An ongoing dispute between NavWorx and the FAA over the company’s ADS-B navigation units escalated today, as the FAA issued an emergency order suspending the company’s authorization to manufacture the units. The FAA says it has the authority to inspect suppliers’ “quality systems, facilities, technical data, and products to determine whether they meet safety standards,” but NavWorx has “declined on repeated occasions to allow FAA personnel to conduct the required inspections.” The FAA said it is concerned that two versions of the company’s ADS600-B units may contain an internal GPS chip that does not meet the FAA’s minimum performance standards for transmitting an aircraft’s accurate location.
NavWorx has denied access to FAA inspectors on two occasions, in August and November, the FAA said, after initially agreeing that access would be allowed. “Due to the company’s unwillingness to comply with these requirements, the FAA has determined that NavWorx’s continued use of its FAA authorization is contrary to the interests of safety in air commerce,” the FAA said today. “During the suspension, NavWorx may not mark or otherwise indicate that its ADS600-B units meet FAA standards.” NavWorx said in a statement last month that the FAA “changed their [$500 rebate] system to stop sending traffic to our products for reasons unconnected to the performance or integrity of our products.”
