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By following this guide, you will verify the integrity of maintenance records using PlaneConnection’s cryptographic hash chain system, understand how records are hashed and anchored, run per-aircraft chain verification, and interpret verification results.
Who should read this: Directors of maintenance, quality assurance managers, compliance officers, and auditors who need to verify that maintenance records have not been tampered with since creation.Required permission: maintenance_ops — read to run verification checks.Regulatory basis: 14 CFR 43.9 defines the content and form of maintenance records. 14 CFR 91.417 requires maintenance records to be retained and available for inspection. While the FAA does not currently mandate cryptographic record integrity, tamper-evident records strengthen your compliance posture and provide verifiable evidence during audits and legal proceedings.

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How Record Integrity Works

PlaneConnection protects maintenance records using a multi-layer integrity system. Every critical record — work orders, inspections, AD compliance actions, part installations, part removals, discrepancies, MEL deferrals, and technician attestations — is cryptographically fingerprinted when created and chained to previous records. If any record is modified after creation, the chain breaks and verification fails. Record hashes are periodically anchored to independent external authorities, providing cryptographic proof that records existed at a specific point in time — independent of PlaneConnection’s infrastructure. For the full architecture, see Record Integrity Architecture.
Record integrity is gated behind the record integrity feature flag. Contact your administrator if this feature is not visible in your workspace.

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Record Types Covered

The integrity system covers all critical regulatory record types:
CategoryRecord Types
MaintenanceWork orders, inspections, AD compliance, SB compliance
PartsPart installations, part removals
Safety (SMS)Safety reports, investigations, corrective actions
Flight OpsFlight logs, eAPIS filings, weight & balance, dispatch releases
CrewTraining records, currency checks
DiscrepanciesSquawks, MEL deferrals, Form 337 records
SmartScorePilot, SMS, operator, and maintenance score snapshots

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Verify an Aircraft’s Record Chain

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Go to Maintenance > Record Integrity. The page lists all aircraft in your workspace with their chain status.
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Select an aircraft
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Click on an aircraft registration to open its record chain detail. The page shows:
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  • Chain length — Total number of hashed records in the chain
  • Last record — Date and type of the most recent record
  • Anchoring status — Whether the chain has been externally anchored
  • Verification status — Last verification result
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    Run verification
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    Click Verify Chain. The system:
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  • Retrieves every record hash in the aircraft’s chain, ordered by sequence number
  • Recomputes each hash from the source record data
  • Verifies that each record’s previousHash matches the prior record’s hash
  • Checks that the chain sequence numbers are contiguous with no gaps
  • If anchored, validates the Merkle proof against the external anchor
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    Interpret results
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    ResultMeaningChain ValidAll hashes match; no records have been modifiedChain BrokenOne or more records have been modified since creationSequence GapRecords are missing from the chainAnchor VerifiedExternal timestamp confirms chain existed at stated timeAnchor PendingRecords have been hashed but not yet externally anchored
    A broken chain does not necessarily indicate malicious tampering. Database migrations, system updates, or data corrections can break chains. However, any break should be investigated and documented. The verification report identifies the exact record where the chain breaks, allowing targeted investigation.

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    View Record Details

    From the verification page, click any record in the chain to see:
    • Record Type — What kind of record (work order, part install, etc.)
    • Record ID — Link to the source record
    • Record Hash — The SHA-384 hash of this record
    • Previous Hash — Hash of the preceding record in the chain
    • Chain Sequence — Position in the aircraft’s chain
    • Hash Algorithm — Algorithm used (SHA-384)
    • Anchored — Whether this record has been included in an anchored Merkle tree
    • Anchor Details — RFC 3161 TSA URL and timestamp, or OpenTimestamps proof

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    Anchoring Details

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    RFC 3161 Timestamps

    For records anchored via RFC 3161:
    • TSA URL — The Time-Stamp Authority URL used
    • Timestamp — The RFC 3161 timestamp token
    • Token — The cryptographic token for independent verification

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    OpenTimestamps (Bitcoin)

    For records anchored via OpenTimestamps:
    • OTS Proof — The OpenTimestamps proof file
    • OTS Status — Pending (waiting for Bitcoin confirmation) or Confirmed
    • Bitcoin Block — The Bitcoin block number containing the anchor

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    Export Verification Report

    To generate a verification report for audit purposes:
    1. Run verification on the target aircraft
    2. Click Export Report
    3. The system generates a PDF or JSON report containing the full chain verification results, anchor proofs, and a summary suitable for regulatory submissions
    Run verification reports quarterly as part of your quality assurance program. Include verification results in your management review per 14 CFR Part 5 safety assurance requirements. Having a documented history of regular integrity checks strengthens your compliance posture.

    Part Passports

    Part lifecycle events are individually hash-chained for traceability.

    Technician Attestations

    Attestation records are included in the integrity chain.

    Manage Work Orders

    Work order records are hashed at creation and at return-to-service.

    Compliance Dashboard

    Compliance documents are managed alongside integrity verification.
    Last modified on April 5, 2026