Runway Safety
News
- FAA To Expand Use of Runway Status Lights
- October 17, 2008
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded last week to Sensis Corporation a contract to install runway status lights at 22 major U.S. airports. Designed to improve runway safety at airports, runway status lights warn pilots when it is unsafe to cross or enter a runway. The FAA previously installed runway status light prototypes at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and San Diego International (SAN) airports, which proved effective in helping avoid potential runway conflicts. The FAA has now elected to install the lights at airports that are equipped, or being equipped, with Airport Surface Detection Equipment Model X (ASDE-X) systems as runway status lights use the ASDE-X surveillance data to operate. More. - FAA Declares March Surface Incident Awareness Month
- March 10, 2008
To raise awareness of runway incursions and to promote runway safety, the air traffic managers of several metropolitan FAA towers in the National Airspace System (NAS) are declaring March as “Surface Incident Awareness Month.” A key component of the program will be the emphasis on clear, concise, pilot-controller communications and read-back. Often when an incident occurs, it is due to a breakdown in communication. An FAA letter with additional details on this program is available at: http://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/runway/awarenessmonth.pdf - NTSB Recommendations Likely to Impact FAA Runway Safety Margin Discussions
- October 4, 2007
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a hearing to discuss its findings regarding the December 2005 accident of a Southwest Airlines’ Boeing 737 that ran off the departure end of runway 31 center (31C) at Chicago’s Midway Airport. The Board’s recommendations may feasibly impact the FAA’s Landing Distance Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) discussions and recommendations on takeoff and landing distance calculations; specifically, the assumptions and margins required to be included in the calculations. View additional information on the NBAA web site at http://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/runway/swa1248.php. - NBAA Encourages FAA to Use ARC to Address Landing Distance Issue
- November 13, 2006
NBAA last week submitted a letter to the FAA to encourage the use of an Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to address the landing distance calculations issue. NBAA believes that the requirements contained in the FAA’s June 7, 2006, Federal Register notice and incorporated into SAFO 06012 should undergo a more deliberate and considered process if the FAA believes that these requirements should apply to a wide spectrum of operations. “The FAA has an exemplary history using ARCs to address issues with significant controversy and wide impact,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “We believe that the FAA would again benefit from the use of this process to address landing distance calculations.” NBAA remains committed to working with the FAA to find solutions that reduce operational risk exposure in winter icing conditions. Download the letter (51KB, PDF) - Braking Action Common Terms Recommended by Industry-FAA Workgroup
- October 5, 2006
Due in part to industry requests for standardized guidance and concerns over adequately maintained winter runways, last August the FAA hosted a Runway Condition Determination, Reporting and Report Dissemination Workshop. The workshop's Common Terms and Definition Working Group developed a braking action document of standardized definitions and estimated correlations based on runway surface conditions and runway friction Mu values. The workgroup has requested all operators to voluntarily incorporate these definitions into their operations manuals for this winter season. The FAA continues its work with landing-distance issues. Turbojet fractional and charter operators have been encouraged by the FAA to review a safety alert for operators (SAFO) related to landing performance assessments at time of arrival, and to voluntarily comply with a new OpSpec/MSpec C382 on the same topic. NBAA has announced a discussion group to meet on October 18 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. during NBAA2006. To attend this session, RSVP to NBAA's Mike Nichols at mnichols@nbaa.org. Review the braking action terms and the SAFO. (27KB, PDF) - FAA Drops Landing Distance Assessment OpSpec to Pursue Future Rulemaking
- September 1, 2006
Following in-depth discussions this summer with NBAA staff and other industry members, the FAA has issued a safety alert for operators (SAFO) regarding "Landing Performance Assessment at Time of Arrival" for turbojet aircraft. The SAFO is based on the FAA policy statement on this topic that was published on June 7, 2006, and applies to air carriers, including business aviation operating under Part 135, Part 91 Subpart K or Part 125. While not mandatory, the FAA strongly encourages operators to voluntarily comply with a new C382 Operations Specification (OpSpec), which is similar to the draft C082 that will no longer be mandatory this year. NBAA will continue to press FAA to obtain answers to questions that the industry posed this summer, and NBAA will participate in the rulemaking process. Read the SAFO. - NBAA Voices Safety Concerns About FAA Landing Distance Assessment Requirement
- August 14, 2006
In June, the FAA published a notice announcing a new requirement for air carriers, including Part 91 Subpart K and Part 135 operators, to conduct a landing distance assessment just prior to landing, considering runway conditions, weather at time of arrival, airplane configuration and deceleration means. An additional 15-percent safety margin must be added to the landing distance calculation. The FAA is expected to announce a one-month implementation delay that would require air carriers to submit the compliance procedures to their principal inspectors by October 1, 2006, with full implementation by November 1, 2006. NBAA has significant concern that this new requirement, while intended to increase safety, could reduce safety and negatively impact fractional and charter aircraft operations. Last week, NBAA participated in a runway contamination workshop related to this notice and continues to address business aviation's concerns with the FAA. For more information, contact NBAA's Mike Nichols at mnichols@nbaa.org. - FAA Notice Would Change Landing Distance Calculations
- June 26, 2006
On Wednesday, June 7, 2006, the FAA issued a notice that would require turbojet aircraft owners to apply a landing distance correction factor based on reported runway braking action. This notice does not apply to operations conducted under FAR Part 91. The FAA’s corrected notice, issued on Friday, June 16, eliminated any confusion while also seeking comments from the industry. NBAA believes that this notice imposes new requirements on aircraft operators and as such, the Agency should subject this effort to a formal rulemaking process. Comments to the FAA are due no later than August 15, 2006.