6Recording equipment

6 Recording equipment

6.1An aircraft of maximum take-off weight:

(a) in excess of 5 700 kg and which is:

(i) turbine-powered; or

(ii) of a type first certificated in its country of manufacture on or after 1 July 1965;

must not be flown (except in agricultural operations) unless it is equipped with an approved flight data recorder and an approved cockpit voice recorder system;

(b) less than, or equal to, 5 700 kg and which is:

(i) pressurised; and

(ii) turbine-powered by more than 1 engine; and

(iii) of a type certificated in its country of manufacture for operation with more than 11 places; and

(iv) issued with its initial Australian Certificate of airworthiness after 1 January 1988;

must not be flown unless it is equipped with an approved cockpit voice recorder system.

6.1AParagraph 6.1 does not apply to an aircraft for which there is in force an airworthiness certificate in the agricultural category or the restricted category.

6.2The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder systems installed in an aircraft under this Order:

(a) must comply with the requirements of Civil Aviation Orders 103.19 and 103.20, respectively; and

(b) will be considered for approval when CASA has equipment available allowing replay of the recordings.

6.3Where an aircraft is required to be so equipped by this Order, the flight data recorder system must be operated continuously from the moment when the aircraft commences to taxi under its own power for the purpose of flight until the conclusion of taxiing after landing.

6.4Where an aircraft is required to be so equipped by this Order, the cockpit voice recorder system must be operated continuously from the start of the use of the check list before starting engines for the purpose of flight until completion of the final check list at the termination of the flight.

6.5Where an aircraft is required to be so equipped by this Order, the operator must ensure that:

(a) the flight data recorder retains its last 25 hours of recording; and

(b) the cockpit voice recorder retains its last 30 minutes of recording; and

(c) data from the last 2 occasions on which the flight data recorder system was calibrated from which the accuracy of the system can be determined are preserved.

6.6The operator of an aircraft which is required by this Order to be equipped with recorders must take action to ensure that during ground maintenance periods the recorders are not activated unless the maintenance is associated with the flight data recording equipment or with the aircraft engines.

6.7An aircraft required to be fitted with a flight data recorder system and/or a cockpit voice recorder system may operate with an unserviceable recorder system for a period of 21 days commencing on the day on which the system was determined to be unserviceable providing that:

(a) the aircraft does not depart from an aerodrome where staff and equipment are available to replace the unserviceable units; and

(b) where the aircraft is required to be fitted with both a flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder system, 1 system is serviceable; and

(c) the aircraft is not operating training or test flights.