Safety Recommendation A-06-19 through -23

The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the Federal Aviation Administration:

• Require all existing and new U.S.-registered turbine-powered rotorcraft certificated for six or more passenger seats to be equipped with a terrain awareness and warning system. (A-06-19)
• Ensure that all operators of helicopters equipped with either the SPZ-7000 or SPZ-7600 dual digital automatic flight control systems provide training that includes information on flight director and coupling status annunciations; the command cue presentations when only the pitch or the roll mode is engaged; and, if applicable, the differences between the SPZ-7000 and the SPZ-7600. (A-06-20)
• Ensure that the infrastructure for the National Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Program in the Gulf of Mexico is operational by fiscal year 2010. (A-06-21) Until the infrastructure for the National Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Program in the Gulf of Mexico is fully operational, require principal operations inspectors of Gulf of Mexico aircraft operators to inform the operators about the benefits of commercial flight- tracking systems and encourage the operators to acquire such systems. (A-06-22)
• Require all operators of aircraft equipped with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) to (1) test the functionality of the CVR before the first flight of each day as part of an approved aircraft checklist and (2) perform a periodic maintenance check of the CVR as part of an approved maintenance check of the aircraft. The CVR preflight test should be performed according to procedures provided by the CVR manufacturer and should include listening to the recorded signals on each channel to verify that the audio is being recorded properly, is intelligible, and is free from electrical noise or other interference. The periodic maintenance check of the CVR should include an audio test followed by a download and review of each channel of recorded audio. The downloaded recording should be checked for overall audio quality, CVR functionality, and intelligibility. (A-06-23)

In addition, the following previously issued recommendation (previously classified "Open-Acceptable Response") is classified "Closed-Superseded" as a result of the issuance of Safety Recommendation A-06-23:

• Require that all operators of airplanes equipped with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR) test the functionality of the CVR system prior to the first flight of each day, as part of an approved aircraft checklist. This test must be conducted according to procedures provided by the CVR manufacturer and shall include, at a minimum, listening to the recorded signals on each channel to verify that the audio is being recorded properly, is intelligible, and is free from electrical noise or other interference. (A-02-25)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/2006/A06_19_23.pdf