1 INTRODUCTION

For safety reasons, Amsterdam ATC is equipped with functionality to check the selected barometric pressure setting (BPS) via Mode-S Enhanced Surveillance downlink.

All pilots arriving, departing or in transit through Amsterdam FIR are urgently requested to make sure that the downlinked BPS is correct.

For certain older Airbus aircraft, this includes setting QNH manually to 1013 instead of selecting 'STD'. Consider the procedure of EASA Safety Information Bulletin Airworthiness 2016-05R2 as shown below:

Due to a design error on certain Airbus aircraft types (see EASA Safety information bulletin airworthiness 2016-05R2), the previous value of barometric pressure setting (BPS) selected before pulling the control knob marked 'STD' on the altimeter or on the Flight Control Unit (FCU), continues to be downlinked to the ground via the SSR Mode S transponder. A correct BPS value transmission is required by the ground-based safety net systems to provide early warning of a potential deviation of the aircraft from the ATC cleared level.

EASA recommends the flight crews of the relevant Airbus aircraft to manually select a BPS of 1013 hPa when climbing through the transition altitude before pulling the control marked 'STD' on the altimeter or on the FCU. This will have the effect of transmitting, and continuing to transmit, a BPS setting of 1013 hPa to the ATC.

ISSN: 1386-6605