SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN
Aircraft Certification Service
Washington, DC
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
NM-10-12

January 7, 2010

This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) advises registered owners and operators of the transmission of incorrect information from the Honeywell NZ-2000 Primus Epic Flight Management System (FMS) software having part number (P/N) VAR9XX, VAR10XX, or VAR11XX and installed on Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (Type Certificate Previously Held by Raytheon Aircraft Company) Model 4000 airplanes, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model G-IV, GIV-X, and GV-SP airplanes, Agusta AW-139 helicopters, and Cessna Aircraft Company Model 680 airplanes.

Background

During an RNAV approach an airplane programmed with NZ-2000 FMS software (version 5.2), flew the WATTS THREE ARRIVAL (RNAV) Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR). A different runway was selected in the FMS during the STAR, and resulted in the FMS navigating the airplane toward the initial STAR waypoint instead of the next sequential STAR waypoint. As a result of this incident, Honeywell International Inc. issued Service Information Letter, D200909000044, dated October 15, 2009, to provide operators with guidelines for flight plan modifications made on the ARRIVAL page, including a destination runway change. This SAIB addresses the Primus Epic FMS because its software was a derivative of the NZ-2000 FMS software. At this time, the airworthiness concern is not an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) action under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR) part 39.

Recommendations

The FAA recommends that all owners and operators of Model 4000 airplanes, Model G-IV, GIV-X, and GV-SP airplanes, Agusta AW-139 helicopters, and Model 680 airplanes with NZ-2000 Primus Epic Flight Management System software ensure their flight crews are familiar with the procedures outlined in Honeywell Service Information Letter, D200909000044, dated October 15, 2009.

For Further Information Contact

Daniel Bui, Aerospace Engineer, Systems and Equipment Branch, ANM-130L, FAA, Los Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, California 90712-4137; telephone (562) 627-5339; fax (562) 627-5210.

For Related Service Information Contact

Technical Publications and Distribution, 21111 N. 19th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85027-2708; telephone (800)601-3099; fax 602-365-5577; Internet http://portal.honeywell.com/wps/portal/aero.