Ground Proximity Warning System 175 warnings. The limits of protection provided by the aircraft's GPWS and other relevant details are included in the Operations Manual, Training Manual and checklists Equipment Input. The basic equipment comprises a small digital computer or central processing unit (CPU) which accepts inputs from: © the radio altimeter with failure signal © vertical speed sensor or a barometric altitude rate computer with failure signal © the ILS glide path receiver switch activated when the landing gear is down or is selected down © switch activated by any crew selection uniquely associated with final approach to landing (usually flaps selection to, or are in, the landing position). Output. If, after assessment, a potential danger of colliding with terrain is found to exist, the CPU will put out warning signals to the pilot in both visual and audible forms. The CPU will also put out indications of computer failure and any failures which may occur in the five input signals, to a monitor indicator. A block schematic diagram of how the system works is shown in Fig. 15.1. Inputs Outputs = [master atimeter indicator =| Lhe Fig. 15. Elements of Ground proximity warning system Integrity testing. _GPWS should be serviceable at take-off and the Operations Manual should detail the pre-flight checks verifying that the system is func- tioning correctly. Minimum equipment or allowable deficiencies lists should indicate when flights can be made with an unserviceable GPWS although176 — Radio Aids legislation provides that an aircraft may fly, or continue to fly, with an unserviceable GPWS until it first lands at an aerodrome where it is practicable for the equipment to be repaired or replaced. GPWSS, like most of the other equipments described in this volume, have a fully integrated self-test function (built-in test equipment - BITE) for checking out the signal path from all of the inputs in the pre-flight test. When the BITE is selected, if the GPWS is satisfactory the normal indication to the pilot is that both the visual and audible warnings are activated simultaneously. The BITE is normally inhibited from being operative whilst in fli Modes of operation GPWSs monitor six basic modes of the aircraft's operation and put out warnings as shown in Table 15.1 if a hazardous situation is arising. The equipment design is such that it automatically selects with no action from the flight-deck crew, Mode 3 for take-off or go-around below 500ft and Mode 4 for landing. Monitoring facilities ‘The system is continuously monitored in flight to confirm dynamic per- formance. Any failure occurring within the system is automatically indicated on the flight-deck. Actions The formal instructions to flight crews on their actions in response to GPWS warnings are given in the Operations Manual. Alert: When the GPWS produces an alert which is regarded as a caution, the pilot must respond immediately by correcting the flight path or the aircraft's configuration so that the alert ceases. Alerts are associated with modes Mode 1 Sink rate Mode 2 Terrain Mode 3 Don't sink Mode 4A Too low ~ gear Mode 4B Too low - flaps Mode 5 Glideslope Warning: When the GPWS generates a warning, the pilot should im- mediately respond by levelling the wings and initiating a maximum gradient climb, maintaining the climb until the minimum safe altitude is reached. Typically such warnings would be: Pull up Mode 1 or Too low terrain Mode 4A or Mode 4B‘Table 18.1 Mode ght hazard ‘Warning envelope Alec Warning ‘son-2450% SINK RATE. ‘WHOOP WHOOP — PULL UP + flashing lamp 2A Excemive ate of terrain closure (sieraft not ——-SO-I8N0N_— TERRAIN TERRAIN. AS mode 1 in lading configuration) 28 Excemive ate of terrain laure (aircraft in 2208-790R TERRAIN TERRAIN. As mode ® landing configuration) [Negative rate of climb after take-off ogo son-70% © DONTSINK: sound A Unsafe terrain clearance (ateraft notin 8 Sons —- TOOLOW-GEAR As mode landing coniuration ~ Gear up) B——_Usafe terrain clearance (aiteraft nt in a Sons TOOLOW- FLAPS TOOLOW-TERRAIN' landing configuration ~ Flaps up) Excessive downward departure from ILS on-sook ——-GLIDESLOPE. aiidestope Descent below minimums MINIMUMS uays Bnsoy yupvony prnoscy a[vertical] oy ial [age ot ata | of) ansdacon eed postion aah wind shear computer x wit integral acceleration sensors {fight flightdeck | director alert computer system attitude Fig. 15.2 Block diagram: windshear detection and recovery guidance system There may be an exceptional circumstance such as when on a curved approach or on a missed approach procedure involving a turn to avoid terrain when the requirement to level the wings would be inappropriate. General (1) All alerts and warnings should be responded to by pilots immediately. However in the case of a warning in the following circumstances only, a pilot can limit his response to that of an alert when: (a) the aircraft is operating by day in meteorological conditions which will enable the aircraft to remain Inm horizontally and 1000ft vertically away from cloud and in a flight visibility of at least km; and (b)_ itis immediately obvious to the aircraft commander that the aircraft is not in a dangerous situation with regard to terrain, aircraft configuration or the present manoeuvre of the aircraft. (2) It must be remembered that GPWS is not a forward-looking equipment. Any warning that the aircraft is flying towards high ground will be minimal and dependent upon the steepness of the rising ground, Hence a sheer cliff, escarpment or mountainside will not generate any warning at all, (3) Unwanted warnings still occur under normal and safe operating con- ditions such as when aircraft are carrying out standard terminal approach procedures or radar vectoring approaches at aerodromes surrounded by hilly terrain. (4) The Operations Manual specifies conditions when the flight crew may inhibit the GPWS. Typically these would cover when gear or flap position inputs are known to be non-standard or if the aircraft is being flownGround Proximity Warning System 179 without reference to the glideslope such as when it breaks off an approach to an ILS runway so as to land on another runway. (8) GPWS warnings are normally reportable occurrences. GPWS alerts are only reportable occurrences when a hazard arises or when there is undue repetition. Windshear detection The serious hazards associated with low-level windshear and microbursts (see Ground Studies for Pilots volume 4) have been extensively explored in recent years. Equipment has been developed to provide a specific windshear detec- tion and recovery guidance system (WDGS) operating through the flight director system. ‘Typically the windshear is detected from a comparison between the rate of change of groundspeed (measured by accelerometer) and the rate of change of airspeed (measured by pitot and static sensors). A shear adversely affecting performance illuminates a red warning light on the panel and gives an aural warning WINDSHEAR WINDSHEAR. The system has a WINDSHEAR FAIL annunciator which illuminates in the event of a power loss. ‘The recovery guidance for an adverse effect on aircraft performance is based on angle of attack, modified by radio altitude and pitch attitude and is displayed via the fight director, through the pilot's attitude director indicator (ADI) or the EFIS primary flight display (PFD).Chapter 15 GROUND PROXIMITY WARNING SYSTEM (GPWS) This highly desirable piece of flight-deck equipment came into general use in the 1970s with the development of microprocessors and sophisticated voice synthesisers. It has been estimated from the GPWS statistics that possibly as many as 60 accidents have been averted in the first decade of its installation. Mandatory carriage of ground proximity warning systems has been introduced in many countries. In the UK the CAA has published CAP 516 Guidance ‘material on GPWS. The purpose of the system is to give visual and audible warning signals to the pilot when the aircraft is entering a potentially dangerous ground proximity situation. Such situations as inadvertent sinking after take-off, inadequate terrain clearance, excessive rate of terrain closure, and dropping, below the correct glidepath when using ILS, would all activate the GPWS to alert the pilot to the potential danger. It is a system to enhance safety and not a foolproof means of preventing collision with the ground. Terminology Alert: a caution generated by the GPWS equipment Warning: a command generated by the GPWS equipment. variously described as genuine, nuisance or false. Genuine warning. one generated by GPWS in accordance with its technical specifications. Nuisance warning: one generated by the GPWS in accordance with its technical specifications but the pilot is actually flying an accepted safe procedure. False warning: one generated by the GPWS not in accordance with its technical specifications due to a fault or failure in the system. ‘The term ‘unwanted’ may be used to describe both nuisance and false