Enterprise ▸ Industries ▸ Aerospace ▸ Pilots ▸
Aerospace Pilot #2: Detection
Executive Summary
SagaAerospace™ Pilot 2 Counterfeit Detection, Chain-of-Custody, and Dispute Resolution
The Breakthrough
Pilot 2 demonstrates how suspected counterfeit aerospace parts can be identified, investigated, and resolved using a single, auditable workflow – without replacing existing quality systems or procurement tools. By anchoring counterfeit detection, chain-of-custody evidence, and dispute resolution on SagaChain, the pilot shows how industry participants can reduce risk, speed resolution, and maintain regulatory confidence while preserving commercial relationships.
The Problem Today
Counterfeit part investigations rely on fragmented emails, PDFs, and disconnected databases, making evidence hard to assemble and defend.
Chain-of-custody records are often incomplete or inconsistent across distributors, MROs, and OEMs.
Disputes and chargebacks can take months, tying up capital and increasing legal and operational costs.
Regulators and auditors must reconstruct incidents after the fact, increasing exposure and uncertainty.
What Pilot 2 Achieves
Using established aerospace standards (AS5553 for counterfeit avoidance and Spec42 for signed evidence), Pilot 2 introduces a clear, end-to-end workflow that is:
Evidence-First
Each suspected counterfeit event is recorded with cryptographic references to lab reports, inspection results, and supporting documentation. Evidence is immutable, timestamped, and independently verifiable.
Chain-of-Custody by Design
Ownership, transfers, and inspections of a part are linked together across organizations, creating a defensible chain-of-custody trail without exposing proprietary data.
Dispute-Ready
When an anomaly is confirmed, all parties – distributor, MRO, OEM quality, and observers – see the same incident summary and evidence set, reducing disagreement and rework.
Financially Linked
Commercial outcomes (refunds, chargebacks, or credits) are settled transparently using PSC, with transaction references tied directly to the incident record.
Real-World Benefits
For Distributors, MROs, and OEMs
Faster counterfeit investigations with fewer manual handoffs.
Reduced financial exposure through quicker, evidence-backed resolution.
Stronger supplier accountability without disrupting existing ERP or QMS systems.
For Quality, Legal, and Compliance Teams
A single, authoritative incident record suitable for audits and litigation support.
Clear alignment with AS5553 expectations and Spec42 evidence practices.
Lower risk of disputes escalating due to missing or disputed records.
For Regulators and Oversight Bodies
Read-only visibility into a complete, tamper-evident compliance trail.
Easier verification of due diligence without requiring access to sensitive internal systems.
Available now (on public development testnet) for review and testing
Pilots starts in ~90 days
Pilot 2 is live on the SagaChain public testnet as a low-risk, high-value demonstration of how counterfeit detection and dispute resolution can be modernized without changing how companies buy, inspect, or manage parts today.
We invite distributors, MROs, OEM quality organizations, third-party labs, and compliance observers to participate by:
- Testing real-world counterfeit scenarios with their own data and processes.
- Validating the workflow against internal AS5553 procedures.
- Shaping the standard class models for broader industry adoption.
More than a technical pilot…
The foundation for a safer, faster, and dramatically more efficient aerospace quality and certification ecosystem.
The global aerospace community – OEMs, suppliers, operators, and investors – has a unique opportunity to take custodianship of this transformative quality and compliance framework.
By validating the architecture, completing regulatory and standards mappings (e.g., AS9100/9110/9120, EASA Part 21/145, FAA 14 CFR), and collaborating on refinements, you can accelerate a global rollout that delivers substantial operational efficiencies (faster certification cycles, real-time conformity and airworthiness evidence) and material financial gains (reduced rework and delays, lower audit costs, minimized grounding and recall risk).
This open framework empowers manufacturers with streamlined compliance and traceability, regulators with continuous, data-driven oversight, and operators and passengers with safer, more reliable aircraft.