RNAV Flight Crew Procedures - System Degradation, Contingency and Reporting
It is the flight crew’s responsibility to ensure that the navigation accuracy is maintained. In particular, the utmost care shall be taken to avoid the following common mistakes:
Continued operation in accordance with the current ATC clearance may be possible in many situations. When this cannot be achieved, a revised clearance may be required to revert to conventional navigation. In such case the flight crew shall, on each ATC frequency change, report the situation by announcing »NEGATIVE RNAV« on initial contact.
Incidents which affect or could affect the safety of RNAV operations must be reported by means of an ASR – Air Safety Report. When it is identified that a particular route or procedure contains an error, it must also be reported directly to OCC as soon as possible.
The use of the route or procedure is prohibited until the error has been corrected. This prohibition will be annotated on the OFP. The information must be also passed to the Flight Operations Technical Engineer for transmission to the database supplier.
An ASR must also be filed for any significant discrepancy. Examples may include, but are not limited to:
In certain areas where flights are conducted over remote or non-radar environments, some ATS authorities have authorised the use of the Strategic Lateral Offset Procedure that may be employed at the discretion of the flight crew as standard operating practice to gain an additional safety margin. This will mitigate the risk of conflict when non-normal events such as aeroplane navigation errors, altitude deviation errors and turbulence-induced altitude keeping errors occur. SLOP is intended for both the mitigation of the increasing lateral overlap probability and wake turbulence encounters.
The aeroplane may fly centre line or up to 2 NM right of centre line. The intent of this procedure is to reduce risk (add safety margin) by distributing aeroplanes laterally.
The aeroplane should neither offset to the left of centre line nor offset more than 2 NM right of centre line unless approved or instructed to do so by ATC.
While there is no ATC clearance required for this procedure, an advisory of the offset to the relevant ATC is recommended.
SLOP must be discontinued in the terminal area or at the beginning of an approach procedure, at a hold, or during large changes of the track.
RNAV R/T Phraseology
A specific phraseology, used in connection with RNAV operations, should be used:
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM)
Refer to OM Part C, Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM).
RVSM airspace is defined as any airspace or route where aeroplanes are separated vertically by 1000 ft between FL290 and FL410 inclusive, instead of the standard 2000 ft separation. This 1000 ft vertical separation minimum is available to suitably equipped and approved aeroplanes, thereby making available six additional usable flight levels.
The objective of the specific requirements and procedures applicable to RVSM airspace is to increase traffic capacity, while ensuring that the same level of safety provided by conventional vertical separation is maintained. Consequently, stringent requirements on aeroplane equipment and training of crews, ATC controllers and associated personnel are applied.
As part of the RVSM programme, the altitude-keeping performance of participating aeroplanes is monitored; utilising specific ground-based measuring units, to continuously verify that all RVSM airspace users are applying the approved criteria effectively, and that the overall safety objectives are achieved.
The Company aircraft are approved for operation in RVSM airspace and these approvals can be found in Operation Specifications.
RVSM Procedures
RVSM operations shall be in accordance with OM Part B procedures. The TCAS mode selector should be left in the TA/RA position. The rate of climb/descent must always be carefully monitored. When approaching a cleared FL, vertical speed must be less than 1500 ft per minute.
Minimum Navigation Performance Specification (MNPS)
Minimum Navigation Performance Specifications (MNPS) is a set of standards, which require aircraft having a minimum navigation performance capability in order to operate in MNPS designated airspace.
North Atlantic (NAT) MNPS airspace has been designated between FL285 and FL420, between 27°N and the North Pole, bounded on the east by eastern boundaries of CTA Santa Maria Oceanic, Shanwick Oceanic and Reykjavik; in the west by the eastern boundaries of CTA Reykjavik, Gander Oceanic and New York Oceanic.
Canadian MNPS covers Arctic Control Area, Northern Control Area and the portion of Southern Control Area, between FL 330 and FL 410.
Currently, The Company does not hold approval to operate in MNPS airspace.
- Insertion errors: The pilot has the correct coordinates or waypoints of his cleared route, but he inserts incorrect data into the system; particular care should be exercised in the case of re-clearance.
- De-coupling: The pilot allows the autopilot to become de-coupled from the equipment which he thinks is providing steering output.
- Faulty equipment: The pilot might continue to use a navigation system which was becoming inaccurate.
Continued operation in accordance with the current ATC clearance may be possible in many situations. When this cannot be achieved, a revised clearance may be required to revert to conventional navigation. In such case the flight crew shall, on each ATC frequency change, report the situation by announcing »NEGATIVE RNAV« on initial contact.
Incidents which affect or could affect the safety of RNAV operations must be reported by means of an ASR – Air Safety Report. When it is identified that a particular route or procedure contains an error, it must also be reported directly to OCC as soon as possible.
The use of the route or procedure is prohibited until the error has been corrected. This prohibition will be annotated on the OFP. The information must be also passed to the Flight Operations Technical Engineer for transmission to the database supplier.
An ASR must also be filed for any significant discrepancy. Examples may include, but are not limited to:
- Navigation errors (e.g. map shifts) not associated with transitions from inertial navigation mode to radio navigation mode;
- Incorrect data or navigation database coding error;
- Unexpected deviations in flight path not caused by pilot input;
- Significant misleading information without a failure warning;
- Total loss or multiple navigation equipment failures;
- Problems with ground navigational facilities.
In certain areas where flights are conducted over remote or non-radar environments, some ATS authorities have authorised the use of the Strategic Lateral Offset Procedure that may be employed at the discretion of the flight crew as standard operating practice to gain an additional safety margin. This will mitigate the risk of conflict when non-normal events such as aeroplane navigation errors, altitude deviation errors and turbulence-induced altitude keeping errors occur. SLOP is intended for both the mitigation of the increasing lateral overlap probability and wake turbulence encounters.
The aeroplane may fly centre line or up to 2 NM right of centre line. The intent of this procedure is to reduce risk (add safety margin) by distributing aeroplanes laterally.
The aeroplane should neither offset to the left of centre line nor offset more than 2 NM right of centre line unless approved or instructed to do so by ATC.
While there is no ATC clearance required for this procedure, an advisory of the offset to the relevant ATC is recommended.
SLOP must be discontinued in the terminal area or at the beginning of an approach procedure, at a hold, or during large changes of the track.
RNAV R/T Phraseology
A specific phraseology, used in connection with RNAV operations, should be used:
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM)
Refer to OM Part C, Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM).
RVSM airspace is defined as any airspace or route where aeroplanes are separated vertically by 1000 ft between FL290 and FL410 inclusive, instead of the standard 2000 ft separation. This 1000 ft vertical separation minimum is available to suitably equipped and approved aeroplanes, thereby making available six additional usable flight levels.
The objective of the specific requirements and procedures applicable to RVSM airspace is to increase traffic capacity, while ensuring that the same level of safety provided by conventional vertical separation is maintained. Consequently, stringent requirements on aeroplane equipment and training of crews, ATC controllers and associated personnel are applied.
As part of the RVSM programme, the altitude-keeping performance of participating aeroplanes is monitored; utilising specific ground-based measuring units, to continuously verify that all RVSM airspace users are applying the approved criteria effectively, and that the overall safety objectives are achieved.
The Company aircraft are approved for operation in RVSM airspace and these approvals can be found in Operation Specifications.
RVSM Procedures
RVSM operations shall be in accordance with OM Part B procedures. The TCAS mode selector should be left in the TA/RA position. The rate of climb/descent must always be carefully monitored. When approaching a cleared FL, vertical speed must be less than 1500 ft per minute.
Minimum Navigation Performance Specification (MNPS)
Minimum Navigation Performance Specifications (MNPS) is a set of standards, which require aircraft having a minimum navigation performance capability in order to operate in MNPS designated airspace.
North Atlantic (NAT) MNPS airspace has been designated between FL285 and FL420, between 27°N and the North Pole, bounded on the east by eastern boundaries of CTA Santa Maria Oceanic, Shanwick Oceanic and Reykjavik; in the west by the eastern boundaries of CTA Reykjavik, Gander Oceanic and New York Oceanic.
Canadian MNPS covers Arctic Control Area, Northern Control Area and the portion of Southern Control Area, between FL 330 and FL 410.
Currently, The Company does not hold approval to operate in MNPS airspace.
RNAV Flight Crew Procedures - System Degradation, Contingency and Reporting
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