<s>
In	O
aviation	O
,	O
a	O
terrain	B-Device
awareness	I-Device
and	I-Device
warning	I-Device
system	I-Device
(	O
TAWS	B-Device
)	O
is	O
generally	O
an	O
on-board	O
system	O
aimed	O
at	O
preventing	O
unintentional	O
impacts	O
with	O
the	O
ground	O
,	O
termed	O
"	O
controlled	O
flight	O
into	O
terrain	O
"	O
accidents	O
,	O
or	O
CFIT	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
U.S.	O
Federal	O
Aviation	O
Administration	O
(	O
FAA	O
)	O
introduced	O
the	O
generic	O
term	O
TAWS	B-Device
to	O
encompass	O
all	O
terrain-avoidance	O
systems	O
that	O
meet	O
the	O
relevant	O
FAA	O
standards	O
,	O
which	O
include	O
GPWS	O
,	O
EGPWS	O
and	O
any	O
future	O
system	O
that	O
might	O
replace	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2007	O
,	O
5%	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
commercial	O
airlines	O
still	O
lacked	O
a	O
TAWS	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
study	O
by	O
the	O
International	O
Air	O
Transport	O
Association	O
examined	O
51	O
accidents	O
and	O
incidents	O
and	O
found	O
that	O
pilots	O
did	O
not	O
adequately	O
respond	O
to	O
a	O
TAWS	B-Device
warning	O
in	O
47%	O
of	O
cases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
factors	O
can	O
still	O
place	O
aircraft	O
at	O
risk	O
for	O
CFIT	O
accidents	O
:	O
older	O
TAWS	B-Device
systems	O
,	O
deactivation	O
of	O
the	O
EGPWS	O
system	O
,	O
or	O
ignoring	O
TAWS	B-Device
warnings	O
when	O
an	O
airport	O
is	O
not	O
in	O
the	O
TAWS	B-Device
database	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
proposed	O
final	O
rule	O
,	O
the	O
FAA	O
is	O
using	O
the	O
broader	O
term	O
“	O
terrain	B-Device
awareness	I-Device
and	I-Device
warning	I-Device
system	I-Device
”	O
(	O
TAWS	B-Device
)	O
because	O
the	O
FAA	O
expects	O
that	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
systems	O
may	O
be	O
developed	O
in	O
the	O
near	O
future	O
that	O
would	O
meet	O
the	O
improved	O
standards	O
contained	O
in	O
the	O
proposed	O
final	O
rule	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
TAWS	B-Device
improves	O
on	O
existing	O
GPWS	O
systems	O
by	O
providing	O
the	O
flight	O
crew	O
much	O
earlier	O
aural	O
and	O
visual	O
warning	O
of	O
impending	O
terrain	O
,	O
forward	O
looking	O
capability	O
,	O
and	O
continued	O
operation	O
in	O
the	O
landing	O
configuration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
98-11	O
,	O
Terrain	B-Device
Awareness	I-Device
and	I-Device
Warning	I-Device
System	I-Device
,	O
proposing	O
that	O
all	O
turbine-powered	O
U.S.-registered	O
airplanes	O
type	O
certificated	O
to	O
have	O
six	O
or	O
more	O
passenger	O
seats	O
(	O
exclusive	O
of	O
pilot	O
and	O
copilot	O
seating	O
)	O
,	O
be	O
equipped	O
with	O
an	O
FAA-approved	O
terrain	B-Device
awareness	I-Device
and	I-Device
warning	I-Device
system	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
amendments	O
amended	O
the	O
operating	O
rules	O
to	O
require	O
that	O
all	O
U.S.	O
registered	O
turbine-powered	O
airplanes	O
with	O
six	O
or	O
more	O
passenger	O
seats	O
(	O
exclusive	O
of	O
pilot	O
and	O
copilot	O
seating	O
)	O
be	O
equipped	O
with	O
an	O
FAA-approved	O
TAWS	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2006	O
,	O
aircraft	O
upset	O
accidents	O
had	O
overtaken	O
CFIT	O
as	O
the	O
leading	O
cause	O
of	O
aircraft	O
accident	O
fatalities	O
,	O
credited	O
to	O
the	O
widespread	O
deployment	O
of	O
TAWS	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
7	O
,	O
2006	O
,	O
the	O
NTSB	O
called	O
on	O
the	O
FAA	O
to	O
require	O
all	O
U.S.-registered	O
turbine-powered	O
helicopters	O
certified	O
to	O
carry	O
at	O
least	O
6	O
passengers	O
to	O
be	O
equipped	O
with	O
a	O
terrain	B-Device
awareness	I-Device
and	I-Device
warning	I-Device
system	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
President	O
Barack	O
Obama	O
awarded	O
the	O
National	O
Medal	O
of	O
Technology	O
and	O
Innovation	O
to	O
Bateman	O
in	O
2010	O
for	O
his	O
invention	O
of	O
GPWS	O
and	O
its	O
later	O
evolution	O
into	O
EGPWS/TAWS	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
modern	O
TAWS	B-Device
works	O
by	O
using	O
digital	O
elevation	O
data	O
and	O
airplane	O
instrumental	O
values	O
to	O
predict	O
if	O
a	O
likely	O
future	O
position	O
of	O
the	O
aircraft	O
intersects	O
with	O
the	O
ground	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Class	O
A	O
TAWS	B-Device
includes	O
all	O
the	O
requirements	O
of	O
Class	O
B	O
TAWS	B-Device
,	O
below	O
,	O
and	O
adds	O
the	O
following	O
additional	O
three	O
alerts	O
and	O
display	O
requirements	O
of	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Required	O
:	O
Class	O
A	O
TAWS	B-Device
installations	O
shall	O
provide	O
a	O
terrain	O
awareness	O
display	O
that	O
shows	O
either	O
the	O
surrounding	O
terrain	O
or	O
obstacles	O
relative	O
to	O
the	O
airplane	O
,	O
or	O
both	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Class	O
B	O
TAWS	B-Device
is	O
defined	O
by	O
the	O
U.S.	O
FAA	O
as	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Optional	O
:	O
Class	O
B	O
TAWS	B-Device
installation	O
may	O
provide	O
a	O
terrain	O
awareness	O
display	O
that	O
shows	O
either	O
the	O
surrounding	O
terrain	O
or	O
obstacles	O
relative	O
to	O
the	O
airplane	O
,	O
or	O
both	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Class	O
C	O
TAWS	B-Device
equipment	O
shall	O
meet	O
all	O
the	O
requirements	O
of	O
a	O
Class	O
B	O
TAWS	B-Device
with	O
the	O
small	O
aircraft	O
modifications	O
described	O
by	O
the	O
FAA	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FAA	O
has	O
developed	O
Class	O
C	O
to	O
make	O
voluntary	O
TAWS	B-Device
usage	O
easier	O
for	O
small	O
aircraft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Older	O
TAWS	B-Device
,	O
or	O
deactivation	O
of	O
the	O
EGPWS	O
,	O
or	O
ignoring	O
its	O
warnings	O
when	O
airport	O
is	O
not	O
in	O
its	O
database	O
,	O
or	O
even	O
the	O
entire	O
EGPWS	O
altogether	O
still	O
leave	O
aircraft	O
vulnerable	O
to	O
possible	O
CFIT	O
incidents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
aircraft	O
was	O
equipped	O
with	O
TAWS	B-Device
made	O
by	O
Universal	O
Avionics	O
Systems	O
of	O
Tucson	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
Russian	O
Interstate	O
Aviation	O
Committee	O
TAWS	B-Device
was	O
turned	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
airport	O
where	O
the	O
aircraft	O
was	O
going	O
to	O
land	O
(	O
Smolensk	O
(	O
XUBS	O
)	O
)	O
is	O
not	O
in	O
the	O
TAWS	B-Device
database	O
.	O
</s>
