Advises FAA Require Emergency Transponder Power On UAVs; Life Rafts On Offshore Helicopters

One week after publishing its first-ever Probable Cause report on the downing of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV,) on Wednesday the National Transportation Safety Board published a long list of recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration for the continued safe operations of UAVs in national airspace.

The NTSB recommends the FAA:

• Require that unmanned aircraft transponders provide beacon code and altitude information to air traffic control and to aircraft equipped with traffic collision avoidance systems at all times while airborne by ensuring that the transponder is powered via the emergency or battery bus. (A-07-65)
• Require that all conversations, including telephone conversations, between unmanned aircraft (UA) pilots and air traffic control, other UA pilots, and other assets that provide operational support to unmanned aircraft system operations, be recorded and retained in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration Orders 7210.3 and 8020.11. (A-07-66)
• Require periodic operational reviews between the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations teams and local air traffic control facilities, with specific emphasis on face-to-face coordination between working-level controllers and unmanned aircraft pilot(s), to clearly define responsibilities and actions required for standard and nonstandard UAS operations. These operational reviews should include, but not be limited to, discussion on lost-link profiles and procedures, the potential for unique emergency situations and methods to mitigate them, platform-specific aircraft characteristics, and airspace management procedures. (A-07-67)
• Require that established procedures for handling piloted aircraft emergencies be applied to unmanned aircraft systems. (A-07-68)
• Require that all unmanned aircraft system operators report to the Federal Aviation Administration, in writing within 30 days of occurrence, all incidents and malfunctions that affect safety; require that operators are analyzing these data in an effort to improve safety; and evaluate these data to determine whether programs and procedures, including those under air traffic control, remain effective in mitigating safety risks. (A-07-69)

In response to a number of helicopter accidents over the past several years in the Gulf Coast oil-patch region, the NTSB also recommended Wednesday the FAA:

• Require that all existing and new turbine-powered helicopters operating in the Gulf of Mexico and certificated with five or more seats be equipped with externally mounted life rafts large enough to accommodate all occupants. (A-07-87)
• Require that all offshore helicopter operators in the Gulf of Mexico provide their flight crews with personal flotation devices equipped with a waterproof, globalpositioning- system-enabled 406 megahertz personal locator beacon, as well as one other signaling device, such as a signaling mirror or a strobe light. (A-07-88)

FMI: Read The Full Recommendations Here And Here (.pdf)