wes timmons, director of runway safety, faa april 2009 federal aviation administration runway...

Wes Timmons, Director of Runway Safety, FAA

April 2009

Federal AviationAdministration

Runway Safety:

Sun ‘N Fun Update

Sun ‘N Fun Federal AviationAdministrationApril 2009

323 326 327 330 370

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07

1

All Categories

Tower Operations (millions)

4.5

6.5

5.5

6.0

7.0

4.0

5.0

Ru

nw

ay

Inc

ursio

n R

ateR

un

way In

cursio

ns p

er 1,000,000 To

wer O

peratio

ns

YTD 09/30/07

5.14 5.16

62.78 63.12

5.19

RUNWAY INCURSIONS

Rate est. 6.07* as of 09/30/07

63.01

* Rates are based on Estimated Tower Operations

5.40

61.13


730

779 816

893 1009

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000


All Categories


9.0

13.0

11.0

12.0

14.0

8.0

10.0

Ru

nw

ay

Inc

ursio

n R

ateR

un

way In

cursio

ns p

er 1,000,000 To

wer O

peratio

ns

YTD 03/26/0863.12 63.01

RUNWAY INCURSIONS – ICAO Definition

61.13


61.15

15.0


Category A&B Rates and Counts(FY 2007)

2

0 0

1

3

1 1

4

5

3

0

1

0 0

1

2

1 1

3 3 3

2

0

1

0 0 0

1

0 0

1

2

0

2

0

40.375

0.194

0.397

0.429

0.393

0.378

0.3020.2330.240.251

0.1530.134

0.000

0.100

0.200

0.300

0.400

0.500

0.600

0.700

0.800

OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP

Cat

ego

ry A

&B

Ru

nw

ay In

curs

ion

s p

er M

illio

n O

per

atio

ns

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FY07 Actual Monthly Cat A&B Count Monthly Cat A Count

Monthly Cat B Count Performance Reference Rate

FY07 Estimated Rate FY06 Actual Rate

Performance Reference Rate FY 2006 = 0.530

Rates are updated after the close of each month and reflect

performance since the beginning of the FY.

5

Total Category A&B Runway Incursions YTD FY 2007: 24Total Category A&B Runway Incursions YTD FY 2006: 31


FAA’s Runway Safety Call To Action• Recent close calls at some of our nation’s busiest

airports show that action must be taken to reduce the risk of runway incursions and wrong runway departures.

• Led by Acting FAA Administrator Bobby Sturgell, more than 40 aviation leaders from airlines, airports, air traffic control and pilot unions, aerospace manufacturers, agreed on August 15, 2007, to an ambitious plan focused on solutions in: cockpit procedures, airport signage and markings, air traffic procedures, and technology.

ORD-T-06-E-10-v2-1.exe


Wrong Runway Event Risks:

• Short Taxi Distance• Airport Complexity• One Taxiway Leading to Multiple Runway

Thresholds• Close Proximity of Multiple Runway Thresholds• More than 2 Taxiways Intersecting in One Area• Short Runway (< 5,000 feet)• Joint Use Runway/Taxiway• Single Runway


Air Traffic Procedures

• Conduct a safety risk analysis of: explicit taxi clearance instructions, explicit runway crossings clearances, take off clearances, multiple landing clearances (including landing clearances too far from the airport). Adapt international phraseology such as "line-up and wait" instead of the U.S. "position and hold" phraseology.

• Explicit taxi instructions and take off clearances implemented. Explicit runway crossing clearances and “line up and wait” scheduled for Fall 2009.


Category A&B Rates and Counts(FY 2008)

2

3

5

2

0

1

3

2

0 0

1

0

3

2

0

0.486

0.377

0.684

0.627

0.000

0.100

0.200

0.300

0.400

0.500

0.600

0.700

0.800


Cat

ego

ry A

&B

Ru

nw

ay In

curs

ion

s p

er M

illio

n O

per

atio

ns

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

FY08 Actual Monthly Cat A&B Count Monthly Cat A Count

Monthly Cat B Count Performance Reference Rate



Rates are updated after the close of each month and reflect

performance since the beginning of the FY.

6


ORD-T-06-E-10-v2-1.exe

C:\Documents and Settings\Wes Timmons\St


FY 2008 Category A&B Rates and Counts

1

32

0 01 1

01

0

21

1

03

21

10

0

2

2

01

0.486 0.4280.4270.43

0.377

0.684

0.627

0.5520.526

0.477

0.414

0.436

0.000

0.100

0.200

0.300

0.400

0.500

0.600

0.700

0.800


Cat

ego

ry A

&B

Ru

nw

ay In

curs

ion

s p

er M

illio

n

Op

erat

ion

s

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Cat

ego

ry A

&B

Rw

y In

curs

ion

Co

un

ts

Monthly Cat A Count Monthly Cat B Count Performance Reference Rate



Rates are as of the report date and reflect performance since the

beginning of the FY.


7


Reducing Pilot Deviations

• The majority of runway incursions are caused by pilots in violation of regulations and air traffic control instructions–also known as pilot deviations.


779816

892

1009

423

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200



12.0

10.0

14.0

Ru

nw

ay

Inc

ursio

n R

ateR

un

way In

cursio

ns p

er 1,000,000 To

wer O

peratio

ns

YTD 03/30/09

12.36

63.01

13.34

Rate est. 16.82* as

of 03/30/09

61.13


14.57

61.15

16.0

All Categories of Runway Incursions

2

18.0

17.23

58.56


Category A&B Runway Incursions

0

10

20

30

40

50

60



Categ

ory A

&B

Ru

nw

ay Incu

rsion

Rate

Ru

nw

ay Incu

rsion

s per 1,000,000 T

ow

er Op

eration

s

YTD 03/30/09

0.500

0.400

0.30029 31

0.460


63.01

24

0.200

0.507

61.13

25

0.100

61.15

0.392

0.600

0.000

3

58.56

0.427

Rate est. 0.159 * as of 03/30/09 Performance Reference =

0.472 *

4


Definition of Program: Conceptual Diagram of RWSL System


Definition of Program: System Description

Runway Entrance Lights (REL) provide signal to aircraft crossing runway from intersecting taxiway

Takeoff Hold Lights (THL) provide signal to aircraft in position for takeoff

Airport surveillance sensor inputs are processed through safety logic that commands in-pavement lights to illuminate red when there is traffic on or approaching the runway


Questions??