Don't Mute Aural TAWS Alerts, FAA Warns Pilots

Some accidents could have been avoided if pilots had not turned off the terrain avoidance and warning system, FAA said.

Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 01:13 PM ET

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TAWS pulls aircraft position, speed, and direction data from GPS and, along with the aircraft's altitude and configuration information, compares them to a database of Earth's terrain and manmade obstacles. [Illustration by Bryan Christie Design]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has issued a warning to pilots not to disable Terrain Avoidance and Warning Systems (TAWS) aural alerts, as they are a critical safety feature for preventing Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accidents.
Pilots sometimes inhibit TAWS due to "nuisance" alerts, but this practice has been a contributing factor in several fatal CFIT accidents, where the system could have provided timely warnings.
Despite the perceived nuisance, TAWS has significantly improved flight safety since the 1970s, and roughly 40 CFIT accidents still occur annually, with half being fatal.
The FAA recommends that operators review their training programs to ensure adequate procedures and training for the proper use of TAWS terrain inhibit switches are in place.

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The FAA sent a notice to pilots warning them not to disable terrain avoidance and warning systems (TAWS) aural alerts as the tool can be a critical safety feature in avoiding controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accidents.

The FAA’s warning came as part of an Information for Operators (InFO)—a notice designed to help operators meet certain administrative or regulatory requirements with a low sense of urgency or impact on safety.