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Defect Report Service

The Defect Report Service (DRS) is a system which allows people to report and view major defects with aircraft or aircraft parts.

CASA uses this information to monitor and correct of any unsafe conditions with aircraft or aircraft parts. This is accomplished by collecting, analysing, recording and disseminating relevant data from the aviation industry.

It is important to understand the objective of DRS is to use the reported information to maintain and improve the level of flight safety and not to attribute or apportion blame.

What you can do using DRS?

The online portal for DRS allows anybody to search and view defect report summaries.

People wanting additional functionality can register to submit defects, save searches and subscribe to receive notifications of new defects.

What is a major defect?

A defect is something that may affect the continuing airworthiness of an aircraft and could result in a safety hazard to persons or property.

Does everything need to be reported?

Under the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988, part 4B Defect Reporting, CAR 51 -53 reporting of defects in Australian Aircraft and Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, 42.D.6.2 - Reporting Defects, you have an obligation to report to CASA any major defect you come across. Some examples of these include:

  • smoke or fumes in the cabin
  • corrosion in the primary structure of the aircraft
  • faults in flight control systems.

Even if the defect you have found has already been reported by someone else, it is important that you also submit a report. This allows CASA to conduct accurate trending analysis of defects and deliver informed evidence based advice and communication to the aviation community.

What happens to the information I submit?

Reported defects are individually managed and assessed for any potential impacts on aviation safety. This information is stored in the CASA database where it can be analysed to identify factors that may contribute towards identifying trends in aviation safety. It also enables CASA to issue evidence based advice, information or corrective actions. The reported information is used to support the safety of civil aviation.

Each defect report from industry is assessed for its airworthiness safety implications, both individually and in relation to other related reports.

The report is then codified ensuring standardisation of terms and parameters are applied. This allows consistent search results to be obtained when people are searching and investigating defects.

Where CASA receives similar reports from different submitters and an immediate flight safety action is not warranted, CASA may issue advisory material to the aviation community.

System maintenance

CASA perform routine system maintenance on Thursday night between 7pm and 11pm AEST (an hour later during AEDT), DRS availability may be limited during this time.

Support material

Contact us

If you need any further information please email defect.reports@casa.gov.au.

Additional paper forms