AS9100D Nonconformance Report (NCR) Template & Guide for Aerospace Suppliers
A complete breakdown of every mandatory field required under AS9100D Clause 8.7 — from CAGE code prefixes and characteristic references to containment status and MRB routing.
What AS9100D Auditors Actually Look for on an Aerospace NCR
In aerospace and defense manufacturing, a Nonconformance Report (NCR) is not merely an internal ticket—it is a legal quality record subject to registrar audits and prime contractor surveillance quality assurance requirements.
Under AS9100D Clause 8.7 (Control of Nonconforming Outputs), your nonconformance tracking system must guarantee that product which does not conform to requirements is identified, segregated, and controlled to prevent unintended use or delivery.
The 10 Essential Fields Every Audit-Ready NCR Must Contain
- ›*Internal NCR Sequence*: Immutable internal tracking number.
- ›*Customer NCR Reference / CAGE Code Prefix*: Formatted as {Supplier CAGE Code}-{Sequence} or matching customer required format. Prime contractors demand instant cross-reference.
- ›Customer Name, Program, Part Number, Drawing Number, and specific **Drawing Revision**.
- ›Generic statements like *"hole is out of tolerance"* will result in minor audit findings. An auditor expects: *"Drawing Zone C-3, Balloon #18 (Bore Dia Ø2.4500 +0.0005/-0.0000)"*.
- ›Clear enumeration of total lot size vs. rejected units.
- ›Detection point (Receiving, In-Process, Final Inspection, NDT, Lab).
- ›Detection method (CMM, Optical Comparator, Thread Gage, Calibrated Micrometer).
- ›Mandatory preliminary classification: *None / Possible / Confirmed Flight Safety Impact*.
- ›Explicit confirmation of quarantine location (e.g., *Red-Tagged in Quarantine Cage B* or *Positively Controlled in Bin 14*).
- ›Use As-Is, Rework, Repair, Scrap, or Return to Vendor with required design authority and customer concessions.
- ›Linkage to prior similar defects within the last 12-24 months.
- ›Compliant with aerospace 10-year+ retention mandates without data loss.
Why Spreadsheets Fail Aerospace Quality Audits
Most sub-tier machine shops begin tracking NCRs in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. While flexible initially, spreadsheets introduce fatal vulnerabilities: