And on RadAlt low height warning settings... surely the warning settings were mandatory? These things are not optional, to suit the whim of individual pilots.
As with other aspects of this case, especially those concerning airworthiness and fitness for purpose, MoD don’t want to dig too deeply.
What you are talking about is the settings on the RadAlt Indicators; and indeed it would seem from the evidence that the settings may be have been different from what one would expect. I leave that argument to those who know.
But elsewhere the evidence shows that the “black box”, which I doubt few here would recognise if they saw it, and certainly not the guts of it, was carrying certain “defects” (MoD’s word). Most notably the AGC (Automatic Gain Control) was wrongly set, resulting in incorrect information to the indicators from the range computer.
This has been dismissed by MoD as of no consequence.
Why? It may have been of no consequence to ZD576 (again, other people can comment) but the fact that such a crucial setting in the Tx/Rx was wrongly set in the first place demands investigation, rather than simply dismissing it. I think it is of consequence, if it fosters a lack of confidence in the kit – as with SuperTANS.
Again, the complete failure of MoD to dig deeper to get to the root of problems, thus helping prevent reoccurrence.
Dig deeper (i.e. conduct a proper investigation in accordance with the regs) and perhaps you’d find previous examples of spurious indications, or just plain wrong indications. Perhaps you’d find a lack of configuration control which allowed incorrect range computers to be fitted to this RadAlt, and its sister AN/APN 171. Perhaps you’d find that the 3rd Line maintainers were only given the 2nd Line Test equipment to conduct Depth C/D repairs. Perhaps you’d find a history of not bothering to conduct power interrupt testing because (a) the APs had no procedure and (b) no test equipment was provided anyway.
Oops, power interrupt. Back to the DECU problems.
These things are not optional.
Absolutely correct. Airworthiness regs are not optional, despite what the Chinook 2* and CDP said.