Avionics News February 2015 - 14

F R O M
R I C
P E R I
A EA V I C E P R ES I D E N T O F G OV E R N M E N T & I N D U ST RY A F FA I RS

The Aircraft Electronics Association's international membership continues to grow. Currently, the AEA represents avionics
businesses in more than 40 countries throughout the world. To better serve the needs of the AEA's international membership,
the "International News and Regulatory Updates" section of Avionics News offers a greater focus on international regulatory
activity, international industry news and an international "Frequently Asked Questions" column to help promote standardization.
If you have comments about this section, send emails to avionicsnews@aea.net.

UNITED STATES

News & Regulatory Updates
Safety management systems for
domestic, flag and supplemental
operations certificate holders
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a
final rule requiring each air carrier operating under
14 CFR Part 121 to develop and implement a safety
management system to improve the safety of its
aviation-related activities.
SMS is a comprehensive, process-oriented
approach to managing safety throughout an
organization. SMS includes an organization-wide
safety policy; formal methods for identifying hazards;
controlling and continually assessing risk and safety
performance; and promotion of a safety culture. SMS
stresses not only compliance with technical standards,
but also increased emphasis on the overall safety
performance of the organization.
In the final rule, the FAA revised the regulatory text
to limit the application of SMS only to the aviationrelated activities conducted under the air carrier's
14 CFR Part 119 certificate. As such, there is not
expected to be a regulatory "flow-down" requirement
under §145.205. However, while not required by
14

avionics news

february

2015

the regulations, repair stations may see increased
safety oversight through their individual contractual
obligations with their air carrier customers.

Consensus standards, inspection
and maintenance of aircraft
electrical wiring systems
Consensus standards, inspection and maintenance of
aircraft electrical wiring systems
The FAA announced the acceptability of two
revised consensus standards relating to inspection and
maintenance of aircraft electrical wiring systems.
ASTM International Committee F39 on Aircraft
Systems developed the revised standards with FAA
participation. The consensus standards provide
acceptable methods and procedures for inspection and
maintenance of electrical wiring systems for normal,
utility, acrobatic and commuter category airplanes.
By this notice, the FAA finds the revised standards
as acceptable means of compliance to 14 CFR Part 23
sections concerning electrical wiring systems.
Under the provisions of the revised Office of
Management and Budget Circular A-119, "Federal
Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary
Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment
Activities," dated Feb. 10, 1998, industry and the
FAA have been working with ASTM International
to develop consensus standards for the design,

Avionics News February 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News February 2015