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By following this guide, you will assemble the data sources needed for a management review, structure the review agenda, document decisions, and record follow-up actions for regulatory traceability.
Who should read this: Accountable executives, safety managers, and directors of safety who lead or contribute to management reviews.Prerequisites: Safety manager or accountable executive role. The organization should have at least one quarter of safety data to support a meaningful review.

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Regulatory Basis

RegulationRequirement
14 CFR 5.25Management review — the accountable executive must ensure the SMS is reviewed at planned intervals to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness.
14 CFR 5.27Safety policy review and update.
14 CFR 5.71Safety performance monitoring and measurement.
14 CFR 5.73Safety performance assessment.
14 CFR 5.75Continuous improvement.
AC 120-92DAdvisory guidance on management review scope and frequency.

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Review Frequency

TypeFrequencyScope
Quarterly reviewEvery 3 monthsOperational safety performance, SPI trends, open investigations and CPAs, reporting culture metrics.
Annual reviewOnce per yearComprehensive SMS assessment including policy review, resource adequacy, organizational changes, and strategic safety objectives.
Many organizations align their quarterly review with the safety committee meeting schedule. The annual review is typically conducted in Q4 or Q1 to inform the next year’s safety objectives.

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Gather Data Sources

Before the review meeting, assemble data from the following sources in PlaneConnection.
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Step 1: Review Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs)
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Navigate to Safety > SPIs and review the dashboard. Key metrics to capture:
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  • SPI trends over the review period (improving, stable, or degrading).
  • Any SPIs that have breached alert or target thresholds.
  • Comparison against benchmarks (if configured).
    • 4
    Step 2: Review safety reports
    5
    Navigate to Safety > Reports and filter for the review period. Capture:
    6
  • Total reports submitted by type (hazard, incident, near-miss, concern, observation, audit finding).
  • Reporting rate trend (reports per flight hour or per month).
  • Anonymous vs. identified reporting ratio.
  • Report status distribution (open, under review, closed).
    • 7
    Step 3: Review investigations
    8
    Navigate to Safety > Investigations and assess:
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  • Number of investigations opened, completed, and overdue during the period.
  • Common root cause categories identified.
  • Average investigation duration.
  • Any investigations returned for additional work.
    • 10
    Step 4: Review CPAs
    11
    Navigate to Safety > CPAs and assess:
    12
  • Total CPAs open, completed, and overdue.
  • Verification status of completed CPAs.
  • Effectiveness ratings from verified CPAs.
  • CPAs linked to recurring issues.
    • 13
    Step 5: Review the hazard register
    14
    Navigate to Safety > Hazards and assess:
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  • New hazards identified during the period.
  • Hazard status distribution (draft, active, mitigated, accepted, closed).
  • Overdue hazard reviews.
  • Risk matrix distribution (concentration of risks by zone).
    • 16
    Step 6: Review culture survey results (if available)
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    Navigate to Safety > Culture Surveys and review:
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  • Most recent survey scores by dimension.
  • Trends compared to previous surveys.
  • Areas of concern flagged by respondents.
    • 19
    Step 7: Review compliance status
    20
    Navigate to Safety > Compliance and assess:
    21
  • Overall compliance percentage by Part 5 subpart.
  • Gap analysis results.
  • Evidence export readiness score.
    • 22
    Step 8: Review Just Culture statistics
    23
    Navigate to Safety > Just Culture and review:
    24
  • Quarterly case distribution (human error, at-risk, reckless).
  • Whether the pattern indicates healthy reporting culture.

    • ​
    Structure the Review Agenda

    A structured agenda ensures all required topics are covered. Use this template:
    Agenda ItemSourceTime
    1. Previous review action itemsPrior meeting minutes10 min
    2. Safety performance indicatorsSPIs dashboard15 min
    3. Safety reporting trendsReports summary10 min
    4. Investigation outcomesInvestigations summary15 min
    5. CPA status and effectivenessCPAs summary10 min
    6. Hazard register reviewHazard register10 min
    7. Compliance statusCompliance dashboard10 min
    8. Safety culture assessmentCulture surveys, Just Culture stats10 min
    9. Resource adequacyStaffing, training, budget10 min
    10. Decisions and action itemsMeeting discussion15 min
    For annual reviews, add agenda items for safety policy review (14 CFR 5.27), organizational change impact assessment, strategic safety objectives for the next year, and SMS adequacy assessment.

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    Decision Frameworks

    Management reviews should produce documented decisions. Use these frameworks to structure decision-making:

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    Safety Performance Decisions

    SPI TrendDecision Framework
    All SPIs within targetsAffirm current controls. Consider raising targets for continuous improvement.
    One or more SPIs in alert zoneAssign investigation or root cause analysis. Set a timeline for corrective action.
    SPIs breaching targetsDetermine if immediate operational changes are needed. Create CPAs with high priority.

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    Resource Decisions

    FindingDecision Framework
    Investigation backlog growingAssess investigator capacity. Consider additional training or staffing.
    CPA overdue rate increasingReview assignment distribution. Adjust due dates or reassign actions.
    Reporting rate decliningEvaluate potential barriers to reporting. Consider safety promotion activities.

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    Policy Decisions (Annual Review)

    AssessmentDecision Framework
    Safety objectives metSet new objectives for the next period. Document achievements.
    Safety objectives not metAnalyze root causes. Adjust objectives or allocate additional resources.
    Organizational changes occurredEvaluate impact on SMS. Initiate Management of Change (MoC) if not already done.

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    Document the Review

    1
    Step 1: Record attendees
    2
    Document all participants, their roles, and whether they attended in person or remotely.
    3
    Step 2: Document findings
    4
    For each agenda item, record:
    5
  • Key data points reviewed.
  • Discussion summary.
  • Decisions made.
    • 6
    Step 3: Record action items
    7
    For each decision that requires follow-up, record:
    8
    FieldDescriptionAction descriptionWhat needs to be done.Responsible personWho owns the action.Due dateWhen the action must be completed.PriorityCritical, high, medium, or low.
    9
    Step 4: Create CPAs for systemic issues
    10
    If the review identifies systemic safety issues requiring formal tracking, create CPAs from Safety > CPAs > New and link them to the management review.
    11
    Step 5: Store the review record
    12
    Save the management review documentation. This record satisfies 14 CFR 5.25 and 5.97 requirements and should be available for FAA surveillance.
    Management review records are a common target during FAA surveillance visits. Ensure reviews are conducted at planned intervals with documented agendas, attendees, data reviewed, decisions made, and follow-up actions assigned.

    Track Compliance

    How compliance data feeds into management reviews.

    Configure SPIs

    Setting up the safety performance indicators reviewed in management reviews.

    Export Compliance Evidence

    Generate evidence packages that support management review findings.

    The Four Pillars

    How management reviews connect to SMS pillar requirements.
    Last modified on April 11, 2026