOGS, RECORDS, AND REPORTS

Chapter Objective: Upon completion of this chapter, you will have the knowledge to identify the purpose of the aircraft logbook, recognize the forms used in the aircraft logbook, identify the reconstruction procedures for lost or destroyed logbooks, recognize the purpose for accurately recording aircraft inventory data, and recognize the importance of aircraft weight and balance records. You will also be able to identify the purpose of the aircraft inventory reporting system (AIRS), recognize the purpose of the aircraft record "A" card, identify the entries required on the OPNAV XRAY Report, and recognize the purpose of the aircraft accounting audit report.

All activities having reporting custody of naval aircraft and related aeronautical equipment and components are required to maintain aircraft logbooks, records, and associated forms in a proper and up-to-date condition. These logs, records, and forms provide a history of completed inspections, flight hours or hours of operation, modifications, and major repairs. They provide maintenance personnel with a source of information for scheduling future periodic inspections and component replacement. In addition to their other uses, these logs, records, and forms, when maintained properly, provide management with information related to the aircraft's and equipment's service age.

Incomplete or poorly maintained records can be the cause of unnecessary inspections and overhaul of aeronautical components. This condition results in needless expenditure of man-hours and funds and cannot be tolerated. Activities receiving questionable or incomplete logs and records should request immediate corrective action by the transferring activity. Obvious mistakes in recordkeeping may be corrected by the current custodian and initialed or signed off without further reference to the previous custodian. Discrepancies requiring corrective action by the previous custodian may be signed off by the current custodian after receipt of correspondence from the previous custodian specifying corrective action.

Aircraft operation and maintenance require the use of many logs and records. Such logs and records, and the many forms and procedures used with them, change frequently. In contrast, the type of information recorded on forms very seldom changes. That information will be recorded as necessary, even though the types of forms for recording it change frequently. The forms and procedures presented in this chapter may not exist any longer; some are made up expressly for the purpose of showing you how information CAN be recorded, and WHY. However, you will benefit by having learned a record system, and you can apply that experience in learning whatever recordkeeping system you need to learn. Most of the forms you will read about in this TRAMAN are not identified by number. The intent here is to present the how and why of recordkeeping, not a specific recordkeeping system.

AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK

The aircraft logbook is a hard-cover, loose-leaf ring binder containing separators and page insert forms. This logbook contains most of the information about the aircraft. The logbook serves as a source of data that is necessary to monitor an aircraft's operation throughout its service life. Each logbook contains entries about the aircraft's rework, major repairs, and flight operational data. Also included in this logbook, in the appropriate section, is a record of technical directives affecting the aircraft, its components, and accessories.