---
title: "SPO.IDE.H.146 Lightweight flight recorder — Part-SPO · Avioverse"
description: "Turbine-engined helicopters with an MCTOM of 2 250 kg or more shall be equipped with a flight recorder if all the following conditions are met:"
url: "https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/air-ops/part-spo/subpart-d/spo-ide-h-146"
---

# SPO.IDE.H.146 Lightweight flight recorder

ANNEX VIII (Part-SPO) · Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

Official sources: [EASA Easy Access Rules (opens in a new tab)](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-access-rules-air-operations) · [EUR-Lex 2012/965 (opens in a new tab)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0965)

IR Implementing rule

## SPO.IDE.H.146 Lightweight flight recorder

(a) Turbine-engined helicopters with an MCTOM of 2 250 kg or more shall be equipped with a [flight recorder](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/flight-recorder) if all the following conditions are met:

(1) they are not within the scope of point SPO.IDE.H.145(a);

(2) they are used for commercial operations;

(3) they are first issued with an individual CofA on or after 5 September 2022.

(b) The flight recorder shall record, by means of flight data or images, information that is sufficient to determine the flight path and [aircraft](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/aircraft) speed.

(c) The flight recorder shall be capable of retaining the flight data and the images recorded during at least the preceding 5 hours.

(d) The flight recorder shall automatically start to record prior to the [helicopter](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/helicopter) being capable of moving under its own power and shall stop automatically after the helicopter is no longer capable of moving under its own power.

(e) If the flight recorder records images or audio of the flight crew compartment, then a function shall be provided which can be operated by the pilot-in-command and which modifies image and audio recordings made before the operation of that function, so that those recordings cannot be retrieved using normal replay or copying techniques.

IR · SPO.IDE.H.146 — Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · Regulation (EU) 2021/1296 · Air OPS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

AMC Acceptable means of compliance

## AMC1 SPO.IDE.H.146 Lightweight flight recorder

OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

(a) If the [flight recorder](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/flight-recorder) records flight data, it should record at least the following parameters:

(1) relative time count,

(2) pitch attitude or pitch rate,

(3) roll attitude or roll rate,

(4) heading (magnetic or true) or yaw rate,

(5) latitude,

(6) longitude,

(7) [positioning](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/positioning) system: estimated error (if available),

(8) pressure altitude or altitude from a positioning system,

(9) time,

(10) ground speed,

(11) positioning system: track (if available),

(12) normal acceleration,

(13) longitudinal acceleration, and

(14) lateral acceleration.

(b) If the flight recorder records images, it should capture views of the main instrument displays at the pilot station, or at both pilot stations when the [helicopter](https://avioverse.aero/glossary/easa/helicopter) is certified for operation with a minimum crew of two pilots. The recorded image quality should allow reading the following indications during most of the flight:

(1) magnetic or true heading,

(2) time (if presented on the front instrument panel),

(3) pressure altitude,

(4) indicated airspeed,

(5) vertical speed,

(6) slip,

(7) OAT,

(8) attitude (if displayed),

(9) stabilised heading (if displayed), and

(10) main rotor speed.

(c) If the flight recorder records a combination of images and flight data, each flight parameter listed in (a) should be recorded as flight data or by means of images.

(d) The flight parameters listed in (a), which are recorded as flight data, should meet the performance specifications (range, sampling intervals, accuracy limits and resolution in read-out) as defined in the relevant table of EUROCAE Document ED-112 ‘Minimum Operational Performance Specification for Crash Protected Airborne Recorder Systems’, dated March 2003, or EUROCAE Document ED-155 ‘Minimum Operational Performance Specification for Lightweight Flight Recording Systems’, dated July 2009, or any later equivalent standard accepted by EASA.

(e) The operational performance requirements for the flight recorder should be those laid down in:

(1) EUROCAE Document ED-155 or any later equivalent standard accepted by EASA for lightweight flight recorders; or

(2) EUROCAE Document ED-112 or any later equivalent standard accepted by EASA for crash-protected flight recorders.

AMC · AMC1 SPO.IDE.H.146 — Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · ED Decision 2021/005/R · Air OPS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

GM Guidance material

## GM1 SPO.IDE.H.146 Lightweight flight recorder

ADDITIONAL USEFUL INFORMATION

Refer to GM1 SPO.IDE.A.146.

GM · GM1 SPO.IDE.H.146 — Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · ED Decision 2021/005/R · Air OPS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

GM Guidance material

## GM1 SPO.IDE.H.146(e) Lightweight flight recorder

FUNCTION TO MODIFY IMAGE AND AUDIO RECORDINGS

Refer to GM1 SPO.IDE.A.146(e).

GM · GM1 SPO.IDE.H.146(e) — Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · ED Decision 2021/005/R · Air OPS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

GM Guidance material

## GM2 SPO.IDE.H.146 Lightweight flight recorder

INSTALLATION OF CAMERAS

Refer to GM2 SPO.IDE.A.146.

GM · GM2 SPO.IDE.H.146 — Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · ED Decision 2021/005/R · Air OPS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

GM Guidance material

## GM3 SPO.IDE.H.146 Lightweight flight recorder

RECORDING ACCURACY OF ATTITUDE RATE PARAMETERS

Refer to GM3 SPO.IDE.A.146.

GM · GM3 SPO.IDE.H.146 — Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 · ED Decision 2021/005/R · Air OPS Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 27 Mar 2026

[All rules in SUBPART D: INSTRUMENTS, DATA AND EQUIPMENT](https://avioverse.aero/regulations/easa/air-ops/part-spo/subpart-d)

Consolidated from the EASA Easy Access Rules (revision 27 Mar 2026, extracted 2 Nov 2026) for convenience. Not the official publication — verify against the Official Journal of the European Union and the EASA publications before operational use.