NTSB Safety Recommendations A-07-65 through -69

[NTSB Press Releases <NTSBPressReleases@xxxxxxxx>]

Title: NTSB Safety Recommendations A-07-65 through -69

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        NTSB SAFETY RECOMMENDATION
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National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

October 24, 2007

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Safety Recommendations A-07-65 through -69

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The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the Federal Aviation
Administration:

Require that unmanned aircraft transponders provide beacon code and altitude
information to air traffic control and to aircraft equipped with traffic collision avoidance
systems at all times while airborne by ensuring that the transponder is powered via the
emergency or battery bus. (A-07-65)

Require that all conversations, including telephone conversations, between unmanned
aircraft (UA) pilots and air traffic control, other UA pilots, and other assets that provide
operational support to unmanned aircraft system operations, be recorded and retained in
accordance with Federal Aviation Administration Orders 7210.3 and 8020.11. (A-07-66)

Require periodic operational reviews between the unmanned aircraft system (UAS)
operations teams and local air traffic control facilities, with specific emphasis on face-to-
face coordination between working-level controllers and unmanned aircraft pilot(s), to
clearly define responsibilities and actions required for standard and nonstandard UAS
operations. These operational reviews should include, but not be limited to, discussion on
lost-link profiles and procedures, the potential for unique emergency situations and
methods to mitigate them, platform-specific aircraft characteristics, and airspace
management procedures. (A-07-67)

Require that established procedures for handling piloted aircraft emergencies be applied
to unmanned aircraft systems. (A-07-68)

Require that all unmanned aircraft system operators report to the Federal Aviation
Administration, in writing within 30 days of occurrence, all incidents and malfunctions
that affect safety; require that operators are analyzing these data in an effort to improve
safety; and evaluate these data to determine whether programs and procedures, including
those under air traffic control, remain effective in mitigating safety risks. (A-07-69)

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http://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/2007/A07_65_69.pdf

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The complete recommendation letter is available on the Web
at the URL indicated above.

The letter is in the Portable Document Format (PDF) and can
be read using the Acrobat Reader 5.0 or later from Adobe
(http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html).
       
An archive of recommendation letters is available at
http://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/letters.htm.
Electronic versions of letters may or may not include
enclosures; however, related publications, accident
briefs, and aviation accident synopses may be found
on the NTSB website.

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