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By the end of this guide, you will have filed aircraft discrepancies, deferred items under the MEL, recorded corrective actions, and closed squawks to maintain airworthiness records.
The Operations module must be enabled for your workspace. You also need the appropriate operations permissions. Contact your workspace administrator if you cannot access these features.
You need the maintenance_ops.read permission to view discrepancies and maintenance_ops.update to create, defer, or resolve them.

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Prerequisites

  • Aircraft must be registered in the fleet under Ops > Aircraft before a discrepancy can be filed against a tail number.
  • Your operation’s MEL (derived from the manufacturer’s MMEL) should be on file so that MEL references are meaningful when deferring items.
Open the Operations sidebar and click Discrepancies under the Fleet group. Breadcrumb path: Ops > Discrepancies The page loads with a stat-badged tab row and a searchable table of all discrepancies in your workspace.

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Understand the status tabs

The four tabs across the top of the page filter the table and show a running count for each category:
TabBadge colorMeaning
AllGrayEvery discrepancy across all aircraft and statuses.
OpenRedReported write-ups not yet deferred or resolved. Aircraft with open discrepancies require maintenance review before dispatch.
DeferredYellowItems formally deferred under the MEL with documented justification. The aircraft may remain in service within the MEL’s operational restrictions.
ClosedGreenDiscrepancies cleared by a completed corrective action with a recorded resolution date.
Click any tab to filter the table to that status. The count badge on each tab updates live as you add or resolve items.

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Read the discrepancy table

Each row in the table represents a single write-up:
ColumnDescription
AircraftTail number (registration) of the affected aircraft.
DescriptionThe write-up text describing the observed fault or anomaly. Any corrective action already entered appears below the description in smaller text.
Reported ByName of the crew member or technician who filed the write-up.
DateDate the discrepancy was reported.
MEL RefMEL item number if the discrepancy has been deferred under the MEL. Displays as an outlined badge; shows -- if no MEL reference has been entered.
StatusColor-coded status label: red (Open), yellow (Deferred), green (Closed).
Use the search field above the table to filter by description text or aircraft registration. The search is case-insensitive and updates as you type.

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Open the discrepancy detail page

Click any row in the discrepancy table to open the discrepancy detail page (Ops > Discrepancies > [ID]). The detail page shows:
  • Full write-up text, severity, and reporting information
  • Current status with the full status history
  • MEL reference and deferral justification (if deferred)
  • Corrective action and resolution details (if resolved)
  • Direct action buttons: Resolve, Defer, and Reopen
Use the detail page for all status transitions. The list view is read-only.

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File a new discrepancy

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Step 1: Open the new discrepancy form
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From the Discrepancies page, click New Discrepancy in the top-right corner.
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Step 2: Select the aircraft
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Choose the affected aircraft from the Aircraft dropdown. The list contains all aircraft registered in your fleet. This field is required.
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Step 3: Describe the fault
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Enter the discrepancy description in the Description field. Write-up language should be specific enough to allow a technician to locate and verify the fault. This field is required.
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Step 4: Set the severity
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Choose a severity level from the Severity dropdown. The default is Minor.
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SeverityDispatch implicationMinorAircraft may continue operations with an appropriate MEL entry per 14 CFR 135.179.MajorEvaluate airworthiness before next flight. Director of Maintenance sign-off required.CriticalDo not dispatch until the discrepancy is resolved or formally deferred with written justification.GroundingAircraft is grounded. No dispatch until the discrepancy is cleared.
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Step 5: Record the reporter (optional)
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The Reported By field pre-fills with your name. Change it if you are filing a write-up on behalf of another crew member.
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Step 6: Submit
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Click Save. The discrepancy is created with Open status and appears at the top of the table.
Grounding-severity discrepancies automatically surface on the Fleet Health dashboard’s Discrepancy Summary donut in dark red. The Fleet Health Open Squawks KPI increments for every Open and Deferred discrepancy across the fleet.

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Defer a discrepancy under the MEL

Deferral is the process of formally documenting that a non-critical fault will remain unrepaired for a defined period while the aircraft continues in service — allowable under 14 CFR 135.179 when the item appears in your approved MEL.
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Step 1: Locate the discrepancy
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Find the open discrepancy in the table. You can use the Open tab to narrow the view.
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Step 2: Open the detail page
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Click the discrepancy row to open the detail page.
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Step 3: Set status to Deferred
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Change the Status field to Deferred.
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Step 4: Enter the MEL reference
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Type the MEL item number in the MEL Reference field (for example, 28-11-1 for a fuel quantity indicator item). This reference links the deferral to a specific item in your MEL, which is derived from the aircraft manufacturer’s MMEL per 14 CFR 135.179.
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Step 5: Record the deferral reason
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Enter the justification in the Resolution / Notes field. The text is appended to the discrepancy record and is visible in the audit trail.
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Step 6: Save
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Click Save. The status changes to Deferred and the MEL reference badge appears in the table row.
Deferral does not clear the discrepancy. The underlying fault must be tracked to resolution within the MEL’s allowable interval. Ensure the aircraft maintenance record is updated with the deferral entry and the placard requirements per 14 CFR Part 43.9 are satisfied before the aircraft departs.

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Resolve a discrepancy

Resolution records the corrective action taken and closes the write-up.
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Step 1: Locate the discrepancy
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Find the open or deferred discrepancy. Use the Open or Deferred tab to filter.
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Step 2: Open the detail page
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Click the discrepancy row to open the detail page, then click Resolve.
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Step 3: Enter the corrective action
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Type a description of the work performed in the Resolution field. Include the part number replaced, the reference maintenance manual section, and the certifying technician’s name if applicable. This field is required.
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Step 4: Record who resolved it
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The Resolved By field defaults to your name. Update it if the technician completing the work is different from the person entering the record.
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Step 5: Add a work order reference (optional)
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Enter your maintenance tracking or work order number in the Work Order Ref field. This links the PlaneConnection record to your separate maintenance tracking system.
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Step 6: Submit
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Click Resolve. The status changes to Closed and a resolved_date timestamp is recorded. The discrepancy no longer counts toward the Open Squawks KPI on the Fleet Health dashboard.

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How discrepancies affect aircraft dispatch

Open discrepancy severity determines whether an aircraft can be dispatched:
Status + SeverityDispatch availableRequired action before release
Open — MinorConditionalMEL deferral entry required per 14 CFR 135.179.
Open — MajorNoDirector of Maintenance sign-off required.
Open — CriticalNoResolve or obtain written justification for deferral.
Open — GroundingNoDiscrepancy must be resolved before any departure.
Deferred (any severity)ConditionalAircraft must operate within all MEL restrictions listed for the deferred item.
ClosedYesNo restriction from this discrepancy.
The Open Squawks column on the Aircraft list page shows each aircraft’s open discrepancy count. A count greater than zero is highlighted in red as a visual dispatch flag. Dispatchers and pilots should review open squawks as part of the standard pre-flight release process per 14 CFR Part 135 Subpart J.

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Fleet Health integration

The Fleet Health dashboard (Ops > Fleet Health) aggregates discrepancy data into three summary views:
  • Open Squawks KPI card — Total count of Open, Deferred, and In Progress discrepancies across the entire fleet. The card turns red when the count is greater than zero.
  • Discrepancy Summary donut — Breaks open squawks down by severity (Minor, Major, Critical, Grounding). Use this to identify whether open items are routine or require immediate maintenance intervention.
  • Open Discrepancies table — Lists the 20 oldest unresolved discrepancies sorted by report date. Click any row to navigate directly to the Discrepancies page.
Discrepancy records are also visible in the Overview and Maintenance tabs of the individual aircraft detail page (Ops > Aircraft > [tail number]).
PlaneConnection discrepancy records support but do not replace the physical aircraft maintenance records required under 14 CFR Part 43. Always ensure the aircraft logbook or maintenance record reflects every resolved or deferred discrepancy before releasing the aircraft for flight.

Fleet Health Dashboard

Monitor open squawk counts, discrepancy severity distribution, and fleet availability from a single maintenance overview screen.

Track Due Items

Schedule-based and hours-based maintenance items that work alongside discrepancy write-ups in the overall airworthiness picture.

Manage Aircraft

Register aircraft, set initial hours and cycles, and manage operational statuses that reflect discrepancy-driven groundings.

Aircraft Statuses

How Open, Deferred, and Grounding discrepancies map to aircraft dispatch availability status.
Last modified on April 11, 2026