Runway incursions happen, and Honeywell is focusing on software that will help reduce their numbers.

According to the FAA, a runway incursion is any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take off of aircraft. A surface incident is a closely related event that occurs when there is an unauthorized or unapproved movement within the designated area (excluding runway incursions), or there is an occurrence in that same area associated with the operation of an aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of flight. 

Honeywell is working on Surface Alert, or SURF-A, a software technology that will help pilots avoid both.

SURF-A uses GPS data, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) equipment, and advanced analytics to pinpoint the exact location of traffic hazards. According to Thea Feyereisen, a flight safety expert, Honeywell’s SURF-A software will be like adding an ever-vigilant “third set of eyes” in the cockpit of an airliner or business jet.

“SURF-A will improve flight crew situational awareness and reduce the risk associated with runway incursions, which are happening more frequently as flight hours increase and airports get busier,” said Feyereisen, who is a senior technical fellow at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. 

At the present time, there are groundside systems that warn air traffic controllers of potential problems. SURF-A will provide a warning to pilots creating a multifaceted approach to runway safety as it gives pilots real-time aural and visual alerts when they’re on a trajectory to collide with an aircraft or ground vehicle within 30 seconds. 

According to the FAA, there are four categories of runway incursion, classified as A, B, C, and D. SURF-A targets Categories A and B, which are the most serious as they are narrowly missed collisions or there is a significant potential for collision, which may result in a time critical corrective/evasive response to avoid a collision.

According to Feyereisen, Honeywell has been working on the technology for several years, including tests in Europe and the U.S..

“Things slowed down during COVID-19, but now that flight numbers are back, the margins of safety are more and more narrow,” she said, adding that the company is galvanized when there is a lack of separation or a near miss.

Part of Honeywell’s research includes analyzing FAA data on runway incursions and analyzing the human factors elements. There are a great many ATC operators who are retiring and younger, less-experienced personnel moving into their positions. The same can be said for the cockpits of airliners as the regional and legacy carriers hire relatively low-time pilots to meet their customer demand for travel.

Honeywell, which successfully tested SURF-A capabilities during a series of flights in December has plans to begin demonstration flights in its Boeing 757 this summer for regulators, airlines, and news media representatives in the U.S. and Europe. 

“It was gratifying to see how effective SURF-A was in our flight tests at alerting pilots so they could execute avoidance maneuvers,” Feyereisen said. “The system checked all the boxes, and we gathered lots of information that will help us accelerate the development and certification processes over the next two years. 

The new technology joins Smart X, Honeywell’s portfolio of runway safety products that also includes Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS) and the SmartRunway and SmartLanding software introduced 15 years ago. Available through a software upgrade to an aircraft’s required enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), they can boost flight crew situational awareness during taxi, takeoff, and landing.

Honeywell anticipates a “forward fit” opportunity, meaning aircraft will be outfitted with it before they leave the factory.

SURF-A will have the ability to determine where the aircraft is positioned and if there is another aircraft still on the runway.

“Using this knowledge of own ship position, I know if I am taking off and if another aircraft is still on the runway the algorithm in addition to GPS position of the other aircraft will let me know there is an another aircraft on the runway as soon as I advance the throttles,” said Feyereisen.

Part of this is made possible by information obtained from each aircraft’s ADS-B Out data, said Brad Miller, Honeywell chief engineer. In the air, ADS-B gives an auditory and visual warning when traffic is detected nearby.

“This is the extension of that, it implements this runway safety function,” Miller said.

As long as the other vehicle has ADS-B on board, SURF-A will be able to detect it.

The auditory warnings can be in either a male or female voice. Honeywell has professional voice actors who record the required messages “with an appropriate sense of urgency,” according to Miller. The airlines choose which gender they want.

Honeywell expects SURF-A to be released in 18 to 24 months.

The post Honeywell Developing Software to Reduce Runway Incursions appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The flight planning app’s new aircraft on-runway feature provides critical warning systems by notifying pilots on final approach if there is an airplane on the runway upon which they intend to land. The feature also warns the crew of the aircraft on the runway that another is approaching. For the function to work, aircraft must be connected to an ADS-B or FLARM, or “flight alarm” receiver.

• READ MORE: ATC Staff Shortages Reportedly Posing Challenges at Austin Airport

The updates emerge as reports of serious runway incursions have become more frequent amid an increase in air traffic congestion and understaffing at key ATC facilities. A number of near-miss events—including episodes at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (KAUS) and New York’s Kennedy International Airport (KJFK)—made headlines earlier this year, leading to calls for aviation system safety improvements. In response, the FAA held a safety summit in March to discuss ways to mitigate incursions. The agency also awarded more than $100 million to a dozen airports to help prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

According to FAA data, an average of three to four incursions occur daily in the U.S. Confusing runway markings and airport signage, and runway or taxiway layout are among the risk factors contributing to problems. The agency also found that roughly 65 percent of all runway incursions are caused by pilots, of which general aviation pilots account for 75 percent.

ForeFlight’s aircraft on-runway alerts aim to provide pilots with more situational awareness. 

In addition to the runway alerts, ForeFlight has introduced ADS-B traffic breadcrumbs, allowing pilots to check the recent flight paths of nearby aircraft to see which runways and procedures are in use. Users can tap any airborne or grounded aircraft to see its trail in green along with information about the target. ForeFlight has also added a new day/night overlay feature, so users can see where night has fallen around the world as well as the real-time day/night boundary right on the map.

• READ MORE: Watchdog Report: FAA ‘Lacks a Plan’ to Address ATC Shortages

All plans may utilize the new aircraft on-runway and day/night overlay features. However, a Pro Plus subscription is required to access the ADS-B traffic breadcrumbs.

The post New ForeFlight Safety Update Includes Runway Alert appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

On July 6, the Transportation Department’s (DOT) Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced its intent to review the FAA’s methodology for data analysis, risk identification, and measures to mitigate runway incursions. 

The audit comes as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating six incursion events since the beginning of the year. While the number of runway incursions has remained relatively stable, the industry has seen an increase in the most serious ones in which disaster was narrowly avoided.

• READ MORE: Watchdog Report: FAA ‘Lacks a Plan’ to Address ATC Shortages

In one such instance, a FedEx Boeing 767 and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 came within 115 feet of each other in poor visibility conditions. The incident on February 4 at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (KAUS) could have ended in tragedy if not for the quick reaction of the FedEx pilots to conduct a go-around.

Several other near misses in Massachusetts, Florida, and New York have dominated media coverage, triggering public concern and scrutiny of the aviation industry as a whole. Ongoing events led then FAA acting administrator Billy Nolen to call for a March Safety Summit—the first  since 2009.

“These recent incidents must serve as a wake-up call for every single one of us, before something more catastrophic occurs, before lives are lost,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said during the summit.

On May 23, the NTSB hosted a roundtable with aviation leaders, safety experts, and government officials to discuss the state of the runway incursion issues and possible solutions. Homendy noted a total of 365 runway incursions this year, including the six  being investigated. She also mentioned that low staffing levels can have a significant impact on safety and called for more funding for the FAA.

• READ MORE: Who’s to Blame for Flight Disruptions During Fourth of July? 

As it stands, the agency is short about 3,000 air traffic controllers with plans to hire 1,500 this year and an additional 1,800 next year as it grapples with pandemic-related training backlogs. But a recent OIG audit of the agency contends the FAA has made a limited effort to ensure adequate staffing.

In the report, it was disclosed that 77 percent of critical air traffic facilities were staffed below the agency’s 85 percent threshold. The audit also revealed several facilities required mandatory overtime and six-day workweeks to cover staff shortages. Additionally, it highlighted that of the FAA’s 13,300 controllers, 26 percent are trainees.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg admitted it would take years for the FAA to be comfortable with its controller staffing: “I think it’ll be a while before we’re at levels we’d like to see.”

According to a Reuters report, the FAA said it welcomes the scrutiny and looks forward to sharing its progress with OIG.

The post DOT Watchdog Agency to Audit FAA Safety Protocols appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The arrival alert notices (AAN) are graphics that depict the approach to a particular airport with a history and description of its relative risk. So far, 11 airports have arrival alert notices implemented.

The FAA is also finally standardizing hot spot symbology and verbiage to ease confusion among pilot and air traffic controllers. A hot spot is a location on an airport movement area with a history or potential risk of collision or runway incursion, where pilots and drivers should pay careful attention. A “wrong surface event” occurs when an aircraft lines up with or lands on the incorrect runway, taxiway, or airport.

At the moment, there is no standard shape to designate hot spots on airport diagrams within chart supplements and the terminal procedures publication; they are charted with various squares, rectangles, circles, ovals, and ellipses with no pattern or consistency. 

But starting May 19, the FAA will standardize these symbols to three shapes with two distinct meanings: a circle or ellipse for ground movement hot spots and a cylinder for wrong surface hot spots.

Even very experienced pilots can sometimes lapse in judgment and find themselves at the wrong spots. The FAA has taken several steps to address these wrong surface events. However, there’s still a need for more permanent awareness of them, especially to general aviation pilots, who contribute up to 83 percent of these wrong surface events. 

Moreover, many wrong surface events occur in typically good weather conditions during the daytime. Most of the time, the pilot has read back the correct landing or departure clearance.

It’s Still Up to Pilots

Despite all of these advances, pilots need to be more proactive. 

I recall planning for my multiengine instructor (MEI) check ride, and the final prep required my instructor to go over an airport incursions lesson plan with me. At first, we thought it was silly until we recognized all the mitigations that were in place to help pilots, yet how persistent this problem continued to be. 

Airport lighting, signage, marking, and new technologies like electronic flight bags, GPS, and ADS-B-equipped aircraft all indicate where an aircraft is and if it’s approaching a runway.

Personally, if I was ever confused at an unfamiliar airport, I was in too much of a hurry. It’s easy to feel the pressure looming over you if you are at a busy airport and don’t want to clog the system.

So, what can you do to relieve some of the pressure? There are plenty of options. In most cases, what has helped me most is being familiar with the entire airport layout, and a thorough briefing. 

Familiarize Yourself with the Airport

For one, get to know the airport chart. While you don’t want to create expectation bias, chances are, if you land or depart on a particular runway and are planning to visit a specific FBO—unless otherwise depicted in a NOTAM—if there is an air traffic controller located at the airport, they tend to have a standard way to route people to a destination on the airport. 

With technology like LiveATC.net, pilots can listen ahead to understand the traditional route. The goal isn’t to plan specifically to go the exact way, but to be familiar with your options beforehand. You ought to review what might be possible from multiple runways or taxiways if the winds shift, or if there might be instances where ATC repositions you due to opposite direction traffic as you taxi. 

I find that being familiar with the options reduces the anxiety if there are sudden changes in the instruction.

Brief Yourself Before You Move

A complete pilot briefing before moving has yet to fail me. I suspect that pilots who’ve found themselves in the wrong place might admit that one of the holes in the Swiss cheese series of events that led to their deviations was that they probably didn’t do a proper briefing. 

Again, don’t succumb to the pressure from other pilots who might be in a hurry or even your own undue pressure. Take the time to outline your clearance before moving. Write it down or sketch it on your airport diagram. If you’re flying with another pilot, confirm the plan with each other before you move. 

• READ MORE: Previous editions of “What a CFI Wants You to Know”

While pilots still make mistakes doing ATC readbacks, never skip this step to confirm the right instructions—they might catch something you missed. If it’s ever confusing, remember that ATC is a pilot service, and progressive taxi instructions are available. Sometimes ATC can offer the incorrect clearance too. In your head, the instructions should also make sense. Otherwise, if you’re at a non-towered airport, briefing your plan is all the more pertinent, but pay attention to the flow of traffic there. 

Do a Review or Ask for Help

Don’t let complacency get to you. If you haven’t refreshed your airport signage and markings in a while, or if your flying has been irregular, don’t be embarrassed to reach out to a more proficient pilot to explain things you might be hung up about. There are also training materials out there, such as apps or videos, that can help make it easier to visualize these things. There’s no reason not to get caught up to speed. 

While it is encouraging to see the new system of protection the FAA is putting in place to help pilots, a pilot’s commitment to safety will be the most significant hedge against wrong surface events.

The post How Pilots Can Help Prevent Wrong Surface Events appeared first on FLYING Magazine.