IMPROPER use of an aircraft safety system that warns pilots when they risk flying too low can give crews a misleading idea of their position. The problem can arise in remote areas when the warning system is used on aircraft that are not equipped with a GPS satellite navigation system.
A preliminary analysis of a near miss involving a British aircraft in April this year has shown that a type of Terrain Avoidance Warning System (TAWS) in use on a flight from London to Ethiopia was unaware of the aircraft’s true position, owing to erroneous data from a ground-based beacon.…
