The US Federal Aviation Administration says it plans to select a contractor to develop a web-based service difficulty reporting system that could be used by pilots flying small general aviation aircraft in clubs.
The usefulness of such a database, a requirement for the air carrier (Part 121) and air taxi industry (Part 135) sectors, is increasingly a hot topic for safety watchdogs like the US National Transportation Safety Board, particularly as new technologies such as glass cockpits make their way into lower-end GA aircraft.
"The primary objectives are to assist type clubs [user/owner of various models of Beech, Cessna and Piper aircraft], and other interested general aviation organisations in collecting a more complete history of service difficulties, and to provide a database to deposit and store information for and safety effects analysis," the FAA writes in the 12 March pre-solicitation notice.
Source: Flight International
