Aircraft buyer guide
FAA aircraft records: what to request before a purchase
Use FAA Aircraft Inquiry to establish the aircraft identity, then use the FAA records-copy service for its recorded documents. Keep that file separate from the maintenance logs supplied by the seller. Neither source alone is a complete aircraft history.
By Aerovidence · Reviewed
Choose the source for the question you need to answer
A search result, a recorded document and a maintenance entry have different uses. The FAA describes its aircraft record as covering registered-owner information, recorded security interests and airworthiness information. Start with a document inventory so that a missing item produces a specific request.
| Question | Evidence to collect |
|---|---|
| Which aircraft is this? | FAA inquiry plus manufacturer, model and serial evidence from the aircraft documents. |
| What documents were recorded? | The relevant FAA aircraft record copies and their filing details. |
| What work was performed? | Aircraft and component logs, work orders and referenced repair documents. |
| Which ownership interests remain unresolved? | Recorded instruments, releases and a separate professional title review. |
Official references: FAA aircraft records. Sources checked .
Open the official request with a verified identity
The FAA provides an online Request for Copies of Aircraft Records. Confirm the intended aircraft before placing an order, and check the service’s current options and any charges there. Aerovidence does not place the request, supply the FAA file or include third-party document fees in its free report.
- Record the current N-number, manufacturer, model and serial number.
- Keep documentary evidence of former marks when available.
- Follow the official service instructions and check the requested subject.
- Save the request reference and the received file with its actual receipt date.
Official references: FAA Request for Copies of Aircraft Records · FAA Aircraft Inquiry. Sources checked .
Create an index when the documents arrive
Make a short working index before interpreting the file. Retain the original pages and label your notes separately. If a page is illegible, duplicated or missing an attachment, record the problem instead of filling the gap from a listing.
| Index column | What to preserve |
|---|---|
| Document identity | Document type, reference and page location in the received file. |
| Dates | Keep signature, work, filing and receipt dates distinct. |
| Aircraft identity | The mark and serial actually written on that document. |
| Follow-up | Missing attachment, conflicting identity or question for the reviewer. |
Reconcile the file with the seller’s logs
Use repair and alteration references to ask the mechanic for the corresponding maintenance entries and configuration evidence. A public record request does not reconstruct a missing logbook. A document’s presence also does not establish that the recorded configuration remains installed today.
Official references: FAA AC 43-9D: maintenance records · FAA STC installation and aircraft records. Sources checked .
Keep the research result and professional conclusion separate
An organized file helps the mechanic or title adviser work on a defined question. Their inspection or transaction conclusion should identify the documents they reviewed and any remaining gaps. The free Aerovidence lookup can supply a dated public-record starting point; it does not certify the completeness of a FAA file, aircraft condition or seller authority.
Check the public records first
How Aerovidence handles evidence · Sources and coverage limits
Continue your research
FAA Form 337: reading major repair and alteration records
Learn what an FAA Form 337 records, where to request copies, and which identity, work-description and supporting-document questions to bring to a prebuy.
Aircraft ownership history: build a documented timeline
Research aircraft ownership history using dated FAA records, manufacturer and serial evidence, and documented former marks without guessing missing owners.
Aircraft title search: FAA records, liens and release questions
Find official FAA aircraft records and organize ownership, lien and release questions. Use the checklist to prepare a separate title review before purchase.
Aircraft prebuy records checklist
Organize aircraft identity, public events, maintenance logs, AD evidence and title questions before a pre-purchase inspection.