5 September 2013
The FAA has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that may allow some pilots to continue descending below 100 feet above the touchdown zone elevation (TZE) without seeing the runway environment.
Generally pilots must abort the instrument approach and fly the missed approach procedure unless they can visually identify the runway environment at the decision altitude on precision approaches. With the proposed rule, pilots would no longer have to transition to looking outside the cockpit seconds before touching down on the runway, instead, they could continue to use the real-time image of the runway environment on the EFVS until the airplane touches the ground.
The new rule would apply to pilots flying aeroplanes equipped with enhanced forward vision systems (EFVS) using a real-time image of the flight environment while flying on straight-in precision approaches.
Comments regarding this NPRM can be submitted until September 9. You can find the proposal <a href=’http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-06-11/pdf/2013-13454.pdf ‘ target=’_blank’>here.</a>
