Airworthiness Directive · Amendment 39-21108 · Global positioning system
Thales AVS France SAS Global Positioning System/Satellite Based Augmentation System Receivers
This AD applies to Thales AVS France SAS (Thales) Global Positioning System/Satellite Based Augmentation System (GPS/SBAS) receivers, Topstar 200 LPV, part numbers (P/Ns) C17149JA02 and C17149HA01. These GPS/SBAS receivers are installed on, but not limited to, ATR-GIE Avions de Transport Régional (ATR) model ATR42 and ATR72 airplanes and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation model S-76D helicopters, respectively.
The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Thales AVS France SAS (Thales) Global Positioning System/ Satellite Based Augmentation System (GPS/SBAS) receivers installed on airplanes and helicopters. This AD was prompted by reports that Thales GPS/SBAS receivers provided, under certain conditions, erroneous outputs on aircraft positions. This AD requires the installation of a software update to the aircraft navigation database and insertion of a change to the applicable airplane flight manual (AFM). The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
(1) For operators of affected ATR model ATR42 and ATR72 airplanes:
(i) Update the aircraft's navigation database within 30 days after the effective date of this AD using the software upload instructions, as applicable, in the following:
(A) ATR72 Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) Job Instruction Cards, Doc. No. 45-11-00 LDG 10030-004, dated June 1, 2018.
(B) ATR42-400/500 Series AMM Job Instruction Cards, Doc. No. 45-11-00 LDG 10030-004, dated July 1, 2018.
(C) Thales Service Information Letter (SIL) Doc. No. THAV/SIL-1308, Issue 7, dated September 28, 2018.
(ii) [Reserved]
(2) For operators of affected ATR model ATR42 and ATR72 airplanes:
(i) Within 30 days after the effective date of this AD, amend Section 1.2 “Each Flight Checks” of the pre-flight section in the applicable airplane flight manual by inserting the change shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 to paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this AD.
(ii) Before each flight, power cycle the Thales GPS/SBAS receiver unit.
(3) For operators of Sikorsky S-76D helicopters, within 30 days after the effective date of this AD, update the aircraft's navigation database using the instructions in TASK 31-61-00-800-802, “2. FMS Database Update for Multifunction Display (MFD)” of the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, AMM SA S76D-AMM-000, 31-61-00, dated November 30, 2017.
The aircraft, engines and makers this AD names, by the model designations in its text. A model listed here may still be outside the AD's serial ranges.
