What Is NADCAP Accreditation, and How Do You Prepare?

NADCAP (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) is an industry-managed accreditation program that verifies special processes — like nondestructive testing, welding, heat treating, and coatings — meet consistent, audited quality standards across the aerospace supply chain.

For manufacturers and repair stations, NADCAP accreditation is often a contractual requirement from aerospace primes and OEMs, not just a nice-to-have. Losing it, or failing to obtain it, can mean losing supply chain access entirely. NADCAP applies to the aerospace sector; other industries use standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 3834 instead.

How a NADCAP Audit Works

NADCAP is administered by the Performance Review Institute (PRI). The path from application to accreditation looks like this:

1. You apply and schedule the audit through PRI's online system, eAuditNet.
2. You complete a self-audit against the applicable checklists and upload it — NADCAP requires it at least 30 days before the audit.
3. A PRI auditor visits your facility, compares your procedures and records to the checklists, and watches actual jobs being performed.
4. Each gap is written up as a nonconformance report (NCR). You respond with root cause, containment, and corrective action by the deadlines set.
5. An industry Task Group reviews the audit and your NCR responses before accreditation is granted.

For nondestructive testing, the audit uses AC7114, the NDT checklist, plus a checklist for each method in your scope. Your customers' own requirements are audited too.

Getting Ready

Preparation starts months before the auditor arrives: a thorough self-audit against the current checklists and your customers' requirements, closing the gaps it uncovers, and a mock audit before the real one. What that takes depends on your scope, your customers, and your audit history — which is where an experienced outside set of eyes pays off.

Accreditation Length and Merit

A first accreditation is typically granted for 12 months. Suppliers who build a consistent record — few NCRs and on-time responses — can earn longer 18- or 24-month intervals, known as merit. That makes a clean audit worth more than the certificate itself: it lowers the cost of every audit that follows.

Where Lion NDT fits in. We help with gap analysis against AC7114 and the method checklists, written practice and procedure reviews, staff training, mock audits that include job audits, and NCR responses — whether you're pursuing accreditation for the first time or working to clear findings from your last audit. Accreditation decisions rest with PRI and the Task Group; our job is to get you ready for them.