DO-160 Section 15 is one of the environmental qualification tests defined in RTCA DO-160.
What DO-160 Section 15 Covers, and Why It Exists
Section 15 determines the magnetic effect of equipment, mainly to establish the closest distance it can be installed from compasses or compass sensors (flux gates) without causing deflection that interferes with their accuracy. The test measures equivalent deflection of a free magnet in a uniform magnetic field and assigns a category based on the distance band at which the equipment’s interference drops to an acceptable level. The result directly drives where the equipment is allowed to sit relative to compass sensors.
The Typical Failure Pattern
Aircraft maintenance and avionics literature consistently identifies the most common real-world cause of compass and AHRS deviation as improper hardware installed during maintenance, fasteners or brackets made of the wrong ferromagnetic alloy, rather than a deliberate design flaw. Any avionics installation or equipment change can shift deviation enough to require a compass swing. The practical failure mode isn’t a dramatic incident, it’s a configuration-control and hardware-selection discipline problem that quietly degrades compass accuracy.
Why This Applies to Modern Galley Equipment
It’s easy to assume galley equipment is magnetically irrelevant because it sits far from the cockpit, but that assumption is weakening. Modern galley ovens increasingly use induction heating, which involves significant electromagnetic fields by design, and coffee makers, pumps, and blowers contain motors and solenoids that generate real magnetic fields. Equipment with any of these deserves an actual measurement rather than an assumption, because the installation-location requirement flows directly from the test result, and a unit with a larger-than-expected magnetic signature can constrain where it’s allowed to be installed.
How to Mitigate This
- If the design includes motors, solenoids, pumps, or induction heating elements, treat magnetic effect as a real test, not a formality
- Confirm actual compass and flux-gate locations on the target aircraft before assuming separation distance is automatically sufficient
- Specify and verify hardware alloy choices through installation, not just at the original design stage
Further reading: NTSB accident report archive.
How Eminent Helps: As galley ovens move to induction heating and equipment carries more motors and pumps, magnetic effect stops being a non-issue. Characterizing that signature and understanding what it means for installation is the kind of detail we help teams get ahead of. See how we support galley insert programs.
