Atlas Air Maintenance Training

TIP OF THE WEEK

AVIATION SAFETY & MAINTENANCE
Radio Altimeter (LRRA) Removal/Installation and 5G
Volume-23, Issue-04 Project Awareness 08-MAR-2023

BACKGROUND:
Currently, 5G C-Band Telecom network is being deployed in close proximity to airport runways and flight
operations. This deployment involves a new combination of power levels and frequencies that may cause
interference with the ability of Radio Altimeters to be relied upon to perform their intended function if
they experience interference from wireless broadband networks in the 5G C-Band range.
The FAA has recently released an NPRM which may impose restrictions on utilization of certain Radio
Altimeter part numbers on a wide number of affected airports. As part of a risk mitigation effort, Atlas
Air is upgrading and replacing various Radio Altimeter affected units to a more resilient Radio Altimeter
to ensure the safety of our operation and ensure compliance to mandatory regulations and other
Airworthiness Directives issued in 2022.

EFFECTIVITY: All B737-800, B767-300, B777-F, B747-400 & 747-8 aircraft

MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS:
The ongoing fleet upgrade and replacement plan involves removing affected Radio Altimeters, shipping
the removed Collins Radio Altimeters model LRA-900 to repair facilities and performing installation of the
upgraded units. The new units from Collins are model LRA-900+. These units contain an internal
frequency band-pass filter to prevent 5G interference. A series of Engineering Orders (EOs) has been
issued to accomplish these replacements. If any of the critical EO steps cannot be performed in a timely
and correct manner, it will impact the deadline to upgrade the affected airplanes. It is extremely
important to follow the steps in the EO and ensure the email notifications are made as per the
appropriate step to the correct groups in the EO.
Before performing any maintenance action that involves removal and installation of Radio Altimeter
maintenance personnel are advised to consider the following:
• Verify that the existing Low Range Radio Altimeters (LRRAs) are installed in shipsets only (Radio
Altimeters cannot be intermixed with multiple part numbers).

• Note that the 737-800 fleet has 2 Radio Altimeters installed. All other fleets have 3 Radio
Altimeters installed on each aircraft.

• Prior to performing the applicable EO, verify that the correct part number of LRRAs are in stock. If
there are not, do not perform the EO and notify maintenance planning.
• Never replace a single Radio Altimeter that does not match the other part numbers. Notify
5G@AtlasAir.com immediately if intermixed part numbers are found on any aircraft.

Atlas Air Maintenance Training Tressla V. Augustine

2000 Westchester Avenue 1 Manager, Maintenance Training-HDQ
Tressla.Augustine@Atlasair.com
Purchase, New York 10577
 Atlas Air Maintenance Training
TIP OF THE WEEK
AVIATION SAFETY & MAINTENANCE
Radio Altimeter (LRRA) Removal/Installation and 5G
Volume-23, Issue-04
Project Awareness 08-MAR2023

• When performing an EO that replaces LRRAs, ensure that removed units are sent to stores with a
proper serviceable or unserviceable tag. The units must be returned quickly to stores and sent to
Collins to maintain a seed pool of spare units. This can be coordinated with materials and repairs
to obtain the shipping information.

• The new Honeywell LRRAs (model ALA-52B) installed in the 767 fleet comes in both a
066-50007-0531 and 066-50007-0631 part number. The two part numbers cannot be intermixed,
and all three units must have the same part number despite the similarities.
• When performing an EO if any of the units are found unserviceable or fail functional test, remove
all units from aircraft and re-install the units originally removed as per the applicable EO
instructions (revert to the prior part numbers) and notify Atlas 5G Team (5G@AtlasAir.com) and
Maintenance Planning (hdqmaintplan@AtlasAir.com) via email about the discrepancy.

• For any questions or concerns about the Radio Altimeter replacements, please notify Avionics
Engineering (HDQAvionicsEngineering@AtlasAir.com) and Atlas 5G Team (5G@AtlasAir.com) via
email.

Atlas Air Maintenance Training Tressla V. Augustine

2000 Westchester Avenue 2 Manager, Maintenance Training-HDQ
Tressla.Augustine@Atlasair.com
Purchase, New York 10577