Work Order Statuses

Every maintenance work order in PlaneConnection follows a defined lifecycle from initial creation through completion, verification, and closure. This page documents each status, the allowed transitions between them, who can perform each transition, and the regulatory requirements that apply at key stages.

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Status Summary

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Status Lifecycle

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Detailed Status Definitions

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Draft

The initial status when a work order is created. Draft work orders are used for planning: building the work scope, adding line items, estimating labor hours, and generating billing estimates before committing resources. Who can create: Any user with maintenance_ops:write permission (Director of Maintenance, maintenance staff, dispatchers). Actions available:

• Edit title, description, priority, and assigned technician
• Add or remove work order items (labor tasks and parts)
• Generate billing estimates
• Transition to Open or Cancelled

Work order number format: WO-{YYYY}-{NNNN} (e.g., WO-2026-0042), assigned at creation and immutable.

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Open

The work order has been reviewed, the scope is approved, and it is ready for a technician to begin work. Opening a work order signals that resources (hangar space, parts, personnel) should be allocated. Who can transition here: Director of Maintenance or any user with maintenance_ops:write permission. Actions available:

• Assign or reassign technician
• Modify work items before work starts
• Transition to In Progress or Cancelled

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In Progress

Active maintenance work is underway. The assigned technician is performing tasks documented in the work order items. Time tracking and parts issuance happen during this phase. Who can transition here: Assigned technician or Director of Maintenance. Actions available:

• Log actual hours worked
• Issue parts from inventory (creates part transaction records)
• Add notes and attachments (photos, diagrams)
• Add additional work items discovered during inspection
• Transition to Awaiting Parts, Pending Approval, or Completed

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Awaiting Parts

Work has been paused because one or more required parts are not in inventory. This status is tracked separately from In Progress so that parts-delay metrics can be reported independently from active work time. Who can transition here: Assigned technician or parts coordinator. Actions available:

• Record parts on order (purchase order reference)
• Receive parts into inventory
• Transition back to In Progress when parts arrive

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Pending Approval

During work, the technician discovered additional scope (e.g., corrosion found during an inspection) or costs will exceed the original estimate. This status pauses work until a Director of Maintenance or authorized manager reviews and approves the expanded scope. Who can transition here: Assigned technician (requests approval). Who can approve: Director of Maintenance, Accountable Executive, or any user with maintenance_ops:admin permission. Actions available:

• Review expanded scope and revised estimate
• Approve (returns to In Progress) or reject/cancel

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Completed

All work items have been performed and documented. The technician has recorded actual hours, parts used, and work descriptions per 14 CFR 43.9. The work order now requires inspector verification before the aircraft can return to service. Who can transition here: Assigned technician (marks work as done). Actions available:

• Review work summary
• Transition to Verified (inspector sign-off) or back to In Progress (rework required)

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Verified (Inspector Sign-off)

An authorized person (IA certificate holder or authorized inspector) has reviewed all completed work, confirmed that it meets airworthiness requirements, and approved the aircraft for return to service. This is the return-to-service authorization required by 14 CFR 43.3 and 14 CFR 43.7. Who can transition here: Only users with inspector authorization (IA certificate type or Director of Maintenance with appropriate delegation). Verification checklist (all required):

1. All work items have been completed as specified
2. All parts used are documented with part numbers and serial numbers
3. Work complies with applicable airworthiness requirements (14 CFR 43.9)
4. Aircraft is approved for return to service (14 CFR 43.3)

What happens at verification:

• verified_by and verified_at fields are recorded
• Work order costs are synced to accounting (QuickBooks integration if configured)
• Aircraft status can be returned to Active
• Maintenance due items linked to this work order are updated with new compliance dates

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Cancelled

The work order has been cancelled and no further work will be performed. The record is retained in the system for audit purposes — cancelled work orders are soft-deleted (deleted_at IS NULL filters them from normal views, but they remain queryable for compliance audits). Who can cancel: Director of Maintenance or any user with maintenance_ops:admin permission.

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Transition Rules Summary

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Priority Levels

Each work order carries a priority that affects scheduling and dispatch decisions:

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Work Order Types

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