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By following this guide, you will create corrective and preventive actions (CPAs), assign them to owners, track progress through the lifecycle, and verify their effectiveness.
Who should read this: Safety managers, admins, and CPA owners. Safety managers create and verify CPAs; owners complete the assigned actions.Prerequisites: Safety manager or admin role. CPAs can be created standalone or from an investigation.

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CPA Lifecycle Overview

StatusDescription
OpenApproved, assigned to an owner, and given a due date.
In ProgressWork on the action is actively underway.
ImplementedAction completed; awaiting independent verification of effectiveness.
VerificationEffectiveness being verified by someone other than the owner.
ClosedFormally closed. Record is immutable.

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Create a CPA from an Investigation

This is the most common path. Investigation findings produce recommendations that become CPAs.
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Step 1: Open the investigation
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Navigate to Safety > Investigations and open the investigation with approved recommendations.
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Step 2: Create the CPA
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In the Related CPAs panel on the right sidebar, create a CPA. The investigation is automatically linked as the source.
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Step 3: Select the CPA type
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The type defaults to Corrective when created from an investigation finding. If the action addresses a potential future deficiency rather than an existing one, change to Preventive.
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Step 4: Continue with form fields
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Complete the remaining fields as described in the standalone CPA section below.

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Create a Standalone CPA

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Step 1: Open the new CPA form
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In the Safety sidebar, navigate to Corrective Actions and create a new CPA. You can also use Cmd+K and select “New Corrective Action.”
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Step 2: Select the CPA type
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Choose Corrective or Preventive.
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Step 3: Set the priority
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PlaneConnection suggests a due date based on priority. For priority definitions and suggested timelines, see CPA Lifecycle.
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Step 4: Enter the title and description
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Use an action-oriented title that clearly states what must be done. The description should include detailed instructions and measurable success criteria.
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Step 5: Assign an owner
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Search for a workspace member by name. The owner is responsible for completing the action.
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Step 6: Set the due date
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The suggested date based on priority is pre-filled. If you need a different date, override it while ensuring it remains realistic.
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Overdue CPAs are flagged on the compliance dashboard and contribute to Safety Performance Indicator (SPI) calculations. Critical-priority CPAs overdue by more than 48 hours are escalated to the accountable executive.
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If not created from an investigation, you can link the CPA to an investigation, a risk assessment, or an active risk entry for traceability.
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Step 8: Define effectiveness criteria (optional)
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Describe the measurable criteria the verifier will use to confirm the action was effective. Setting this upfront makes verification objective and repeatable.
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Step 9: Submit the CPA
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Submit to create the CPA in Open status, ready for the owner to begin work.

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Track CPA Progress

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Update Status

As work progresses, the CPA owner updates the status:
  1. Open the CPA from the Corrective Actions list.
  2. Use the status controls to advance through the lifecycle.
  3. Add progress notes documenting what was done and when.
  4. Attach evidence (documents, photos, records) demonstrating the implementation.

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Monitor Overdue Actions

Navigate to Corrective Actions and use the Overdue tab to view all CPAs past their due date. The list shows how many days each action is overdue and highlights by priority.

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View Your Assigned CPAs

Click the Mine tab on the Corrective Actions page to see only CPAs assigned to you, filtered to active items.

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View CPAs Awaiting Verification

Click the Verification tab to see CPAs in Pending Verification status that need an independent effectiveness review.

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Verify Effectiveness

Verification is the independent confirmation that the CPA was effective — required by 14 CFR 5.73 and 5.75. The verifier must be a different person than the CPA owner.
  1. Open the CPA. Navigate to Corrective Actions > Verification and select the CPA to verify.
  2. Review the evidence. Examine the attached documents, photos, or records demonstrating that the action was implemented.
  3. Assess effectiveness. Evaluate whether the action eliminated or adequately mitigated the identified risk using the defined effectiveness criteria:
    • Were all planned actions carried out as described?
    • Is there measurable evidence that the deficiency is resolved?
    • Has the residual risk been reduced to an acceptable level?
  4. Record your verification. Document verification notes, the date, and your assessment.
  5. Complete verification or return to In Progress.
    • If effective, move the CPA to Verification (confirmed effective).
    • If ineffective, return it to In Progress with notes explaining what additional work is required.
When a CPA fails verification, consider whether the original action plan was insufficient or whether a new CPA is needed to address a different aspect of the problem.

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Close a CPA

Once in Verification status, a safety manager or admin moves the CPA to Closed. Closed CPAs are read-only and retained per 14 CFR 5.97 — as long as the associated safety risk control remains relevant.

CPA Lifecycle

Complete reference for CPA statuses, fields, and verification process.

Manage Investigations

Investigations that generate CPA recommendations.

Track Compliance

How CPA completion contributes to Part 5 compliance.

Conduct a Risk Assessment

Risk assessments that drive CPA creation.
Last modified on April 11, 2026