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 industry. The FAA anticipated that the final order would be published in June 1998. On April 15, 1998, the Safety Board stated that it would wait to review the final order.

On August 7, 1998, the FAA stated that, on February 13, 1998, it issued a revision (Change 17) to Order 8260.3B, "United States Standard Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS)," which requires descent angles and descent gradients to be computed for nonprecision approaches by the FAA and subsequently depicted on aeronautical charts supplied by the National Ocean Service. The FAA indicated that the angles and descent gradients would be integrated during biennial reviews of each instrument approach procedure. According to the FAA, Change 17 states that the optimum gradient on the final approach segment is 318 feet per nautical mile, which approximates a 3° descent angle and allows VNAV-equipped aircraft to perform a stabilized descent on final approach using a computed VNAV path. Depiction of a descent gradient allows pilots to determine a target rate of descent to be maintained to fly a stabilized final approach path. Change 17 also addresses the elimination of a step-down fix through manipulation of either the FAF altitude/location or the step-down fix altitude/location. When use of the step-down fix cannot be avoided, the descent angles are provided for the portion of the final segment from the step-down fix to the runway threshold.

Additionally, the FAA stated that, on May 26, 1998, it issued Order 8260.47, "Barometric Vertical Navigation (VNAV) Instrument Procedures Development." According to the FAA, this order contains criteria for design of stand-alone area navigation approaches using barometric VNAV guidance on the final approach segment. Approaches so designed are to specify the vertical path angle from the FAF to the runway threshold. In addition, the MDA of a conventional nonprecision approach has been replaced by a decision altitude. The FAA stated that the use of a decision altitude was authorized because an allowance has been made for height loss during a missed approach and an obstacle assessment has been conducted of the visual segment (runway threshold to decision altitude point) and found to be clear of obstructions.

Because the new standards met the intent of Safety Recommendation A-96-128, it was classified "ClosedAcceptable Action" on December 8, 1998.

Safety Recommendation A-96-129 asked the FAA to

Examine and make more effective the coordinating efforts of the flight inspection program and the procedures development program, with emphasis on ensuring quality control during the development, amendment, and flight inspection process for instrument approaches.

On February 24, 1997, the FAA said that it had established a test program to ensure interaction between the flight inspection program and the procedures development program. On June 11, 1997, the FAA stated that it completed its first test program to ensure interaction between the flight inspection program and the procedures development program. According to the FAA, the test program involved the placement of a liaison position (effective March 16, 1997) in the flight inspection central operations office to respond to queries and ensure resolution of all issues. The FAA added that the individual