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Corrective and Preventive Actions (CPAs) are the mechanism through which your organization addresses identified safety issues and prevents recurrence. PlaneConnection tracks CPAs from creation through verified closure with full audit trails.

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Prerequisites

  • You must have the safety_manager or admin role to create and manage CPAs.
  • CPAs can be created standalone or linked to investigations and risk assessments.

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CPA lifecycle

A CPA progresses through these statuses:
StatusDescription
DraftCPA has been created but not yet activated
OpenCPA is active and awaiting action
In ProgressWork on the corrective/preventive action has begun
Pending VerificationAction is complete and awaiting effectiveness verification
VerifiedEffectiveness has been confirmed
ClosedCPA is fully resolved and archived

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Steps

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Open the sidebar in the Safety module and click Corrective Actions. Then click New CPA in the top-right corner.
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You can also use the command palette (Cmd+K) and select New Corrective Action.
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When creating a CPA from an investigation finding, click Recommend CPA on the investigation detail page. The source investigation and finding will be pre-linked, and the CPA type will default to Corrective.
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Select the CPA type
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Choose the type of action:
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  • Corrective: Addresses an identified deficiency or nonconformance that has already occurred.
  • Preventive: Proactively eliminates a potential cause of a deficiency before it occurs.
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    Set the priority
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    Select the priority level. PlaneConnection will suggest a due date based on your selection:
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    PrioritySuggested due dateCritical7 days from creationHigh14 days from creationMedium30 days from creationLow60 days from creation
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    You can override the suggested due date if needed.
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    Enter the action details
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    Fill in the following fields:
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  • Title: A clear, action-oriented description of what needs to be done.
  • Description: Detailed explanation of the required action, including success criteria.
  • Assigned Owner: The person responsible for completing the action. Search by name from your workspace members.
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    If the CPA was not created from an investigation, you can manually link it to:
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  • An investigation that identified the need for this action
  • A risk assessment that this action is intended to mitigate
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    Set the due date
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    Confirm or adjust the due date. The suggested date based on priority will be pre-filled.
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    Overdue CPAs are flagged in the compliance dashboard and may impact your organization’s safety performance metrics. Set realistic due dates that account for resource availability.
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    Submit the CPA
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    Click Create CPA to save. The CPA will be created in Draft status. Change it to Open when you are ready for the assigned owner to begin work.

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    Tracking CPA progress

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    Updating status

    As work progresses, update the CPA status:
    1. Open the CPA from the Corrective Actions list.
    2. Use the status controls to advance through the lifecycle.
    3. Add notes or comments to document progress.

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    Monitoring overdue actions

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

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    Viewing your assigned CPAs

    Click the Mine filter on the Corrective Actions page to see only CPAs assigned to you.

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    Verifying effectiveness

    Verification is a critical step required by 14 CFR 5.73 and 5.75 to confirm that corrective actions actually resolved the identified issue.
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    Request verification
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    When the assigned owner marks the action as complete, the CPA moves to Pending Verification status.
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    Verify the action
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    A safety manager (different from the CPA owner) reviews the completed action:
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  • Open the CPA detail page.
  • Navigate to the Verification section.
  • Document the evidence of effectiveness — what was checked, what results were observed.
  • Mark the verification as Effective or Ineffective.
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    Handle ineffective actions
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    If verification determines the action was not effective:
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  • The CPA returns to Open or In Progress status.
  • Document why the action was ineffective.
  • Revise the action plan or create a new CPA to address the gap.
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    Close the CPA
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    Once verified as effective, the CPA can be moved to Closed status. Closed CPAs remain in the system for regulatory recordkeeping.
    CPA records are retained as long as the safety risk control remains relevant, per 14 CFR 5.97. They are available for FAA review upon request.