1998 q2-flight data recorder rule change

8/13/2019 1998 Q2-Flight Data Recorder Rule Change

1/10

Flight Data Recorder Rule Change

In late 1997 the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) adopted achange requiring an increase in the number o recorded signals or lightdata recorders (F!"). #his rule change $ill aect man% airplanes thatoperate under FAA rules& including all airplanes registered in the UnitedStates and those in other countries $here regulator% authorities use theFAA rules as their o$n. 'oeing is prepared to help operators meet therequirements o the rule change b% its eective date& $hich variesaccording to each airplanes date o manuacture.In the interest o urther increasing saet% in the commercial airplane industr%& theU.S. Federal Aviation Administration has eected a rule change that increasesthe amount o light inormation collected in light data recorders (F!"). #he

abilit% to gather additional inormation ater a commercial airplane accident orincident can result in a more thorough investigation& as $ell as help the industr%identi% trends and mae necessar% modiications to prevent uture accidents andincidents. 'oeing is oering operators the support the% need to meet therequirements o the ne$ FAA rule b% the date o compliance. (*+erormance !ataor ,uropean -perators* in the anuar%/0arch 1997 issue o Airliner magaineaddresses the rule or operators o AA/registered airplanes.) #he ollo$ingarticle discusses2

1. +urpose o light data recorders.3. 4istor% o light data recorders.

5. Summar% and eects o the light data recorder rule change.6. 'oeing support or operator compliance.

1 Purpose of Flight Data Recorders#he purpose o an airplane light data recorder s%stem is to collect and recorddata rom a variet% o airplane sensors onto a medium designed to survive anaccident. !epending on the age o an airplane& the F!" s%stem ma% consist o(1) an analog or digital light data acquisition unit (F!AU) and a digital F!"(!F!") that ma% have a tape or solid/state memor%& or (3) simpl% an F!". #heprotected medium that collects data rom an airplane resides in the F!" or!F!". #his recording s%stem has been installed in thousands o airplanes& and

continues to pla% a e% role in maing airplane travel as sae as possible.

#he data collected in the F!" s%stem can help investigators determine $hetheran accident $as caused b% pilot error& b% an eternal event (such as $indshear)&or b% an airplane s%stem problem. -ver the %ears& these data have contributed toairplane s%stem design improvements and the abilit% to predict potentialdiiculties as airplanes age. An eample o the latter is using F!" data to


2/10

monitor the condition o a high/hours engine. ,valuating the data could be useulin maing a decision to replace the engine beore a ailure occurs.

2 History of Flight Data RecordersFlight data recorders $ere irst introduced in the 198s. 0an% irst/generation

F!"s used metal oil as the recording medium& $ith each single strip o oilcapable o recording 3 to 6 hr o data. #his metal oil $as housed in a crash/survivable bo installed in the at end o an airplane. 'eginning in 19:8& F!"s(commonl% no$n as *blac boes*) $ere required to be painted bright orange orbright %ello$& maing them easier to locate at a crash site.

Second/generation F!"s $ere introduced in the 197s as the requirement torecord more data increased& but the% $ere unable to process the larger amountso incoming sensor data. #he solution $as development o the light dataacquisition unit (F!AU).

As sho$n in igure 3& the F!AU processes sensor data& then digities andormats it or transmission to the F!". #he second/generation digital F!"(!F!") uses tape similar to audio recording tape. #he tape is 5 to 8 t longand can record up to 38 hr o data. It is stored in a cassette device mounted in acrash/protected enclosure.

FAA rule changes in the late 19;s required the irst/generation F!"s to bereplaced $ith digital recorders. 0an% o the older F!"s $ere replaced $ithsecond/generation magnetic tape recorders that can process incoming data$ithout an F!AU. 0ost o these !F!"s can process up to 1; input parameters(signals). #his requirement $as based upon an airplane $ith our engines and a

requirement to record 11 operational parameters or up to 38 hours (see*+arameters ,plained* belo$).

Another FAA rule change that too eect -ctober 11& 1991& led to the installationo digital F!AUs (!F!AUs) and !F!"s $ith solid/state memor% on all 'oeingairplanes beore deliver%. #his F!" s%stem $as required to record a minimum o56 parameter groups. #he !F!AU processes approimatel% 1 dierent sensorsignals per second or transmission to the !F!"& $hich uses electronics toaccommodate data or a 38/hr period.

#oda% all 'oeing current/production models use !F!" s%stems& $hich $ill store

:6 13/bit $ords per second ($ps) over a 38/hr period in electronic memor%. Atthe end o the 38 hours& the !F!" $ill begin recording the most recent data overthe oldest data.


3/10

#hese separate data rames accommodate the dierent regulator% agenc%requirements. A 13;/$ps !F!" $as available or the 'oeing 777 and 0!/9&allo$ing the development o one data rame that incorporated all regulator%agenc% requirements and that required operators to develop onl% one data ramedecode algorithm. *4o$ a FAA "ule Is ?hanged*& belo$& eplains the basis on

$hich the FAA ma% propose rule changes.

3 Summary and Impact of FAA FDR System Rule Change#he rule change addresses all 'oeing commercial airplane models and groupsthem as ollo$s2

Airplanes manuactured beore -ctober 11& 1991& $ithout an F!AU or!F!AU as o ul% 1:& 199:.

Airplanes manuactured beore -ctober 11& 1991& $ith an F!AU or

!F!AU as o ul% 1:& 199:. Airplanes manuactured ater -ctober 11& 1991& ater August 1;& 3&

and ater August 1;& 33.

AI"+@A


4/10

the F!" s%stem changes required or airplanes manuactured ater August 1;&3& $ill aect onl% ne$ production. #he ne$/production part o the rulechanges require 87 parameter groups to be recorded b% August 1;& 31& and ;;parameter groups b% August 1;& 33.

!oeing Support for "perator Compliance'oeing models 77& 737& 757/1B/3B/5B/6B/8& 787& 7:7& 767/1B/3B/5B/6& 777/3B/5& !?/;& !?/9& !?/1& 0!/11& 0!/;& and 0!/9 $illrequire retroit activit%. #his ma% involve the addition o ne$ sensors and $iringplus installation o a !F!AU& sot$are& or both because o a ne$ F!" rame.#he details o the 'oeing plan to support the airplanes listed belo$ are discussedin *"ule ?hange Support +lan*.

#he ollo$ing airplanes are covered b% the rule change support plan2

717/3.

737 and 757/1B/3 (all manuactured beore -ctober 11& 1991)& 757/1B/3& and 757/5B/6B/8 manuactured beore -ctober 11& 1991. 757/5B/6B/8 manuactured ater -ctober 11& 1991& but beore

August 1;& 3 (production cut/in o 87B;; parameter groups). 757/:B/7B/;.

767/1B/3B/5.

767/6s manuactured beore August 1;& 3 (production cut/in o

87B;; parameter groups). 787s and 7:7s manuactured beore -ctober 11& 1991.

787s and 7:7s manuactured beore August 1;& 3 (production cut/in o

87B;; parameter groups).

777s manuactured beore August 1;& 3 (production cut/in o 87B;;parameter groups).

All current/production 'oeing models.

Airplanes that require 1; to 33 parameter groups and $hose data rames$ill be aected.

767/6 and 777.

!?/;& !?/9& and 77 (all manuactured beore -ctober 11& 1991).

!?/1 (all manuactured beore -ctober 11& 1991) and 0!/; ($ith

F!AU) manuactured beore August 1;& 3 (production cut/in o 87B;;parameter groups).

0!/11& 0!/;& and 0!/9 manuactured beore August 1;& 3

(production cut/in o 87B;; parameter groups).

Summary#he F!" rule change eected b% the FAA in late 1997 $ill require operators oairplanes l%ing under FAA rules to mae sure the F!"s on their airplanes canrecord several additional parameter groups. #he compliance date or theseairplanes depends on their date o manuacture. 'oeing is read% to support allcustomers $ith their activities to meet the ne$ F!" rule. -perators should


5/10

contact 'oeing to initiate a customer requested change i their airplanes needadditional sensor and bracet installations but are not covered in the servicebulletins that 'oeing oers. #hough 'oeing has no plans to provide unique F!"data rame updates or airplanes manuactured beore -ctober 11& 1991& thecompan% $ill respond to requests or assistance i an operator generates a

customer change request.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

Parameters #$plained#he tet in the ne$ rule rom the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lists;; operational parameters required to be recorded b% digital light data recorders(!F!"). #o meet each o these requirements& based upon the design o anairplane& more than one parameter ma% need to be recorded b% the light datarecorder (F!") at the same time. An eample o this is the operational parameter

thrustB po$er o each engine/primar% light cre$ reerence. -n most 'oeing/ and!ouglas/designed airplanes& t$o parameters (signals) per engine are provided tothe F!" s%stem to capture the thrustBpo$er o each engine. As a result& ;;deined operational parameters in the FAA rule $ill result in man% more than ;;parameters actuall% recorded. #o avoid conusion& 'oeing identiies each o the;; operational parameters in the ne$ FAA F!" rule as ;; parameter groups& aseach can require recording more than one parameter.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

Ho% an FAA Rule Is Changed


6/10

is to $or $ith the FAA to evaluate the man% actors resulting in rules that can betechnicall% and economicall% Custiied& then easibl% implemented and regulated.

#he ne$ F!" s%stem rule resulted rom three


7/10

$ps. In order to meet the ne$ rule rom the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) that requires recording o ;; parameter groups b% August 1;& 33& F!"s%stems on 'oeing airplanes $ill handle 38: $ps.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

#ffects of 1()( FAA Flight Data Recorder Rule Change#he FAA rule change in 19;9 required a light data recorder (F!") that provideda digital method o recording& storing& and readil% retrieving data. It alsoincreased the number o parameter groups to a total o 11 rom :2

#ime.

Altitude.

Airspeed. Dertical acceleration.

4eading. #ime o each radio transmission either to or rom air traic control.

+itch attitude.

"oll attitude.

@ongitudinal acceleration.

?ontrol column or pitch control surace position.

#hrust o each engine.

'ecause most airplanes recorded onl% si parameter groups& nearl% all operators$ere required to retroit the F!"s in their airplanes. In response to thisrequirement& man% F!" manuacturers developed crash/survivable F!"s that

did not require light data acquisition units to replace the irst/generation oilF!"s& and that accommodated the 11 required parameter groups or airplanes$ith up to our engines. Airplanes such as the 757 that have these F!"s canaccommodate up to 1; parameter groups& as the% have onl% t$o engines or$hich data must be recorded.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

&here *o Find the FAA FDR Rule#he ull content o the FAA F!" rule is listed in the Federal "egister +art ID&

!epartment o #ransportation& Federal Aviation Administration& section 16 o the?ode o Federal "egulations (?F")& aected parts2

131 (?ertiication and -perations2 !omestic& Flag& and Supplemental Air

?arriers and ?ommercial -perators o @arge Aircrat). 138 (?ertiication and -perations2 Airplanes 4aving a Seating ?apacit% o

3 or 0ore +assengers or a 0aimum +a%load ?apacit% o :& +oundsor 0ore).


8/10


9/10

767/6S 0A

777S 0A


10/10

request to install the ne$ data rame. Installation $ould occur on a productionairplane or deliver% prior to the production cut/in o the 87B;; parameter groups.

767/6 A

A it coniguration notice (G?

1998 q2-flight data recorder rule change

Documents