GEN 1.5 AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS, EQUIPMENT AND FLIGHT DOCUMENTS
1. GENERAL
Commercial air transport aircraft operating in the Sultanate of Oman must adhere to the provisions of ICAO Annex 6 Operation of Aircraft, and any differences thereto as notified by the Sultanate of Oman.
2. INSTRUMENTS TO BE CARRIED
Specific details of the requirements of Annex 6 are contained in the Oman Civil Aviation Regulations.
Details of the minimum requirements for the carriage of radio equipment are listed on the page GEN 3.4-1 para 4.2.
3. FLIGHT DOCUMENTS TO BE CARRIED
3.1 The aircraft flight manual or other documents or information concerning any operating limitations prescribed for the aircraft by the certificating authority of the State of Registry.
3.2 Current and suitable charts for the route of the proposed flight and all routes along which it is reasonable to expect that they may divert the flight.
3.3 Procedures, as prescribed in Annex 2, for pilots-incommand of intercepted aircraft.
3.4 A list of visual signals for use by intercepting and intercepted aircraft, as contained in Annex 2.
4. REQUIREMENT TO CARRY AN AIRBORNE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM (ACAS II) IN THE MUSCAT FIR
4.1 Introduction
4.1.1 In accordance with Civil Aviation Regulation CAR OPS-1.668 of The Sultanate of Oman, all turbine-powered aircraft having a certified take-off mass in excess of 5700 KG, or a maximum approved passenger seating configuration of more than 19, are required to be equipped with a serviceable Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) in the Muscat FIR.
4.1.2 The minimum system performance of the equipment must meet the requirements of ICAO Annex 10 Volume IV.
4.1.3 In the event of failure of ACAS equipment on aircraft that are away from their maintenance base, that aircraft may be dispatched with an unserviceable ACAS equipment if authorised by the State of Registry (i.e.approved MEL item) and if acceptable to the ATC unit (providing en-route or approach procedures do not require its use). Aircraft operating with unserviceable ACAS under this MEL dispensation shall indicate the unserviceability in Item 18 of the flight plan (Other information).
4.1.4 The following conditions apply against this MEL dispensation to return the aircraft to base:
a) The aircraft navigation system shall be equipped with at least one GPS receiver;
b) Where agreed Regulations and Procedures exist, these shall be maintained;
c) The application of an internal Rectification Interval Extension (RIE) by the operator as per CAR MEL.013(a), is not permissible with this equipment type failure;
d) An ICAO compliant altitude reporting transponder must be fitted and serviceable before departure;
e) An ACAS MEL dispensation will be valid for a period from the time of entry in the Technical log as an approved MEL item;
f) Conditions may be imposed by one or more States, which may include:
i operating within certain restrictive hours, or
ii via specific routes, or
iii at stated flight levels (for safety reasons or otherwise).
g) The flight must be conducted along the most direct (or permissible) route to the delivery or maintenance destination airport.
4.1.5 Aircraft operators are to ensure compliance with the above conditions, the MEL dispensation flight is in accordance with the operator's originally stated intentions, and that it must comply with any conditions laid down by the CAA and subsequently by the ATC authorities.
4.1.6 Operators of aircraft intending to operate under the provisions of this MEL approved item must seek approval to conduct the flights through the airspace of other ATC units from the appropriate State authorities.
4.1.7 In the event when ACAS is inoperative, any aircraft with an unserviceable transponder as well as an unserviceable TCAS will not be permitted within the Oman FIR for which mandatory carriage of a transponder is required.
4.2 Procedures
4.2.1 The following in-flight procedures shall be followed by flight crews in the operation of ACAS:
a) The ACAS equipment shall be kept on while operating in the Muscat FIR.
b) In the event of a Traffic Advisory (TA), the pilot should attempt to establish visual contact with the approaching traffic and change the flight path only if a collision risk is visually established;
c) In the event of a Resolution Advisory (RA), the pilot should respond in accordance with the collision avoidance manoeuvre prescribed by the ACAS system. In addition, the pilot should undertake a visual search for the conflicting traffic and a scan of the airspace into which his own aircraft might manoeuvre;
d) The alteration of the flight path shall be limited to the minimum extent necessary to comply with the RA;
e) Pilots who deviate from an ATC instruction or clearance in response to a RA shall promptly return to the terms of that instruction or clearance when the conflict is resolved;
f) Pilots shall, as soon as possible, notify the appropriate ATC unit any RA which requires a deviation from the current ATC instruction or clearance and, when the conflict is resolved, of returning to the terms of the original ATC instruction or clearance;
g) Written notification of the RA is to be submitted promptly to The Civil Aviation Authority of Oman.
4.3 General
4.3.1 Nothing in the procedures specified in section 4.2 above shall prevent pilots-in-command from exercising their best judgement and full authority in the choice of the best course of action to resolve a traffic conflict.
4.3.2 In accordance with the requirements of ICAO Annex 2 and Civil Aviation Regulation 91.123 of The Sultanate of Oman, the departure of an aircraft from the terms of its ATC instruction or clearance in response to a RA is sanctioned, provided that the ACAS equipment and its installation are certified by the state of Registry and that its operation by flight crew is in accordance with the instructions for the use of this equipment specified in the company's operations manual or equivalent document, if not the holder of an Air Operator's Certificate.
4.3.3 Once an aircraft departs from an ATC instruction or clearance, the controller ceases to be responsible for providing standard separation between that aircraft and other aircraft affected as a direct consequence of that RA manoeuvre. The controller's responsibility resumes when either:
a) The controller acknowledges a report from the flight crew of the aircraft that had reported the RA that it has resumed its assigned instruction or clearance; or
b) The controller acknowledges a report from the flight crew of an aircraft that had reported the RA that it is returning to its assigned instruction or clearance and then issues an alternative clearance which has been acknowledged by the flight crew.