Records Retention Schedule for NAS 410 / EN 4179
NAS 410 / EN 4179 names this requirement as "Written designation of the Responsible Level 3, plus that person's Level 3 certification records and evidence of knowledge of the employer's codes and specifications". The QA manager owns it, and a contracted Level III can author and sign it.
The finding auditors record against this document is: Self-audit not performed, or performed without all applicable job audits — consistently among the most-cited AC7114 nonconformances. NAS 410 sets minimum requirements for qualifying and certifying Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Senior Level 3 personnel performing NDT, NDI or NDE in the aerospace manufacturing, service, maintenance and overhaul industries. Revision 6 was released by AIA and Accuris on 1 December 2025 and introduces a new Appendix D creating an additional pathway to Level 3 qualification, under which Level 2 personnel complete designated NDT activities that earn points toward qualification. EN 4179 is technically equivalent as published; the 2026 edition superseded EN 4179:2021 and carries annexes on the Level 3 recertification credit system, Level 1-limited personnel, and NANDTB requirements. Personnel certified to earlier revisions need not recertify until their current certification expires.
Source: AIA press release, 'AIA and Accuris Release NAS410 Revision 6, Advancing Aerospace Safety and Workforce Development' (aia-aerospace.org) — release date 1 December 2025, Appendix D points-based Level 2 to Level 3 pathway, Accuris as sole source for AIA subscription content. NAS 410 Rev 5 (2020) scope and the four levels (Level 1, 2, 3, Senior Level 3) from standard catalogue records. NAS 410 paragraph 4.5 'Responsible Level 3' wording quoted from ndt.net technical forum discussion citing the standard text; treat the paragraph number as indicative and confirm against Rev 6. EN 4179:2021 (BS/DS editions) and EN 4179:2026, listed by BSI and DIN distributors as the current edition published 2026, superseding EN 4179:2021 — verified through distributor catalogue listings rather than the CEN portal. FAA/EASA harmonisation and technical equivalence of EN 4179 and NAS 410 from published NDT qualification literature and the FAA's NDT memorandum for production approval holders. Nadcap AC7114 audit content, top nonconformances and the Supplier Merit Program 12/18/24-month intervals from PRI (p-r-i.org) course outlines and Nadcap programme material, plus Quality Magazine's Nadcap NDT audit perspective. Checked August 2026.
| Item | What applies | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | NAS 410, Certification and Qualification of Nondestructive Test Personnel, with its harmonised European counterpart EN 4179, Aerospace series — Qualification and approval of personnel for non-destructive testing | Enforced by Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) publishes NAS 410, distributed through Accuris. EN 4179 is prepared by ASD-STAN and published through CEN. Enforcement is by the airframe and engine primes through purchase-order flow-down, by the Performance Review Institute (PRI) through Nadcap audits to AC7114, and by aviation regulators — the FAA treats personnel qualified under EN 4179 as technically equivalent to NAS 410. National Aerospace NDT Boards (NANDTBs) operate in countries that have established them. |
| Document | Records Retention Schedule | how long each record is kept, where, and who can retrieve it during an audit |
| Owner | the QA manager | The signature an auditor traces back |
| Where it is checked | The Nadcap NDT Task Group votes to accredit, fail, or issue merit; First reaccreditation audit within twelve months. | Usually against a sampled job, not in isolation |
| Common failure | Self-audit not performed, or performed without all applicable job audits — consistently among the most-cited AC7114 nonconformances | The gap between the manual and the job file |
What must a records retention schedule contain under NAS 410 / EN 4179?
It has to satisfy NAS 410 / EN 4179 as Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) publishes NAS 410, distributed through Accuris. EN 4179 is prepared by ASD-STAN and published through CEN. Enforcement is by the airframe and engine primes through purchase-order flow-down, by the Performance Review Institute (PRI) through Nadcap audits to AC7114, and by aviation regulators — the FAA treats personnel qualified under EN 4179 as technically equivalent to NAS 410. National Aerospace NDT Boards (NANDTBs) operate in countries that have established them. enforces it: how long each record is kept, where, and who can retrieve it during an audit. The test is not completeness on paper but traceability — an auditor picks a finished job and works backwards to this document, so anything it claims must be demonstrable on that job.
Who signs the records retention schedule for NAS 410 / EN 4179?
The QA manager. Because this regime accepts employer-based certification, that role can be filled by a contracted Level III rather than a staff appointment, provided they are qualified in the methods they sign for.
How does a NAS 410 / EN 4179 auditor test this document?
By sampling. They take a completed job, find the technicians and equipment used, and trace each back through this document to the evidence behind it. A document that reads well but cannot survive that trace is the most common finding across every regime, not just this one.
How long must NAS 410 / EN 4179 records be kept?
Personnel certification expiry is set by the employer's written practice; NAS 410 states that personnel certified to previous revisions of NAS 410 or EN 4179 need not recertify to the requirements of the new revision until their current certification expires. The company-level cycle is separate and defined by Nadcap: the first reaccreditation audit falls within twelve months of the initial audit, after which the Supplier Merit Program can extend the interval to 18 or 24 months depending on audit performance. Retention is set by the regime and by the client contract above it, and the longer of the two governs. Firms that set one retention period for everything and document it fare better at audit than firms tracking different periods per record type and losing track.
Does a generic template satisfy NAS 410 / EN 4179?
No. A downloaded template describes a generic firm, and the first question an auditor asks is whether the document describes THIS firm — its methods, its equipment, its people, its actual workflow. Templates are a starting structure; the content has to be the firm's own or the trace fails immediately.
What happens if this document is missing at a NAS 410 / EN 4179 audit?
It is a finding, and depending on the regime it can suspend the certificate rather than merely generate a corrective action. The related finding auditors record most often is: Self-audit not performed, or performed without all applicable job audits — consistently among the most-cited AC7114 nonconformances
Where this sits in the NAS 410 / EN 4179 evidence pack
- Written practice for the training, qualification and certification of NDT personnel, approved by the Responsible Level 3
- Written designation of the Responsible Level 3, plus that person's Level 3 certification records and evidence of knowledge of the employer's codes and specifications
- Individual qualification files: training, experience, General, Specific and Practical examination results, and vision test records
- Documented determination by the Responsible Level 3 — or by a NANDTB where one applies — of the adequacy and equivalency of experience carried in from a prior employer or programme
- NDT procedures and work instructions for each method and technique, approved by the Responsible Level 3
- Customer and procurement requirement flow-down records showing which prime specifications apply to which work
- Internal NDT audit records, plus evidence that corrective actions from the previous Nadcap audit remain implemented
- Equipment calibration, system performance check and process control records, including calibration requirements flowed down to subcontractors
- The completed AC7114 self-audit package, including all applicable job audits, sent to the auditor before the audit
Personnel certification context
Employer-based, with a named accountable individual. The employer shall identify in writing a Responsible Level 3 to act on its behalf in matters regarding the NDT qualification and certification process; that person shall be certified as a Level 3 in one or more NDT methods and shall have thorough knowledge of the written instructions, codes, specifications and standards the employer uses. NAS 410 does not require an ASNT NDT Level III certificate, though an employer's written practice may accept one as evidence of the General examination. Contracting the Responsible Level 3 role to an outside agency is common and workable — but only the employer certifies personnel, and in Europe a NANDTB may need to approve the Level 3.
Related: the NAS 410 / EN 4179 overview, outsourced ASNT Level III cover, written practice development, NDT procedure development, a programme gap assessment, interim Level III cover.