The Australian Transport Safety Bureau recommends that the
Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority review flight recorder
start/stop logic for all types in the Australian fleet where a type
acceptance certificate has been issued to ensure that the aircraft
meets the requirements of the Australian Civil Aviation Orders.
Most aeroplanes that are turbine powered and have Minimum
Take-Off Weights (MTOWs) exceeding 5700 kg are required by CAO
20.18 to be equipped with flight data recorders (FDR). However, all
aeroplanes of one type are not necessarily equipped with the one
type of FDR/FDAU. Aircraft manufacturers usually offer a choice of
FDR types and may customise a FDAU to record additional parameters
required by an operator.
The information and documents to be supplied to CASA in support of
an application for a Type Acceptance Certificate are specified in
sub-regulation 21.29A(b) of the Civil Aviation Regulations. The
information and documents required in accordance with this
sub-regulation do not include anything related to FDRs.
For these reasons, CASA believes it would not be feasible to assess
Type Acceptance Certificates or aircraft types that are the subject
of Type Acceptance Certificates as a means of ensuring that
aircraft meet the requirements for FDR specified in the Civil
Aviation Orders. The mandatory parameters required by the standard
for FRD's fitted to Australian Aircraft are detailed in CAO
103.19.
