NPA 2018-03

Recorders installation and maintenance thereof – certification aspects

The objective of this Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) is to improve the availability and the quality of data recorded by flight recorders, in order to better support safety investigations of accidents and incidents.

This NPA proposes to enhance and modernise the specifications for the installation of flight recorders on board large aircraft, and addresses the following subjects:

  • cockpit voice recorder (CVR) power supplies;
  • automatic stopping of the recording after a crash;
  • combination recorders;
  • deployable recorders; and
  • performance specifications for flight recorders.

The proposed changes are expected to:

  • increase the level of safety;
  • address safety recommendations;
  • save costs;
  • transpose International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards into EU rules; and
  • achieve greater harmonisation with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

A second NPA that provides a proposal for further issues identified in the Terms of Reference (ToR) for rulemaking task (RMT).0249 will be published at a later stage.