Wed, Mar 17, 2010
Pilots Advised Not To Navigate Solely By Reference To GPS Until
Release 9.0.2.2 Is Installed
Avidyne issued a Service Information Letter (SIL) Tuesday
which advises owners and operators of Avidyne Entegra Release
9-equipped aircraft that the GPS solution may not be accurate in
all cases. Avidyne has determined that the R9 GPS module may
erroneously report a status of “SBAS monitored,”
resulting in a failure to meet TSO integrity requirements in some
cases, possibly accompanied by position errors or false integrity
alarms. While no position errors have been observed or reported in
the field, Avidyne is taking immediate action to correct this
issue.
Avidyne is working to address this issue as expediently as
possible and will have Release 9.0.2.2 available in the next two
weeks. Until the software is updated, pilots must adhere to the
following procedures:
- While flying IFR, pilots should file flight plans only via
approved VHF navigational aids, such as VORs, and plan to use ILS
or VOR approaches, as long as those approaches do not require
DME.
- GPS approaches are not permitted in IFR conditions until the R9
software is corrected.
- Continuously check the GPS position with VHF navigational aids
for all operations and phases of flight.
- All distances reported by the system are GPS-derived and are
not approved for IFR use until the software is updated. A separate
DME receiver, if installed, may be used.
All pilots of R9-equipped aircraft in the US should file a /U
equipment suffix. Pilots should not file a /G or /A designation, as
the GPS does not meet integrity requirements for enroute and
terminal operations. ICAO flight plans should not include
‘G’ or ‘D’ equipment types unless a
separate DME is installed.
Avidyne says all Release 9 software versions (9.0.0, 9.0.1,
9.0.2.1) are affected by this potential problem. This issue will be
addressed in Release 9.0.2.2, which is expected to be released
within the next two weeks. Until 9.0.2.2 is installed in your
aircraft, pilots are advised not to rely on GPS for sole means of
navigation.
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