Tue, Dec 21, 2010
Agency Said Many Operators May Not Be Performing Adequate
Maintenance
The FAA released a SAFO on Dec 15 to notify operators of
aircraft equipped with a Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) of
potential deficiencies in the configuration and condition of
installed NVIS equipment. The safety alert warns "many operators of
NVIS-equipped aircraft may not be adequately meeting the inspection
and maintenance requirements of NVISs."
NVGsafety.com - an online resource site for Night Vision Goggle
(NVG) safety and education - has posted the SAFO 10022 bulletin,
along with complementary information (NVG maintenance regulations,
articles and resources) to assist organizations understand and
respond to related night vision program management issues.
The FAA findings are the result of a recent FAA's Aviation
Safety (AVS) nation-wide sampling of NVIS-equipped aircraft.
FAA teams, made up of Flight Standards Service (AFS) inspectors and
Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) inspectors/engineers,
discovered that NVIS-equipped aircraft were frequently out of
compliance with FAA NVIS requirements.
The FAA has determined it is likely that other NVIS-equipped
aircraft may not be properly configured or maintained for NVG
operations. They determined that "the likelihood of configuration
and maintenance problems increases as aircraft continue in service
after NVIS modifications". The bulletin warns "many operators of
NVIS-equipped aircraft may not be adequately meeting the inspection
and maintenance requirements of NVISs."
Non-compliance to NVIS maintenance regulations is a critical
safety issue and failure to properly maintain an aircraft's NVIS
configuration and equipment can degrade NVG acuity and prevent the
flight-crew from clearly seeing aircraft instrumentation. As noted
in the bulletin "an aircraft that does not comply with the STC
and/or ICA requirements, or that has inoperative or improperly
maintained equipment, should not be operated until corrective
action has been taken."
The FAA SAFO maintenance bulletin outlines the primary reasons
that NVIS-equipped aircraft were frequently out of compliance and
provides key guidance on how to resolve these issues.
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