It seemed like it would be a routine Sunday trip back to Wichita for the crew of a corporate Cessna Citation CJ3. But when a handful of abnormal alerts popped up on the ECAM (electronic centralized aircraft monitor) display, the pilot in command went on alert as well. With a “PFD Compare Fail” noting a discrepancy between the two primary flight displays, he had a feeling it was serious.
Collins GPS & ADS-B Receivers Struck By Failure Modes
Key Takeaways:
- Widespread GPS and related avionics failures occurred on June 9, 2019, affecting numerous aircraft equipped with specific Collins Aerospace units, including business jets and airliners.
- The issue was caused by a software design error in Collins Aerospace's GPS-4000S-100 units, which misinterpreted a "leap second" event during a routine US Government GPS satellite almanac update.
- This flaw led to affected units failing to track satellites and generating various system errors (e.g., ADS-B Fail). Operators were advised to keep these units powered off until a subsequent GPS update on June 16, 2019.
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