FAA Expresses Concern Over Anomalies On Boeing Model 787-8, 787-9, And 787-10

The Federal Aviation Administration will require operators of Boeing 787s to take additional precautions when landing on wet or snowy runways at airports where 5G C-band service is deployed.

During the two-week delay in deploying new 5G service, safety experts determined that 5G interference with the aircraft’s radio altimeter could prevent engine and braking systems from transitioning to landing mode, which could prevent an aircraft from stopping on the runway.

This decision advises of the FAA’s ongoing continued operational safety activities related to 5G C-Band interference with airplane systems using radio (also known as radar) altimeter data during landing on Boeing Model 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes. +

The Airworthiness Notification requires crews to be aware of this risk and to adopt specific safety procedures when landing on these runways.

The FAA determined anomalies on Boeing Model 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes due to 5G C-Band interference which may affect multiple airplane systems using radio altimeter data, regardless of the approach type or weather. These anomalies may not be evident until the airplane is at low altitude during approach. Impacted systems include, but are not limited to: autopilot flight director system; autothrottle system; engines; thrust reversers; flight controls; flight instruments; traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS); ground proximity warning system (GPWS); and configuration warnings.

The directive affects 137 aircraft in the United States and 1,010 worldwide.

FMI: www.faa.gov/newsroom/continued-airworthiness-notification-international-community-boeing-787-altimeter-and-5g, www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/2022-01/CAN-2022-01.pdf