By December 31, 2022, Part 25 aircraft in the US operating in Mexican Airspace or Mexican registered aircraft over 5,500kg must be equipped with a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) with a Cockpit Voice Recorder. The Federal Civil Aviation Agency in Mexico (Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil - AFAC) drafted the requirement based on ICAO Annex six documentation. 

The rule has been challenging to interpret for aircraft owners, MRO facilities, and stakeholders. Navigating through aircraft weight, the number of passenger seats, and the type of operations will guide the aircraft owner to ensure the mandate is complied with. 

While most aircraft operators will agree the goal of this mandate is to improve safe operations and provide a method to obtain critical flight information in the event there was an incident, the cost to comply has been a significant obstacle. Our team collaborated with Curtiss-Wright and Peregrine to identify solutions that would bring safety and affordability to overcome this challenge and still meet the mandate. 

This collaboration identified ways to utilize new technological advances and alternate means of compliance, such as Class C AIR (Airborne Image Recorder) technologies. "A Class C AIR may be considered as a means of recording flight data when it is not feasible, or when it is prohibitively onerous to record it in a traditional FDR or when an FDR is not required." (NOM-022-SCT3-2011, Section 9.2.3 Note 1) 

The Class C AIR provides the ability to record a vast number of parameters traditionally captured through sensors installed throughout various aircraft locations and through data streams such as ARINC 429. Since the Class C AIR doesn't require using these sensors or data streams to collect the required parameters, the equipment is less intrusive to install, ultimately providing a lower cost for operators.

Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions, in conjunction with SoCal Jets, Inc., an FAA Part 145 repair station based at Van Nuys Airport, and Peregrine Avionics, an aircraft engineering and certification firm located at Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colorado, have developed a compliant, affordable, solution to meet the requirements for recorders as outlined in NOM-022-SCT3 2011 in accordance with CP AV-022 dated April 15, 2019. 

Integrating the Curtiss-Wright Flight Data Recorder (with cockpit voice recorder), a Class C cockpit image recorder, and the Dukane Seacom Underwater Locating Device is a game-changer in reducing equipment cost and installation time significantly. 

In addition, Texas Aerospace has engineered and certified the all-new TXA201 Tri-Axial Accelerometer. The TXA201 utilizes modern MEMS technology to convert gravitational and inertial forces into a DC voltage output for each of the three axis – vertical, longitudinal, and lateral. Accelerometers are an essential component for flight data recorders and digital flight data acquisition units.

The AML STC developed offers an economical means of complying with the new AFAC and ICAO requirements. All equipment is ED-112A certified and includes an EASA (E) approved 25-hour cockpit voice recorder and (E)TSO-176a two-hour airborne image recorder. The system is certified for the Learjet 30 series, Learjet 45, Hawker 800/1000 series, and Citation X aircraft with additional aircraft to be announced this year.

Aircraft Operators who need to comply must submit a plan of equipage to the AFAC that includes STC information, equipment to be installed, and the MRO performing the installation. Once this information is submitted, the operator must then wait for approval from the Mexican authorities. 

With approximately seven months left to comply, Texas Aerospace Technologies is ready with equipment in stock and experts on hand to assist your team meet the mandate and keep you in the air. 

Contact our team to learn more sales@txaero.com.