Collins Restores 10,000 Approach Procedures to FMSs

Rockwell Collins has restored the approximately 10,000 approach procedures in Pro Line 4 and Pro Line 21 avionics systems that were removed from its FMA databases, effective with November data cycle 1712. However, certain operational restrictions remain in affect.

The approaches were removed after it was discovered that manually edited or temperature-compensated “climb to” altitudes in the databases “will command the aircraft to turn in the wrong direction under certain conditions.” The action affects about 35 percent of the approaches in the databases, the company said.

A new FAA Safety Alert for Operators—SAFO 17013—informs users that the procedures were reinstated in the December 14 navigation database update. The SAFO also references new Rockwell Collins manual temperature compensation limitations and operational restrictions.

For example, according to Collins Ops Bulletin 0166-17R4, changing “climb to” altitudes in departures and missed approaches is prohibited at all times, as is using the FMS temperature-compensation feature. The condition occurs in FMS versions 3.3 through FMS 4.2. Collins and the FAA are continuing to work together to permanently resolve this issue.