In the event of a partial failure of cockpit displays, when is a report to the NTSB necessary?

In aviation regulations, the requirement to report incidents to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is primarily governed by the nature and severity of the failure. A partial failure of cockpit displays, especially critical navigational and operational displays, can significantly affect the safety and performance of an aircraft.

When more than 50% of the displays fail, it typically indicates a severe level of malfunction that could compromise the pilot’s ability to operate the aircraft safely. Such a situation can lead to operational limitations and increase the risk of accidents, thus necessitating a report to the NTSB. This reporting is crucial because it not only allows for the investigation of the incident but also helps in identifying potential issues that could affect future flights and enhances overall aviation safety.

In contrast, reporting requirements for other situations, such as a single display failure or less than half of the displays being affected, may not meet the threshold for mandatory reporting. Additionally, total failure during Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) does pose a serious hazard, but it is already contained within the broader concern of significant malfunction, which is addressed in the over 50% failure scenario.

Overall, the key aspect is understanding that a failure of multiple displays, especially crossing the threshold of 50%, signals