Phoenix-based Honeywell Aerospace announced that its latest Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) for helicopters has received technical design and production approval from the FAA. The FAA recently released certification standards for Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (HTAWS) and Honeywell’s Mark XXI and XXII Helicopter EGPWS are the first to receive approval that meets the new standard from the FAA.
According to TK Kallenbach, Honeywell vice president of program management, “Honeywell’s technology ensures that all helicopter pilots can have EGPWS in their cockpits today to help avoid terrain and obstacles such as towers. Our EGPWS systems are specifically engineered for rotary-wing operation and helicopter flight characteristics, and will make helicopters equipped with this technology much safer. More than 1,300 helicopters are already flying with our EGPWS and there have been no controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) incidents with an operational Honeywell EGPWS system on board.”
EGPWS uses aircraft inputs such as position, attitude, air speed, and glideslope, which along with internal terrain, obstacles, and airport databases predict a potential conflict between the aircraft’s flight path and terrain or an obstacle. According to Honeywell, its Mark XXI and Mark XX II helicopter EGPWS are specifically tailored for the dynamics of rotary-wing performance and the flight characteristics of helicopters to prevent collisions with ground, water, and obstacles. The NTSB has recently recommended systems such as HTAWS for EMS helicopters to help reduce controlled flight into terrain accidents.
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