Flight Plan Message Error

[smithgd]

Hi

Can anyone tell me what this error message relates to:

-ERROR EFPM244: AIRCRAFT TYPE IS ZZZZ (ARC?TYP)


I assume it is to do with the aircraft type field, the FPL has ZZZZ in that field and in field 18 it has the TYP/ tag followed by the aircraft type.

Is there a limit to the number of characters following the TYP/ tag? CAP694 has no mention of any limits.

cheers
smithgd

[chiglet]

AFAIK, the number of characters for a type is Four [B733,BA46 etc]

[Starts with P]

I believe it has to be an ICAO designator, maximum 4 letter/digit combination. So I don't think you can "ZZZZ" the aircraft type.

[Blockla]

I don't believe their is a limit to characters after TYP/ (as it's just text); however you should use a generic not ZZZZ in type field, ie MJET or TWIN etc. I understand ZZZZ to be used only for ADES ADEP fields... Although I'm not 100% on that.

[Another_CFI]

CAP694 Chapter 5 page 4 states that ZZZZ should be entered as the type of aircraft where no designator has been assigned and that type preceded by TYP/ should be entered in item 18. The example which is given in CAP694 Chapter 5 page 13 shows that the TYP/ entry is not limited to four characters.

[DC10RealMan]

Never had this kind of problem with Heathrow Flight Clearance.

[Sand Devil]

The IFPS system, such as it is, may have mis-read? If you insert TYP/ and then follow it with a 'space' before entering the aircraft type, the system may only see the 'space' and not register that you have, in fact, inserted an aircraft type.
Certainly the system used to be that rigid but I've been away from there a while now. :suspect:

[eglnyt]

The annex to the IFPS User Manual which contains the error codes is available on-line in the CFMU library. If that document is to be believed Error 244 occurs if Field 9 has a valid aircraft type and Field 18 also has a valid aircraft type or if Field 9 is ZZZZ and Field 18 doesn't have a known aircraft type designator.

The latter seems more likely and would suggest that IFPS didn't recognise the entry in Field 18 as an aircraft type.

[smithgd]

Isn't the point of the ZZZZ option in Field 9 to allow for aircraft that don't have a type designator code? Why would I put ZZZZ in field 9 then put the type code in field 18?

[smithgd]

The IFPS USer Manual section 73 holds the answer....

Error 244 relates to the ZZZZ in field 9 and the fact that that is not allowed in repeatative flight plans.

However I am not filing a repetative flight plan !! :ugh:

There is however the following note:
"Where an aircraft type is filed as ZZZZ, that message shall always fail automatic processing in order that the IFPS staff may apply an appropriate aircraft performance to that flight."

I guess that explains that then :)

[Blockla]

Out of interest what type is it?

[Flight Data]

IF ZZZZ is put in F9 then some sort of type indication must be put in F18.
F9 is restricted to 4 characters, while F18 is more (I forget how many, but the IFPS manual gives that info - see Message Format for the F18 TYP sub-field). If you put ZZZZ in F9 and a known ICAO type designator in F18, the IFPS will automatically replace the ZZZZ with the type given in F18.

smithgd is correct in that when ZZZZ is used, the IFPS staff need to allocate a performance category to the flight plan.

It's actually all in the IFPS manual, but that thing is not exactly light reading....

[QWERTY9]

Amazing just how many FPL's you see with aircraft type filed as ZZZZ and then in Field18 the correct use of the relevant type. :confused:

or

the number of FPL's filed with incorrect aircraft types. :confused: