17 December 2012
The FAA has banned the use of Velcro-type straps to secure emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) designed and built after November 26 2012.
TSO-C126b is in response to a number of incidents in which ELTs have come loose from antennas and become unable to transmit in the case of an emergency. The document states that the TSO applies to ‘equipment intended to locate aircraft that terminate flight as a result of an accident’ and recommends ‘to better simulate more realistic aircraft crash scenarios, shock and crash safety testing be accomplished with simultaneous longitudinal and vertical cross-axis forces.’
ELTs approved before the new TSO can continue to be manufactured with Velcro and the FAA is not requiring aircraft owners to retrofit their ELTs.
The TSO is available to view <a href=’http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library%5CrgTSO.nsf/0/894C2B613D22BA5E86257AC500659F04?OpenDocument’ target=’_blank’>here.</a>
