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Interesting

Amit

Active Member
Thought some of you might find this interesting:

Found a good deal on a uAvionix UAT bundle, so decided to bite the bullet and equip the Bad Chicken with what would make me 2020 legal.

With the system installed in the window channel above the -7 baggage compartment, and a new belly antenna just behind the baggage compartment rear wall, I went ahead and flew a test in rule airspace.

Upon return, I submitted the request for a PAPR and within minutes I got a response that included the PAPR report (no red) and a GAIRS doc that stated I was only in the rule airspace for 23 minutes, not the full required 30. It also stated that it will be reviewed, so I don't need to go and re-fly immediately.

The one thing I noticed was that it said 1090 analysys, not UAT.

I thought that was strange for two reasons:
A. GAIRS only makes sense if you apply for a FAA rebate, and the uAvionix Echo is not TSOd so no FAA rebate (but uAvionix has a rebate program now).
B. The uAvionix system only transmits over 987, not 1090.

I waited for the review from the FAA and to make a longish story short, it turns out that
A. They never received a UAT transmission from me.
B. The 1090 transmission they received for 23 minutes was from another aircraft (I believe in the Boston area) that had my ICAO code set into their (1090) transponder.

So:
1. An interesting error that may have never been found had I installed ADS-B.
2. The FAA does not cross check the N-Number and the ICAO replies on ADS-B replies to flag problems like this.
3. I need to fix my installation.

Blue Skies and Happy Landings to all.
 
Follow-up from the FAA

Amit,

This problem is not unique and we have seen many other aircraft squawking the wrong ICAO code. Flight Standards in Washington DC is well aware of the problem and is actively working it.

This is the same office that is contacting the operator that is squawking your ICAO.
 
Good to know

Using the Echo App on my phone to set the parameters on the Echu UAT unit (ICAO octal code, N-number, etc), I needed to disable the mobile network (think airplane mode, with WiFi enabled). Otherwise the App would give an incorrect confirmation that the data was sent and updated.

Must be an issue with multiple network interfaces working at once under Android Pie. I understand that iOS 12 has a similar problem.

Easy to do once you know of it.

Got a clean PAPR.
 
FAA is not interested..

Amit,

This problem is not unique and we have seen many other aircraft squawking the wrong ICAO code. Flight Standards in Washington DC is well aware of the problem and is actively working it.

This is the same office that is contacting the operator that is squawking your ICAO.

I contacted the ATL FSDO a while back to tell them there was a Bonanza in south Florida that had my N Number emitting on ADSB. Their reply basically, so what do you want us to do about it. They actually gave me the email to the automated ADSB test link.

Our tax dollars at work.
 
I don't know if it's the same thing or not but I looked my N number up on flight tracker/flight aware and see that my N number flew a flight in south Florida. It has never been any further south than SunNfun. Another thing that I don't understand is flights that I did make.... using flight following with a specific squawk code set in the transponder don't show up. I thought they would.
 
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