EASA SIB NE-19-16: Avidyne SkyTrax6XXA Software - Traffic Advisory System - Failure to Display Traffic

What to do

Owners and operators of affected Avidyne TAS6XXA units should install flight software Revision 03 (Release 2.0.3) as recommended by the FAA and detailed in Avidyne Service Bulletin 601-00185-016, Revision 01. Operators should verify whether their installation uses RS-232 or ARINC-429 interfaces and report any related issues to the FAA contact provided. There is no mandatory compliance deadline, but prompt software update is advised to ensure proper traffic display functionality.

Summary

The Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin SAIB: NE-19-16 is an FAA informational bulletin addressing a software issue in certain Avidyne SkyTrax6XXA (TAS6XXA) traffic advisory systems used in general aviation aircraft. The affected units, identified by part number 700-00185-() with flight software P/N 510-00296-000 Revisions 00, 01, and 02 (Releases 2.0.0, 2.0.1, and 2.0.2), may intermittently fail to display traffic on interfaced RS-232 display systems. This issue is resolved in flight software Revision 03 (Release 2.0.3).

What changed

This bulletin informs operators of the intermittent failure to display traffic targets caused by a data formatting anomaly in TAS6XXA flight software Revisions 00 through 02. It introduces the availability of a software update, Revision 03 (Release 2.0.3), which corrects the display issue. No mandatory airworthiness directive action is required as the issue is not considered an unsafe condition under 14 CFR part 39.

Why it matters

This issue can affect pilots' situational awareness by causing some or all traffic targets to disappear from the display, potentially leading to incomplete traffic information during flight. Operators and maintenance personnel need to be aware of the software limitation to ensure accurate traffic advisories and maintain safety. Understanding the distinction between affected and unaffected functions helps avoid unnecessary maintenance or replacement of hardware components.