Fri, Jun 25, 2010
Urges Voluntary Reporting Of Equipment Malfunctions
The FAA has issued an InFO
(Information For Operators) concerning the reporting of problems
with PFD and MFD devices in GA airplanes. The agency says that
aircraft and avionics maintenance technicians can perform a
critical role by voluntarily reporting malfunctions or defects
associated with electronic primary flight, navigation, and control
display systems.
As we all know, in a span of only a few years the cockpits of
light aircraft have undergone a transition from conventional flight
instruments to integrated, computerized displays commonly referred
to as glass cockpits. The introduction of this advanced technology
in to light aircraft has brought with it a new set of potential
safety concerns, including equipment design and operation; pilot
performance and training; and new accident investigation
techniques.
A recent NTSB study found that introduction of glass cockpit
displays has not yet resulted in the anticipated improvement in
safety when compared to similar aircraft with conventional
instruments. Also during that study, they found that multiple
instances of glass cockpit avionics malfunctions were not reported
to the FAA, and did not result in a service difficulty reports.
Identification and tracking of service difficulties, equipment
malfunctions or failures, abnormal operations, and other safety
issues will be increasingly important as light aircraft avionics
systems and equipment continue to increase in complexity and
variation of design. To that end, the FAA is recommending that
aircraft operators and maintenance technicians should voluntarily
report equipment malfunctions or failures, abnormal operations, and
other safety issues associated with glass cockpit display systems
on the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reporting site.
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