Night Vision Imaging System installation on BK -117C-2 Helicopter

SAIB SW-08-04 Current Issued 11/09/2007 Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH MBB-BK 117 C-2

What is a SAIB?

A Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin is an FAA-issued advisory — not mandatory like an AD, but worth knowing about. SAIBs typically flag service bulletins, manufacturer recommendations, or emerging issues that don't (yet) rise to AD level.

Bulletin text

Verbatim from the FAA-published PDF. 14 paragraphs · 332 words.

FAA Aircraft Certification Service SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN SUBJ: Night Vision Imaging System installation on BK -117C-2 Helicopters SAIB: SW-08-04 Date: November 9, 2007 This is information only. Recommendations aren’t mandatory.

Introduction

This Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) alerts owners and operators of Eurocopter BK117C-2 (EC145) rotorcraft equipped with a Eurocopter Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) lighting modification. Eurocopter flight manual supplement (FMS) 9.2-48, for Night Vision Imaging Systems (NVIS)/NVG, dated May 31, 2007 contains information that could be confusing to operators and principal operations inspectors (POIs).

Background

The Eurocopter FMS 9.2-48, Supplement for Night Vision Imaging Systems (NVIS)/NVG, dated May 31, 2007, page 4 of the supplement, section 2.4 Approved night vision goggle (NVG) contains the following statement:

“The NVGs ITT 4949 and NOGALIGHT NL-93 have demonstrated the compatibility with the aircraft lighting system.”

This statement is misleading because it can lead operators / POIs to incorrectly assume that the FAA has accepted the use of NOGALIGHT NL-93 NVGs.

Currently, the FAA only recognizes the ITT 4949 as approved for the Eurocopter-installed NVIS lighting modifications for the BK117-C2 since it is the only NVG type that the FAA has evaluated and accepted for the BK117-C2.

While the NOGALIGHT NL-93 has been accepted for use in Europe, it is not a Class B NVG and does not comply with TSO-C164. Therefore, the NOGALIGHT NL-93 NVGs have NOT been accepted by the FAA, to date.

Recommendations

1. Use only ITT 4949 NVGs with BK117C-2 with Eurocopter installed NVIS lighting modifications. NOGALIGHT NL-93s are not accepted for use with the lighting modification prescribed by FMS 9.2-48 in the United States.

2. For all other FAA-approved NVIS cockpit modifications, use only the NVG specified in the limitations of the RFM. To date, the ITT 4949 and the Northrop-Grumman / Litton M949 are the only two NVG models which the FAA has accepted for NVG operations.

For Further Information Contact

Clark Davenport, ASW-112, FAA Rotorcraft Standards Staff Flight Test, Human Factors, NVIS; phone 817-222-5151 or [email protected].

The FAA-published PDF is the authoritative source. Open on drs.faa.gov ↗