EASA AD US-2019-01-04
Navigation - Flight Management System Operational Program Software - Inspection / Installation
Summary
The Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Directive 2019-01-04 is a final rule addressing all Boeing Model 787 series airplanes. It mandates inspection and potential installation of updated flight management system operational program software to prevent unsafe flight conditions caused by stale flight data in the spare flight management function. This directive aims to enhance navigation safety by mitigating risks of uncommanded descent or turn during flight.
What Changed
This new airworthiness directive introduces mandatory inspections to verify the installed flight management system software part numbers and requires installation of updated software versions if certain older versions are found. It also mandates concurrent software updates for related systems on some airplanes. This AD is a new regulation responding to a specific unsafe condition rather than an amendment to existing directives.
Why It Matters
This AD is critical for aviation professionals as it addresses a safety risk that could lead to controlled flight into terrain or mid-air collisions due to faulty flight management system software. Operators and maintenance organizations must ensure compliance to maintain airworthiness and avoid potential accidents. Compliance teams need to track and verify software versions installed on affected Boeing 787 aircraft to meet regulatory requirements.
What To Do
Operators of Boeing 787 series airplanes must inspect the flight management system software within 12 months of March 22, 2019, to identify if outdated software part numbers are installed. If found, they must install the updated software and perform required software checks. For certain airplanes, concurrent installation of additional software updates is also required prior to or concurrently with the main software update.
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