The way of building health diagnosis knowledge base is researched for designing health diagnosis system of UAV. The signification of expert knowledge base and its demand for UAV is introduced. The method building fault tree and criterion table of failure mode is explained. Fault tree analysis can ensure expert knowledge to be complete in logic by finding reasons of event layer-to-layer through cause-and-effect logic. Criterion table of failure mode translate expert knowledge to several elements that can be used in engineering. A method combining fault tree analysis with fault criterion rules is proposed to build health diagnosis knowledge base. The composition and principle of certain Air Data System are introduced. Then taking true airspeed failure of Air Data System as a top event, fault tree and criterion table of failure mode are constructed. The result indicated that expert knowledge base which is described through fault tree and criterion table of failure mode is clear and succinct. The method can apply to design health diagnosis system for UAV and has practical feasibility in engineering application.