AAIB Report: Piper PA-46-310P Malibu, N264DB, 21st January 2019
Safety Recommendation: 2020-008
Safety Recommendation Text
2020-008: It is recommended that the Civil Aviation Authority require piston engine aircraft which may have a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning to have a CO detector with an active warning to alert pilots to the presence of elevated levels of carbon monoxide.
CAA latest update
The CAA has been highly engaged on the issue of carbon monoxide (CO) in general aviation (GA) over the last four years and has pursued multiple safety initiatives to highlight the risk posed by CO and what can be done to mitigate it. The main initiatives undertaken include launching a webpage dedicated to CO in GA, publishing (and updating) Safety Notice SN-2020/003, releasing two podcasts, publishing a Clued Up article, running two GA pilot surveys (Results), and conducting a 12-month in-depth study of active CO detectors in GA aircraft (Report).
In February 2024, we also ran a public consultation seeking stakeholder views on the challenges facing pilots in obtaining an active CO detector, the importance of protecting passengers from CO, the role that maintenance plays in combatting CO, and whether active CO detectors ought to be mandatory for some operations. The consultation ran for four weeks and the results were published in a Comment Response Document (CRD) in August.
Based on the findings from the recent consultation as well as the extensive work conducted over the last four years, we have taken the decision to introduce a limited mandate requiring an active CO detector for specified piston engine aircraft operations. On August 30th 2024, we published Safety Directive SD-2024/001 requiring a functioning active CO detector, capable of alerting pilots via aural and/or visual warnings, to be present in specified piston engine aircraft when operating with passengers on board who do not hold a recognised pilot qualification. The directive comes into force from January 2025.
By introducing Safety Directive SD-2024/001, the CAA has sought to balance safety and proportionality, whilst prioritising the protection of passengers who are not expected to be aware of CO in piston engine aircraft. Although the safety directive focusses on passenger
protection, we nevertheless strongly recommend that all pilots of piston engine aircraft at risk of CO fly with an active CO detector. We will continue to monitor the risk of CO in piston engine aircraft operations to determine the effectiveness of the safety directive and whether any changes are required.
The public consultation also highlighted the need for additional guidance on selecting an active CO detector, securely mounting the devices in aircraft, and responding to alerts. We recently published a dedicated CO Safety Sense Leaflet covering these topics, as well as others.
Next update due
29 February 2025
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