Federal Register #2026-13207

FAA mandates flight manual revisions for Boeing 747s due to 5G radio altimeter interference in Canadian airspace

This opportunity relates to a new airworthiness directive from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Boeing 747 series airplanes operating in Canadian airspace. - Government Buyer: - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Continued Operational Safety Branch, AIR520 - OEMs and Vendors: - The Boeing Company is the sole OEM mentioned - Products/Services Requested: - Revision of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) for non-radio altimeter tolerant Boeing 747 airplanes - 114 AFM revisions required - No specific part numbers or quantities for hardware; focus is on procedural changes - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Addresses unsafe conditions caused by 5G Lower C-Band (3.7-3.98 GHz) interference with radio altimeters in Canadian airspace - Mandates operational limitations for dispatch, takeoff, approach, landing, and go-around in affected airspace - Optional modifications to achieve radio altimeter tolerance can terminate these limitations - No procurement of new equipment is required unless operators choose to modify aircraft for radio altimeter tolerance - Technical Context: - The directive is an interim action and may be updated if Canadian 5G regulations change - Focus is on safety and compliance rather than acquisition of new products

Description

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 747-100, -100B, -100B SUD, -200B, -200C, -200F, -300, -400, -400D, and -400F series airplanes. This AD addresses interference issues with radio altimeters caused by wireless broadband operations in the 3.7-3.98 GHz frequency band (5G Lower C-Band) while operating in Canadian airspace. The interference may cause certain airplane systems to malfunction during critical phases of flight, increasing flightcrew workload and potentially reducing the ability to maintain safe flight and landing. The AD requires revising the airplane flight manual to incorporate limitations prohibiting certain operations requiring radio altimeter data when operating in Canadian airspace to mitigate this unsafe condition.

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