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General - Errors and Deviations

Please note: Sections that are highlighted in Yellow indicate new topic areas or important changes in criteria or policy.

Errors

Error: means an action or inaction by the flight crew that leads to a variance from operational or flight crew intentions or expectations.

Minor Error

An action or inaction that is inconsequential to the completion of a task, procedure or manoeuvre, even if certain elements of the performance vary from the recommended best practices.

Major Error

An action or inaction that can lead to an undesired aircraft state or a reduced safety margin, if improperly managed; or an error that does not lead to a safety risk, but detracts measurably from the successful achievement of the defined aim of a sequence/item.

Critical Error

An action or inaction that is mismanaged and consequently leads to an undesired aircraft state or compromises safety such as:

  • Non-compliance with CARS or non-adherence to mandated standard operating procedures; or

  • Repeated improper error management or uncorrected and unrecognized threats, which risk putting the aircraft in an undesired state; or

  • Repeated major errors or the non-performance of certain criteria prescribed in the Performance Criteria* that are essential to achieving the Aim* of a test sequence/item.

    * defined in the applicable Flight Test Guide.

Deviations

Deviation: means a variance in precision with respect to a specified tolerance published for a manoeuvre within a test item or sequence, which is a result of pilot error or faulty handling of the aircraft.

Minor Deviation

A deviation that does not exceed a specified tolerance.

Major Deviation

A deviation that exceeds a specified tolerance or repeated minor deviations without achieving stability.

Critical Deviation

A major deviation that is repeated, excessive or not corrected, such as:

  • Repeated non-adherence to specified tolerance limits; or

  • More than doubling the specified value of a tolerance limit; or

  • Not identifying and correcting major deviations.
Date modified:
2010-05-20