FDM-120Systems & warnings

Master warning event

A recorded master warning or equivalent highest-priority crew alert occurs during aircraft operation.

4Signal groups
9Flight phases
3Safety topics
12Reading links

What the profile screens for

A recorded master warning or equivalent highest-priority crew alert occurs during aircraft operation.

Why it matters

The master warning is an entry point, not a diagnosis; analysis must identify the initiating system, sequence, response, and outcome.

Flight-phase contextTaxiTakeoffInitial ClimbClimbCruiseDescentApproachLandingGo Around
Risk lensesAirworthiness / system limitAircraft upset / loss of control

Build the event around relationships—not one number.

01 · Gate

Define the operating context

Identify the taxi / takeoff / initial climb / climb / cruise / descent / approach / landing / go around state, aircraft configuration, location, and any required external data before applying logic.

02 · Detect

Screen the signal relationship

Use validated combinations of master warning, system warning states, crew alerting message; avoid treating one isolated value as the whole event.

03 · Validate

Confirm it is a genuine event

Check polarity, units, source, recording rate, dropouts, air/ground logic, persistence, and false-positive mechanisms.

04 · Contextualise

Connect data to the safety question

Review procedures, reports, weather, airport and traffic context, exposure, recurrence, and the strength of the related barriers.

Recorded signals that may help explain the event.

master warningsystem warning statescrew alerting messageaircraft state

Questions before conclusions

  1. Q1

    Are master warning, system warning states, crew alerting message valid, correctly decoded, time-aligned, and sampled well enough for this event?

  2. Q2

    What changed immediately before, during, and after the master warning event indication?

  3. Q3

    How do aircraft configuration, weather, airport geometry, automation state, and crew reports change the interpretation?

  4. Q4

    Which current flight manual, SOP, maintenance, or operator event definition controls the final conclusion?

Safety topics that broaden the event review.

Deep briefs3 detailed research guides

12 useful starting points

Terminology and topic relationships select these links; the publisher source remains authoritative.

No copied report filesSearch all related records →
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 21003 — SAFO 21003, Inspection of Lavatory Fire Extinguishing Bottles on Aircraft Parked or Stored for a Prolonged Period of Time in a High-Temperature Environment

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke and maintenance. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 18003 — SAFO 18003, Procedures for Addressing Odors, Smoke and/or Fumes In-Flight

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 16001 — SAFO 16001, Risks of Fire or Explosion when Transporting Lithium Ion or Lithium Metal Batteries as Cargo on Passenger and Cargo Aircraft

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke and cabin and cargo. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 16011 — SAFO 16011, Air Transport Restrictions for Recalled Lithium Batteries and Lithium Battery Powered Devices

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 15003 — SAFO 15003, Fire Risk of Electronic Cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in Checked Baggage

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 14002 — SAFO 14002, Global Positioning System ( GPS )/Global Navigation Satellite System ( GNSS ) Navigator/Autopilot Compatibility

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for flight controls and automation and navigation and surveillance. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 10004 — Contaminated Halon Fire Extinguishers

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 10021 — Adverse Levels of Porous Coke for All Engine and Oil Combinations

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for powerplant. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 08005 — Preflight of helicopter hydraulic systems to include validation of control movement smoothness and identification of adverse flight control “stick-jump.”

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for flight controls and automation and airworthiness and systems. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 08014 — Boeing 777 Extended Operations ( ETOPS ) Restrictions due to Cargo Fire Suppression System Shortfall

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke and cabin and cargo. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 08015 — Preflight check of helicopter hydraulic systems to include validation of control movement smoothness and identification of adverse flight control “stick-jump”

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for flight controls and automation and airworthiness and systems. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
U.S. Federal Aviation AdministrationRelated safety-topic match

SAFO 08018 — Fire Handle Characteristics, DC-9, MD-80 and MD-90 Airplanes

Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.

Open official source
EASA

Easy Access Rules for Air Operations — ORO.AOC.130

Official source
EASA / EOFDM

European Operators Flight Data Monitoring forum

Official source
FAA

AC 120-82 — Flight Operational Quality Assurance

Official source
UK CAA

CAP 739 — Flight Data Monitoring

Official source
ICAO

Doc 10000 — Manual on Flight Data Analysis Programmes

Official source