of aircraft, equipment or facilities. Any explosive mishap involving aircrew error must be reported using the latest edition of OPNAVINST 3750.6 or OPNAVINST 5102.1.

2. When a malfunction or failure of an explosive system is found to be caused by failed material. This report is a combined EMR/QDR or EMR/EI as appropriate.

3. When urgent action or assistance is required to correct a deficiency at an early date because of an operational commitment.

4. When an urgent change to ordnance loading or launch device/AWSE safety instructions is required to prevent a hazardous condition from occurring.

5. When a condition is detected that could cause incorrect installation and subsequent system malfunction due to the design of a part.

ENGINEERING INVESTIGATION (EI)

The EI comprises three types of investigation: disassembly and inspection, material analysis, and engineering assistance. Only the disassembly and inspection procedures will be discussed in this section since the procedures for requesting any of the three types of investigation are the same.

Engineering investigations (fig. 5-3) are requested by a routine precedence message within 5 working days after discovery of the deficiency, unless combined with an HMR/EI, under one or more of the following conditions:

1. When safety is involved. This includes EI requests prepared in conjunction with accidents/ incidents, ground accidents/incidents, and impending malfunctions when it is evident that an unsafe condition exists.

2. When additional technical or engineering information is required to complete an accident report.

3. When aircraft readiness is seriously impaired due to poor material (including SE) reliability/maintainability/logistic support.

4. When a component is rejected by the Navy Oil Analysis Program (NOAP) after attempted authorized repairs are exhausted at the organizational and intermediate levels.

5. When specifically directed by higher authority.

All requests for EIs are submitted to the CFA, which will study the history of similar equipment failures and determine the potential value of conducting an EI on the equipment in question. If the study indicates that an EI is not required, the CFA so informs (by message) the requesting activity. If the study indicates an EI is warranted, the CFA assigns a control number to the investigation and provides shipping instructions to the requesting and holding activities by message. Whether an EI is warranted or not, the CFA must respond by message within 5 calendar days after receipt of the EI request to the requesting activity. For an approved EI request, the CFA will follow up on equipment not received from the holding activity within 20 days. Activities should maintain each EI on file for a period of 1 year.

QUALITY DEFICIENCY REPORT (QDR)

This report provides maintenance activities with a method for reporting deficiencies in new material or reworked material that may be attributable to nonconformance to contractual or specification requirements or substandard workmanship.

New material is defined as material procured under contract from industry or manufactured by an in-house facility that is still under warranty. All material, whether in actual operation or on the shelf, is considered new until the warranty expires.

Reworked material is that material overhauled, rebuilt, repaired, or modified by government or commercial activities but unproven in actual operations.

The category I (CAT I) QDR is a report on a quality deficiency, which will, or may, affect life or limb of personnel or impair the combat capabilities of the using organization or individual or that affects operational capability to the extent that mission accomplishment is jeopardized. The category II (CAT II) type of QDR is made on all other deficiencies that do not meet the criteria set forth in category I.