FAA RULE WOULD REQUIRE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEMS FOR CARGO AIRCRAFT

FAA RULE WOULD REQUIRE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEMS FOR CARGO AIRCRAFT

FAA RULE WOULD REQUIRE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEMS FOR CARGO AIRCRAFT

   The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a rule that cargo airlines install electronic collision avoidance systems to reduce the risk of mid-air collisions.

The rule, which was proposed Wednesday, uses aircraft weight and performance to determine which must have a collision avoidance system. The FAA already requires all passenger aircraft with more than 10 seats — including passenger-cargo 'combi' aircraft — to have Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) equipment.

   The FAA rule would require turbine-powered cargo airplanes of more than 30,000 pounds maximum certified takeoff weight to have TCAS II or equivalent equipment and an appropriate Mode S transponder.

   Turbine-powered planes weighing 33,000 pounds or less, and all piston-powered cargo planes regardless of weight, would be required to be equipped with TCAS I or equivalent.

   TCAS I gives pilots a traffic advisory that displays a transponder-equipped plane's position relative to the TCAS-equipped airplane. Advisories generally include range, altitude and bearing of the other plane. TCAS II also recommend vertical escape maneuvers, known as resolution advisories.

   The systems would have to be operated on all affected aircraft after Oct. 31, 2003.

   The FAA action is in response to the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act, which became law in April 2000, which required the equipment to be installed by Dec. 31, 2002. However, the law allows for a two-year extensions.

   The proposed rule also addresses a September 1999 recommendation by the National Transportation Safety Board, although the FAA said its proposed rule is broader in scope than the NTSB's recommendations.

   'Today, cargo air carriers operate more than 1,100 airplanes and the demand for air cargo services continues to grow,' said Jane F. Garvey, FAA Administrator. 'This rule extends the well-proven benefits of collision avoidance systems to this vital segment of aviation.'

   The FAA will accept comments on the proposed rulemaking through Dec. 30.