Suggestions for Improving Runway Safety

Suggestions for Improving Runway Safety David Lotterer Regional Airline Association NTSB Runway Incursion Forum March 27, 2007 Regional Airline Association Introduction to Regional Airlines • Regional operators transport 23% of domestic airline passengers (scheduled service) • Regional airlines operate one third (2,700 aircraft) of the commercial airline fleet and operate 47 percent of the scheduled flights (lower 48) (5.4 million flights in 2005) – 2,200 operate in Part 121 (1,700 are RJ’s, 500 are turboprops) – 500 operate in Part 135 • RAA represents 45 members who operate the larger fleets and aircraft types within the regional network. Regional Airline Association RAA Committees- Active in Promoting Safety and Sharing Best Practices • • • • • Safety Director Committee Ramp Safety Working Group Flight Technology Committee Regional Operations Council In-Flight Committee • Annual Forums (e.g. Memphis, TN, May 21-24, 2007) • Member’s only Web Site: – Post Best Practices, particularly for Ramp Safety • Hot Button Program – Sharing best practices, safety and regulatory concerns Regional Airline Association CAST Safety Enhancement 51 RAA members commitment to: • Standard Operating Procedures – Runway Incursion Prevention (completed) • Recommended best practice for mechanics and others who tow or otherwise move aircraft within the airport movement area. • FAA provided CD (Taxi 101) as guidance for mechanics and others who move aircraft within airport movement areas. Regional Airline Association Best Practice – Maintenance Taxi Operations • • • • Training: Class room instruction (Taxi 101), followed by OJT for run-ups and taxi. Recommended training- Have the mechanic perform five OJT engine run-ups, five OJT rides, then a check ride. Airport Tower/Airline Agreement: Develop a plan to keep the communication process readily understandable. E.g. provide for unique call signs for maintenance taxi operations. Select call signs so that they are not confused with runway or taxiway designators (i.e. REPO Blue 2, REPO Red 4 etc.). Use a different call sign for each movement. Aircraft Tracking (for ASDE-X radar equipped airports) Assign unique transponder codes to the call signs (i.e. REPO White 6 is permanently assigned xpdr code 1235). The aircraft taxi with the transponder and altitude reporting "ON". Each repositioning aircraft is then displayed with an identifying tag on the ASDE-X ATC radar. Simplify Aircraft Taxi Routes: Avoid runway crossings whenever possible. Operator should take a slightly longer route if fewer runways crossing can be avoided. Airport should assign higher priority to aircraft repositioning activities. Regional Airline Association CAST RECOMMENDATION RAA members commitment to: • Safety Enhancement 49: Runway Incursions • Standard Operating Procedures – Runway Incursion Prevention (completed) • All operators establish, document, train and follow SOPs for ground operations. • Ref: Advisory Circular 120-74A, "Flightcrew Procedures During Taxi Operations" Regional Airline Association Future of Moving Map Displays • Will display map technology ever be considered as more than just an aid for ground operations? – “Heads up” versus “Heads down” – What’s best for the pilot? – “Primary” versus “Supplemental” • Accuracy of display • Redundancy • Electronic Flight Bag (for display of moving maps) serves other useful purposes – Potential to reduce pilot workload for preflight Suggestion for improving runway safetyImprove the Charting Process •Major disconnect between airport operators and charting suppliers •Another disconnect- ATC uses gov’t produced charts; operators use commercial charts •Airports have no formal process for communicating data exchange for both users •Part 139.339 provides for NOTAM after change has occurred –Chartering suppliers need at least 21 day advance notification of change •The use of moving map displays for ground operations lacks reliability unless the charting process can be improved Suggestion for improving runway safetyreduce pilot workload during preflight •Overhaul the NOTAM Process –RAA Flight Tech Committee provided a 5 step issue paper to FAA in 2003 for improving the NOTAM; we have not seen any changes –Accounts for the most paper in the dispatch release –Accounts for the most time consumed by crews in pre-taxi particularly for short ground stops; and –Format difficult to convert to an electronic format (EFB usage) Regional Airline Association NextGen Safety Team- Goal #1 Strategies: • Increase usefulness and understandability of information • Increase the reliability and the accuracy of information • Improve collaborative decision making Measures: • Assure the timeliness of the information • Reduce the manipulation required to access needed information • Reduce miscommunication Regional Airline Association Before we add more technology to the cockpit, let’s get our… and improve on our current processes and procedures Regional Airline Association QUESTIONS? REGIONAL AIRLINE ASSOCIATION (www.raa.org)