Definition
A mathematical procedure applied to navigation data that produces a check value used to verify the data has not been altered or corrupted between the database provider and the avionics that use it. If the data is changed in any way during transfer, storage, or loading, the check value will not match and the system flags the data as invalid.
Plain English
A built-in math check that confirms the navigation data in the aircraft's system is exactly the same as what the database provider sent. If anything got changed or damaged along the way, the check fails and the system knows not to trust the data.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of how navigation procedure data is checked by database providers before it reaches the aircraft system.
Derivation
From Greek 'algorithmos,' a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem, named after the 9th-century mathematician al-Khwarizmi. 'Error detection' simply means spotting mistakes. Together: a defined procedure for spotting mistakes in data.
Why Pilots Care
Undetected data errors can lead to navigation deviations during instrument flight; reliable error detection helps prevent these risks.
Analogy
It is like checking a delivery list against the boxes that arrived. The check may not tell you exactly why something is wrong, but it warns you that the shipment should not be trusted until it is checked.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as a tool that automatically fixes errors. In this context, it is mainly a check that detects a possible data problem so people or systems can act on it.
Example Sentence 1
The avionics ran an error detection algorithm on the navigation database during loading and confirmed the data was uncorrupted before allowing it to be used.
Example Sentence 2
Before releasing an update, providers run error detection algorithms to confirm all navigation fixes meet required accuracy standards.