The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified Honeywell’s new helicopter enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) for technical design and production.

The warning system is an advanced protection tool to counter controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and obstacles in all weather conditions, in rough terrain and at low altitudes.

The EGPWS monitors terrain and obstacles in proximity to the helicopter and alerts the pilot in case of danger.

The FAA has recently released certification standards for helicopter terrain awareness and warning systems and the Honeywell’s mkXXI and XXII helicopter EGPWS is the first to receive approval for the standard.

Honeywell programme management vice-president TK Kallenbach said that the EGPWS systems were specifically engineered for rotary-wing operation and helicopter flight characteristics, and would make helicopters equipped with this technology much safer.

“Honeywell’s helicopter EGPWS provides superior and potentially life-saving information for flight crews, even when flying in changing weather with poor visibility, in rough terrain, or at low altitudes,” Kallenbach said.

At present, the system is installed on over 1,300 helicopters.