Laboratory Will Allow Saudi Kingdom To Perform "In-House" Flight Recorder Playback And Analysis

A contract to deliver a comprehensive flight recorder playback and analysis laboratory for the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has been awarded to CAE Flightscape, the company announced Monday. The heart of the laboratory is CAE Flightscape's Insight software suite, which is used by the majority of air safety investigators at aircraft manufacturers and investigation authorities around the world and greatly facilitates collaboration during complex international investigations.

The GACA laboratory will provide the capability to readout and analyze information from aircraft flight data and cockpit voice recorders, a key component of any accident investigation today. The laboratory will fall under the responsibility of Captain Mohammed Ali Jamjoom, Vice President of Safety & Economic Regulation (S&ER) within GACA. "We investigate every civil aviation accident in the KSA, and we issue safety recommendations aimed at preventing future accidents by determining the probable cause. The addition of a flight recorder lab will significantly improve our ability and timeliness to fulfill this primary mandate," said Captain Jamjoom.

GACA's S&ER is also responsible for maintaining the government's database of civil aviation accidents and also conducts special studies of aviation safety issues of national significance. The S&ER provides investigators to serve as KSA-accredited representatives as specified in international treaties for accidents outside the Kingdom involving Saudi-registered aircraft. The S&ER is also responsible for airport certification and for the implementation and monitoring of Air Navigation Systems safety.

The laboratory being supplied by CAE Flightscape is based on technology and processes originally developed at the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the federal agency responsible for accident investigation in Canada. CAE Flightscape staff have built or augmented flight recorder laboratories for agencies in the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and North America.

Modern aircraft record significant amounts of flight data and technology advances have made flight data analysis and playback a widely accepted, necessary, and practical activity for all authorities charged with investigation responsibilities.

"More and more countries are realizing the importance of in-house capabilities when it comes to flight data analysis, not only to investigate major accidents but also to investigate serious incidents in order to improve safety, as recently mandated by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)," said Mike Poole, CAE Flightscape Executive Director and Chief Investigator.

FMI: www.cae.com