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GPS approach with a expired database

Asked by: 6444 views FAA Regulations

Can you  legally shoot a GPS approach with a expired database?

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  1. Russ Roslewski on Mar 01, 2018

    It depends. First, of course, on what country you are in (since we have a lot of non-U.S. posters here).

    For the U.S.:
    Read the flight manual supplement for your GPS. With the Garmin 430W, for example, the standard flight manual supplement clearly states you have to have an up-to-date database for approaches, but you can fly enroute navigation just by verifying waypoints (if you wanted to).

    If the flight manual supplement is silent on this issue, then you must verify that your database is more current than the latest update of the approach chart you’re using.

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  2. John D Collins on Mar 01, 2018

    Russ,

    It very much depends on which version of GNS430W AFMS you are operating under. All versions allow for changes during an AIRAC cycle, and versions thru 4.0 are worded such that as long as one verifies the approach data in the expired database is still current, the approach may be flown. That is different than requiring the approach database to be current. It is also easy to verify that the approach data is still current or not in the expired database by comparing the revision date or the procedure amendment date on a current chart with the effective date of the expired database. As long as the effective date of the expired database is the same or later than the procedure amendment date on a current chart and there are no NOTAMs on the procedure that make it NA, then the expired database can be used.

    Also see the wording in the AIM, table 1-1-6, note 3 which applies to GPS IFR Approach and reads as “3 Requires current database or verification that the procedure has not been amended since the expiration of the database.” In August of 2010, that wording replaced the earlier AIM wording that read as “3 Requires current database.”

    So technically it depends on the AFMS wording. But as a practical matter, if the pilot validates the procedure amendment date precedes or is the same as the effective date of the expired database, the data for the approach in the expired data base is identical to the data in the current database.

    Note that the procedure amendment date was introduced to charts for this purpose. Not all pilots know what a procedure amendment date is or how to locate it on the chart. Anytime a change affects the procedure, this date is updated. This date is different than the chart date which may be updated more often, for example if a tower frequency was added, as this would have no effect on the procedure database.

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