Annex B: Certification Plan and Certification Basis (Steps 2a and 2b)

1. General

1.1 This annex provides guidance on developing the PBN certification plan and certification basis.

2. Rationale and Guidance – Certification Plan

2.1. The applicant is responsible for developing the certification plan and submitting it to DTAES 3 for approval. DTAES 3 will staff the plan to DTAES 6 for the review of the PBN technical aspects of the plan, specifically the certification basis, means of compliance and PBN Criteria Table. During the development of the plan, it is recommended that the applicant consult DTAES 6 staff for assistance.

2.2 In addition to the standard certification plan requirements defined in the TAM, Parts 2 and 3 (regulatory reference 3.2.1.a), the plan must include the following:

1. the currently approved type design and any approved PBN capabilities;
2. the new PBN capabilities to be certified (Step 1);
3. the current and proposed aircraft navigation system equipment configuration and nomenclature to be approved, including any differences across the fleet;
4. any operating configurations and equipment restrictions that affect PBN capabilities, including those for mission equipment and external stores. This information is used to determine the scope of compliance demonstration tests and analyses;
5. the proposed certification basis (Step 2a); and
6. how FAA AC 20-138D will be applied to develop the compliance program.

3. Rationale and Guidance – Certification Basis

3.1 As described in paragraph 4.2.1.b.(1) of the advisory, the certification requirements that will form the certification basis must be selected from one of the approved civil or military airworthiness codes identified in the ADSM (regulatory reference 3.2.1.b).

3.2 Table B-1 provides a listing of the certification requirements that should be considered when defining the certification basis for a PBN design change.

4. Rationale and Guidance – Means of Compliance

4.1 As described in the ADSM (regulatory reference 3.2.1.b), paragraph 3.3.7.13, the TAA has adopted AC 20-138D as the TAA’s preferred means of demonstrating compliance with the PBN certification requirements. However, this does not encompass the publication in its entirety. FAA Advisory Circular 20-138D is a large and complex document, designed to address a broad range of navigation equipment and capabilities. As a result, not all of the criteria in the AC will be applicable to any particular design.

4.2 The recommended approach is to identify the appropriate criteria from AC 20-138D for the required PBN capabilities defined in Step 1 – Identifying the PBN Capabilities to Be Certified. Once identified, the criteria should be collated to create the PBN Criteria Table, as described in Step 2c – Setting up the PBN Criteria Table.

4.3 Specialist knowledge and experience are required to interpret and select the appropriate criteria. The DTAES 6 engineering support staff should be engaged to assist in the selection of the applicable criteria and the development of the PBN Criteria Table. Guidance material for the development of the PBN Criteria Table is provided in Annex C.

4.4 The final step in demonstrating compliance is the identification of compliance artefacts, which will be provided to support the findings of compliance and design assessment. Examples of compliance artefacts include:

1. Design description documents;
2. Design analysis reports;
3. Integration lab test reports;
4. Aircraft ground and flight test reports;
5. Techncial Standard Order (TSO) Authorization (TSOA) or Military Standard Order (MSO) approval references; and
6. Approvals from other Airworthiness Authorities.

4.5 Table B-2 provides an example of PBN certification basis and compliance matrix. The first three columns in Table B-2 relate to the certification basis.