AIRCRAFT FORMS
RED X
-The most serious condition.
-It indicates that an aerospace vehicle
or equipment is considered unfit for flight and
will not be flown or used until
unsatisfactory condition is corrected or
symbol is cleared.
-No one will authorize or direct an acft
to be flown or equipment to be used until RED
X has been properly cleared.
CONDITIONS REQURING RED X SYMBOL
1. When any defects or unsatisfactory
conditions are found that makes the
acft unsafe for flight as determined/or
in accordance w/ the judgment of
person who discovered it.
2. Upon receipt of safety of flight message
w/c requires immediate compliance.
3. When the time limit specified in safety
of flight message expired & the
required inspection is not complied.
4. When maintenance is being performed
on helicopter transmission & its major
components such as oil lines, accessory
gearboxes, quills mounting etc.
5. When aircraft is undergoing
maintenance on main rotor system.
6. When aircraft is undergoing
maintenance on tail rotor system.
7. When aircraft is undergoing
maintenance on power driven train.
8. When damage w/c affects the safety of
flight is found in the airframe.
9. When the aircraft is undergoing PM.
10. When the aircraft is undergoing
maintenance in flight control
components.
11. When the aircraft is undergoing
maintenance in throttle control
components.
12. When components are removed w/c
affect the safety of flight.
13. When aircraft is undergoing
maintenance in fuel system.
14. When replacement of major
components/or TCI components is on
progress.
DOWNGRADING A RED X FOR ONE TIME FLIGHT
-To clear the red x on the AFTO FORM
781A, the authorizing official or representative
authorized to downgrade red x conditions will
enter in the corrective action block a statement
essentially as follows:
“ Red X changed to Red Dash for the
purpose of one-time flight to (name destination
station)” and if applicable “with enroute stop at
(name station)”. If the authorizing official is not
available to sign the “inspected by” block
continue the corrective action statement: “one-
time flight authorized by (name, rank, title
org.)”. The local official authorized to
downgrade the red x will sign the “Inspected
By” block and initial the symbol block. In the
next open block of AFTO FORM 781A, enter a
Red Dash in the “Symbol” block & current date
in “Date Disc” block. In the “Discrepancy” block,
enter the original discrepancy w/ the
descriptive statement of temporary repair or
inspection accomplished to make the aircraft
airworthy for one-time flight. Sign the
“Discovered By” block (normally, the same
person that downgraded the red x).
RED DASH
-The next most serious condition.
-It indicates that a required special
inspection, accessory replacement, operational
check or functional check flight is due.
-It also indicates that a scheduled
inspection (Pre- flight, Post Flight, BPO, HSC,
etc.) is overdue
- The presence of this symbol indicates
that the condition of the aerospace vehicle or
equipment is unknown and that a more
serious condition may exist.
RED DIAGONAL
-The least serious condition.
-It indicates that an unsatisfactory
condition exists on an aircraft or equipment but
is not sufficiently urgent or dangerous to
warrant grounding of aircraft or discontinuing
use of equipment.
BLACK LAST NAME INITIAL
-No discrepancies exist on the aircraft
or equipment
-The initial placed over a red x, red
dash, or red diagonal means that the
discrepancies has already been corrected.
AFTO FORM 781 SERIES (GENERAL PURPOSE)
-Are used collectively to provide a
maintenance, inspection, service,
configuration, status and flight record for the
particular weapon system or support system -If symbols is red X, an authorized
for which they are maintained. individual must sign the INSPECTED BY block
AFTO FORM 781 H and make initial over the symbols.
( Aerospace Vehicle Flight Status And AFTO FORM 781 J
Maintenance Document ) ( Aerospace Vehicle Engine Flight Document )
-It is used to document maintenance -Used to document Aerospace Vehicle
status and servicing information to provide a Time and Engine Data including Operating Time.
ready reference as to the status of aircraft. AFTO FORM 781 K
-It also indicates the status and a ( Aerospace Vehicle Inspection, Engine Data,
history of inspections that are specifically Calendar Inspection & Delayed Discrepancy
related to the daily flying activity or to the day Document )
involved. -Used to document on Aircraft
-An exceptional release is being signed Inspection Engine Data, Calendar Inspection and
in this form under no circumstances will the Delayed Discrepancy.
exceptional release be granted when the acft AFTO FORM 781 E
status is indicated by Red X symbol. ( Accessory Replacement Document )
-When the designated maintenance -Used to provide data to facilitate
personnel have not signed the exceptional compliance of replacement of equipment /
release, the status check and exceptional requirement.
release become the responsibilities of the
Aircraft Commander.
-When a release is signed by a Pilot, it
will be effective only for those flights in which
the releasing Pilot participates as an aircrew
member.
-When a release is signed by an MO or
civilian equivalent having direct responsibility
for the aerospace vehicle, it will not require
another signature during the period of pre-flight
validity unless additional red symbol
discrepancies are encountered.
-to readily identify exceptional releases
that are granted by maintenance officer, the
abbreviation “MO” will be entered after the
signature of the maintenance officer.
-Upon completion of a flight, the pilot
will indicate opposite the applicable flight
number the condition after flight.
-Upon completion of entries, the pilots
will enter their signature and grade in the Pilot’s
signature block. In addition, a description of
each discrepancy encountered during flight will
be entered in the AFTO FORM 781A.
AFTO FORM 781 A
( Maintenance & Work Document )
-Used to document discrepancy
discovered by Pilot, Aircrew or Maintenance
Personnel
-Symbol entered on this form will be
initialed over when corrective action is
completed.