FAA Proposes NavWorx AD

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The FAA has proposed an AD that would require the removal of certain NavWorx ADS-B transceivers because it claims the devices might broadcast “unreliable position information to air traffic control and nearby aircraft, resulting in potential aircraft collision.” NavWorx says the FAA is wrong and is urging customers to respond to the proposed AD. The FAA says there are about 800 aircraft with Model ADS600-B part number (P/N) 200-0012 and 200-0013 and Model ADS600-EXP P/N 200-8013 transceivers installed and they’re saying it should only take an hour to take them out. The agency says a software change to change the devices’ source integrity level (SIL) was not authorized and that makes them non-compliant with TSO-154c, the TSO that governs ADS-B performance. The agency is also disallowing claims under its ADS-B rebate program for the devices. NavWorx disagrees with both and we have reprinted the company’s statement on the matter in its entirety.

The FAA has proposed an AD for our model ADS600-B part number (P/N) 200-0012 and 200- 0013 and Model ADS600-EP P/N 200-8013. The proposal is just that; a proposal. We disagree with the FAA’s positon that the units supposedly communicate unreliable position information.

The FAA has never shared with us any instance of our units doing so, there is no support for this claim in the docket, and we are unaware of any unit doing so. In fact, for two and a half years the FAA had no problem with the ability of our units to correctly communicate the position of aircraft with the units.

Unfortunately, in January of 2016 the FAA would have cut off functionality of these units because they were broadcasting a SIL of 0. This action was the result of a March 2015 notice to deny TIS-B access to ADS-B units that were uncertified and broadcasting with a SDA of 0. The units subject to the proposed AD are neither uncertified nor do they broadcast with a SDA of 0.

To insure continued access to TIS-B data we implemented a minor change so the units would broadcast a SIL of 3, which our testing had confirmed was appropriate, allowing them to continue to be identified for TIS-B purposes. The proposed AD would deny these units access to TIS-B data.

We intend to file comments on the proposal and would encourage you to do likewise regarding your experience with our units. In the meantime we continue to work with the FAA to resolve our disagreements.

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