Defect Report (Snag)

Report aircraft defects discovered during flight or maintenance, classify severity, link to flight logs or MEL items, and progress through the investigation workflow.

Module: MEL / Snag · 8 steps · camo_engineer admin

Browse Snag Reports
1 Open the Snags List

Navigate to MEL / Snag → Snags in the sidebar. The list loads at /mel-snag/snags showing all reported defects ordered by reported date (newest first).

Each row shows the snag number, aircraft, title, classification (major/minor), AOG status, and investigation status.

Snag list with classification badges and status filters
2 Filter and Search

Use the filter dropdowns at the top of the list:

FilterOptions
AircraftFilter by aircraft registration number.
ClassificationMajor (safety/airworthiness) or Minor (cosmetic/non-critical).
StatusOpen, Investigating, Corrective Action, Resolved.
AOG OnlyCheckbox to show only Aircraft-on-Ground defects.
Create a Defect Report
3 Open the Form

Click + New Snag at the top-right of the snags list. The form opens at /mel-snag/snags/new.

4 Enter Defect Details

Complete the defect information:

FieldRequiredNotes
Aircraft *YesSelect the affected aircraft.
Title *YesShort name of the defect (e.g. “Nose wheel shimmy during taxi”).
Description *YesDetailed description of the defect observed.
Classification *YesMajor or Minor.
Reported Date *YesDate the defect was discovered. Defaults to today.
ATA ChapterNoRelated ATA chapter for categorisation.
AOGNoCheck if the aircraft is grounded due to this defect.
Reported ByNoName of the person who discovered the defect.
RemarksNoAdditional notes (max 500 chars).
Snag form: aircraft, title, description, classification, reported date
5 Link to Flight or MEL

Optionally link the defect to related records:

FieldNotes
Flight LogSelect the flight during which the defect was discovered. Dropdown shows approved logs for the selected aircraft.
MEL ItemLink to an existing MEL deferral item if the defect was previously deferred under the Minimum Equipment List.
Linking a defect to a flight log creates traceability from the defect back to the specific flight. This is valuable for reliability tracking and regulatory reporting.
Flight log and MEL item dropdowns for linking the defect
6 Submit

Click Create Snag. The system generates a snag number (e.g. SNH-202603-001) and sets the status to OPEN.

A success toast appears and you are redirected to the snags list.

AOG defects are highlighted prominently in the snag list and on the MEL/Snag dashboard. Mark a defect as AOG only if the aircraft is actually grounded.
Investigation Workflow
7 Progress Through Statuses

Click a snag row to open its detail page. Use the workflow buttons to progress the investigation:

OPEN → INVESTIGATING → CORRECTIVE ACTION → RESOLVED
CurrentActions
OPENStart Investigation
INVESTIGATINGStart Corrective Action or Reopen
CORRECTIVE ACTIONResolve or Reopen
RESOLVEDReopen (if issue recurs)
Snag detail page with status badge and workflow action buttons
8 Understand the Resolution Flow

The typical defect lifecycle:

  1. A defect is reported (status: OPEN).
  2. An engineer begins investigation to determine root cause.
  3. Once the cause is identified, a corrective action is initiated (may involve creating a work order).
  4. After the corrective action is completed and verified, the defect is resolved.

At any stage, the defect can be reopened if the issue recurs or additional investigation is needed.

Corrective actions for snags are tracked in the MEL / Snag → Corrective Actions page. Link a corrective action to the snag for a complete audit trail.