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:
- A software design error in Collins Aerospace's GPS-4000S-100 software caused widespread GPS and ADS-B failures in various aircraft following a "leap second" update to the US government's GPS satellite almanac on June 9, 2019.
- The error led to affected units misinterpreting GPS time updates, preventing them from tracking satellites and triggering alerts such as "PFD Compare Fail" and "ADS-B Fail."
- The issues impacted numerous business jets equipped with Collins Pro Line 21 and Pro Line Fusion avionics, as well as some regional and major airlines, leading to flight cancellations.
- Collins Aerospace advised operators not to power up the affected units until after the next scheduled US government GPS update on June 16, 2019, to allow for a resolution.
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