Data Sources
Built on federal aviation data.
Every TailCheck report draws from six public FAA and NTSB databases — the same sources used by brokers, insurers, and accident investigators.
Aircraft Registry
What This Database Contains
Every U.S.-registered civil aircraft with its current owner, registration status, airworthiness certificate class, type certificate data, and engine/prop configuration.
What TailCheck Extracts
Why It Matters
Confirms the seller is the actual owner of record and that the aircraft has a valid registration. Mismatches between advertised and registered data are an early red flag.
Example Data Point
Accident & Incident Database
What This Database Contains
Detailed investigation records of every reported aviation accident and incident in the United States, including probable cause, contributing factors, and injury severity.
What TailCheck Extracts
Why It Matters
A clean accident history is a major value driver. Even minor incidents can indicate unrepaired structural damage or recurring mechanical problems that affect resale value and insurability.
Example Data Point
Airworthiness Directives
What This Database Contains
Legally mandated safety corrections for aircraft, engines, and propellers. Each AD specifies a required action, compliance deadline, and affected serial number ranges.
What TailCheck Extracts
Why It Matters
Outstanding ADs are a legal grounding risk. The cost to comply can range from a simple inspection to a five-figure engine overhaul. Knowing the AD landscape before you visit the aircraft saves time and money.
Example Data Point
Service Difficulty Reports
What This Database Contains
Voluntary and mandatory reports of mechanical difficulties, malfunctions, and defects filed by mechanics, operators, and manufacturers.
What TailCheck Extracts
Why It Matters
SDRs reveal recurring maintenance issues that may not show up in accident records. A high SDR count relative to the fleet can indicate a problem aircraft or a known weak point in the type design.
Example Data Point
Document Index
What This Database Contains
A summary of FAA-recorded documents for the airframe, including Form 337 major repairs, major alterations, supplemental type certificates, and other regulatory filings.
What TailCheck Extracts
Why It Matters
A long history of 337s can be positive (well-maintained, upgraded) or negative (repeated structural repairs). The repair-to-alteration ratio tells you whether the aircraft has been improved or patched.
Example Data Point
Ownership History
What This Database Contains
Historical ownership chain reconstructed from current registration, deregistered aircraft records, and registration change events.
What TailCheck Extracts
Why It Matters
Frequent ownership changes can signal undisclosed problems. Long single-owner periods suggest stable maintenance history. Corporate ownership may indicate higher utilization but more structured maintenance programs.
Example Data Point
Methodology
How TailCheck synthesizes these sources.
Parallel Extraction
TailCheck queries all six databases simultaneously. Real-time scraping and API calls ensure you always get the latest data — not a stale cache.
AI Cross-Referencing
Claude analyzes findings across all sources, connecting SDR patterns to AD compliance, accident history to repair records, and ownership changes to maintenance gaps.
Risk Scoring
Each finding is weighted by severity and recency, then normalized to a 1–10 risk scale. The final report highlights what matters most and why.
See it for yourself.
TailCheck is an informational triage tool. It does not replace an examination by a licensed A&P/IA mechanic.