Obtain documented applicable-AD status before technical acceptance.
Search the relevant products
The FAA explains that applicable ADs must be searched for the aircraft, engines and installed appliances as relevant, including model and series. Have the qualified technical adviser identify the actual configuration and perform the review. An aircraft model search alone should not be represented as a comprehensive determination for every installed product. The buyer needs a documented status report, not a website's certification of compliance.
Ask for the method and next due action
Request the supporting record entry, compliance method, date or usage reference and any recurring action or limitation. The FAA states that the AD determines the compliance time. A phrase such as ADs current does not show what comes due next or which assumption was used. Distinguish technical compliance evidence from the seller's promise to deliver an aircraft in a stated condition.
Use an illustrative near-term obligation
Imagine an applicable recurring action is current today but comes due shortly after the buyer's intended delivery. Compliance at the inspection date and first-year ownership cost are different questions. Have the adviser verify the actual trigger and quote the planned work, then reflect it once in the acquisition or maintenance budget. Do not subtract it from price and also count the same negotiated credit as an unpaid expense.
Resolve the closing consequence
Have the technical team and counsel determine whether unresolved AD evidence is a condition, a seller correction item or another contractual issue. Confirm any lender or insurer requirement separately. Preserve the reviewed configuration and report date because later changes can affect applicability. Operational compliance remains the responsible owner's or operator's obligation; a completed purchase inspection is not a perpetual assurance.
Working document to prepare
Ask the adviser for a status matrix identifying product, model or series, AD reference, applicability basis, compliance evidence, method and next recurring trigger. Include the report date and actual usage used in the calculation. Flag an unsupported current-status assertion instead of treating it as complete. Carry verified near-term work into the maintenance calendar once, and have the appropriate professional explain any outstanding condition before the buyer gives technical acceptance.
Your next-step checklist
- Identify actual products, models and series.
- Obtain supporting compliance records.
- Show recurring actions and next triggers.
- Reconcile seller corrections and budget treatment.
Sources & further reading
Primary sources support the relevant facts. Our planning questions and illustrative exercises are editorial analysis; they do not replace transaction-specific advice.
- FAA AD applicability and compliance · accessed 2026-10-28