Database Compliant Suppliers and Integrity Checking
Compliance Statements - Navigation Databases - Letters of Acceptance
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is responsible for the accreditation of navigation data base suppliers in Europe. A Supplier will be issued, by EASA, with a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) when the supplier has demonstrated compliance with a number of defined conditions. The FAA will issue an LOA to suppliers in the United States and for Canadian Suppliers the function is managed by Transport Canada and is known as an Acknowledgement Letter (AL). It has been agreed in principle there will be mutual recognition of accreditations. There are two types of LOA to ensure that data is compatible with its intended use.
Type 1 LOA. Letter of Acceptance is granted where a navigation database supplier complies with ED-76/DO-200A with no identified compatibility with an aircraft system. A Type 1 LOA confirms that the processes for producing navigation data comply with these Conditions and the documented data quality requirements. A Type 1 LOA Supplier may not release navigation databases directly to end users.
Type 2 LOA. Letter of Acceptance is granted where a Navigation Database supplier complies with ED-76/DO-200A and provides data compatible with specified avionics system(s). A Type 2 LOA confirms that the processes for producing navigation data comply with these Conditions and the documented data quality requirements for the avionics system is specified. The data quality requirement must be provided by or agreed with the specified equipment design organisation in accordance with a formal arrangement. A Type 2 LOA Supplier may release navigation databases directly to end users. The Canadian AL is equivalent to a Type 2 LOA. Such releases may also include data packing tools, where the use of such tools has been demonstrated to be ED-76/DO-200A compliant. To date, August 2006, the following Suppliers have issued statements of compliance
EASA, Letters of Acceptance (LOA1)
EAG
Lufthansa Flight Nav
Jeppesen (Germany)
FAA, Letters of Acceptance (LOA2) & Canadian Acknowledgement Letter
Jeppesen Sanderson (United States of America)
Honeywell Aerospace
Smiths Aerospace
CMC (Canada)
Aeronautical data, compliant with TGL10 and AC90-96A can be sourced from these major database Suppliers.
Compliance with JAA TGL10
The Operator should note TGL 10 & TGL10 (revision 1) differ in respect to database checking as described in 10.6 'Database Integrity'. TGL10 came into force prior to EASA/FAA providing Type 1 & Type 2 Letters of Acceptance (LOA) databases which signifies compliance with EUROCAE/RTCA standards of processing aeronautical Data.
TGL10 (Revision 1) 10.6 applies to databases purchased with type 2 LOA, for those databases which cannot be purchased with an LOA, TGL10 paragraph 10.6 applies.
The following, is one method an Operator may use for checking the aeronautical database in circumstances where the database cannot be purchase with an LOA.
For the purposes of precision navigation, TGL10 lays down specific guidelines with regard to the need for integrity checking of the navigation database. The requirements are set out in para. 10.6 and are reproduced in full below.
| 10.6.1 |
The navigation database should be obtained from an approved supplier who has complied with EUROCAE ED-76/RTCA DO-200A Standards for Processing Aeronautical Data. |
| 10.6.2 |
Until such approved suppliers become available, prior to the date of the effective navigation data, as a minimum, the Operator must implement navigation database integrity checks using appropriate software tools or approved manual procedures to verify data relating to waypoints below the minimum applicable obstacle clearance altitude. Such checks are in addition to any checks previously performed by the Aeronautical Information Service, unapproved navigation database suppliers or navigation equipment manufacturers. The integrity checks need to identify any discrepancies between the navigation database and the published charts/procedure. Integrity checks may be performed by an approved third party. |
Note: For the purposes of the check, the term 'minimum obstacle clearance altitude' may be interpreted as the relevant 'Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA)' for the P-RNAV procedure.
Once a database supplier has been accredited in accordance with para. 10.6.1, then the Operator is not compelled to carry out its own database checking in order to demonstrate compliance with TGL10.
However, if a database is purchased from a non-accredited supplier, an Operator has to demonstrate compliance using para. 10.6.2. This could become an unmanageable, time-consuming and costly exercise.
EUROCONTROL has recognised that such a burden may be unacceptable for some Operators and has therefore examined the minimum checks necessary to comply with para. 10.6.2 and has developed a process (shown in the flowchart which follows) which could be used as a guide to help Operators demonstrate such compliance.
Note: Operators are reminded that AMC OPS 1.035 to JAR-OPS Quality Systems requires audits to ensure safe operational practices. Such audits should monitor the quality of received data, but need not be carried out as frequently as each 28-day AIRAC cycle. This requirement applies whether or not data is purchased from a supplier accredited in accordance with ED-76/DO-200A.
IMPORTANT CAVEATS
OPERATORS SHOULD NOTE THAT THIS FLOWCHART IS PRODUCED SOLELY AS GUIDANCE WHICH MAY ASSIST WHEN SETTING UP A DATA CHECKING PROCESS.
OPERATORS ARE REMINDED THAT ACCEPTANCE OF ANY OPERATOR’S DATA INTEGRITY CHECKING PROCESS REMAINS UNDER THE FULL JURISDICTION OF THE APPROPRIATE STATE REGULATION AUTHORITY. CONSEQUENTLY, OPERATORS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO SEEK GUIDANCE FROM THAT AUTHORITY BEFORE COMMITTING RESOURCES TO THE CHECKING PROCESS.
ATTENTION IS ALSO DRAWN TO TGL10 PARA. 10.2 NORMAL PROCEDURES, WHICH DETAILS THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE CARRIED OUT BY OPERATORS AND PILOTS BEFORE A P-RNAV PROCEDURE IS PLANNED OR FLOWN. AGAIN, THE REQUIREMENTS OF PARA. 10.2 APPLY TO ALL SITUATIONS (I.E. WHETHER OR NOT DATA IS PURCHASED FROM A SUPPLIER ACCREDITED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ED-76/DO-200A). 
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