Glossary of Aviation Terms | EGPWS

EGPWS | Paramount Business Jets

The introduction of the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System has played a major part in the improvement of flight safety over the last two decades. EGPWS improves terrain awareness and warning times by introducing the Terrain Display and the Terrain Data Base Look Ahead protection. The system can monitor the airplane's location and altitude and provides a map-type display of the surrounding terrain. It also alerts if the airplane approaches too close to terrain, a body of water, or a tall structure. It protects aircraft from controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and approach-and-landing accidents (ALAs). The original Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) concept relied on information from the air data system and radio altimeter. EGPWS takes it to a higher level by using data from satellite systems and databases containing information on a digital elevation model (a digital presentation of the terrain elevation features on a topographic map) and an aeronautical database. The development of EGPWS has significantly decreased the risk of controlled flight into terrain.