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Runway safety is concerned with reducing harm that could occur on an aircraft runway. Safety means avoiding incorrect presence (incursion) of aircraft, inappropriate exits (excursion) and use of the wrong runway due to confusion. The runway condition is a runway's current status due to meteorological conditions and air safety. [1]
Several terms fall under the flight safety topic of runway safety, including incursion, excursion, and confusion. [2]
Runway incursion involves an aircraft, and a second aircraft, vehicle, or person. It is defined by ICAO and the U.S. FAA as "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." [3] [4]
Runway excursion is an incident involving only a single aircraft, where it makes an inappropriate exit from the runway. This can happen because of pilot error, poor weather, or a fault with the aircraft. [5] A runway overrun is a type of excursion where the aircraft is unable to stop before the end of the runway.
Runway excursion is the most frequent type of landing accident, slightly ahead of runway incursion. [6] For runway accidents recorded between 1995 and 2007, 96% were of the 'excursion' type. [6]
Runway confusion is when a single aircraft uses the wrong runway, or a taxiway, for takeoff or landing. [7] Runway confusions are considered a subset of runway incursions. Three major factors that increase the risk of runway confusion include airport complexity, close proximity of runway thresholds, and joint use of a runway as a taxiway. [8] Examples of runway confusion incidents include Singapore Airlines Flight 006, Comair Flight 5191 and Air Canada Flight 759.
The U.S. FAA publishes an annual report on runway safety issues, available from the FAA website. [4] [9] [10] New systems designed to improve runway safety, such as Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS) and Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS), are discussed in the report. AMASS narrowly prevented a serious collision in the 2007 San Francisco International Airport runway incursion.
In the 1990s, the U.S. FAA conducted a study about a civilian version of 3D military thrust vectoring to prevent jetliner catastrophes [11]
Some instruments for runway safety include ILS, LLWAS, Microwave landing system, Transponder landing system, as well as Runway Awareness and Advisory System.
The "runway condition" is a runway's current status in relation to current meteorological conditions and air safety.
According to the JAR definition, a runway with water patches or that is flooded is considered to be contaminated.
Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment (TALPA) was introduced in 2016, whereby airport operators report Runway Condition Codes (RWYCC) for take-off and landing.
In response to an increase in runway incursions, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched several initiatives aimed at improving runway safety. One notable effort is the Runway Incursion Mitigation (RIM) program, which focuses on identifying and addressing specific risk factors at airports with a history of incursions. This program has successfully mitigated risks at numerous locations by enhancing signage, improving taxiway markings, and reconfiguring airport layouts to reduce confusion among pilots and ground vehicles. As of 2023, the FAA has identified 131 unmitigated RIM locations across 80 airports and has implemented mitigation strategies at 99 of these sites, resulting in a significant reduction in runway incursions [12]
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a human-made surface or a natural surface. Runways, taxiways and ramps, are sometimes referred to as "tarmac", though very few runways are built using tarmac. Takeoff and landing areas defined on the surface of water for seaplanes are generally referred to as waterways. Runway lengths are now commonly given in meters worldwide, except in North America where feet are commonly used.
On the evening of Friday, February 1, 1991, USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737-300, collided with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft, upon landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). As Flight 1493 was on final approach, the local controller was distracted, though air traffic was not heavy at LAX, by a series of abnormalities, including a misplaced flight progress strip and an aircraft that had inadvertently switched off the tower frequency. The SkyWest flight was told to taxi into takeoff position, while the USAir flight was landing on the same runway.
Cuyahoga County Airport, also known as Robert D. Shea Field, is a public use airport in northeastern Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. Owned and operated by Cuyahoga County since 1946, it also serves Lake County and Geauga County. The airport is located 10 nautical miles east of downtown Cleveland and sits on the border of three cities: Highland Heights, Richmond Heights and Willoughby Hills. It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation reliever airport for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
Runway Status Lights (RWSL) are a visual alerting system installed in some airport taxiways and runways for the purpose of collision-avoidance. When illuminated, red high-intensity LEDs indicate the presence of another vehicle either departing, occupying, or landing on an active runway. RWSL systems are fully-automated and intended to alert aircrews and ground vehicle operators of a potential runway incursion hazard. They operate as an additional layer of safety, independent of human-issued air traffic control clearances.
Frankfort Dow Memorial Field is a public use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) southeast of the central business district of Frankfort, a city in Benzie County, Michigan, United States. It is owned by the Frankfort City-County Airport Authority. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a general aviation facility.
Treasure Coast International Airport is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northwest of the central business district of Fort Pierce, a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. It is owned by the St. Lucie Board of County Commissioners.
A runway excursion is a runway safety incident in which an aircraft makes an inappropriate exit from the runway.
A runway incursion is an aviation incident involving improper positioning of vehicles or people on any airport runway or its protected area. When an incursion involves an active runway being used by arriving or departing aircraft, the potential for a collision hazard or instrument landing system (ILS) interference can exist. At present, various runway safety technologies and processes are commonly employed to reduce the risk and potential consequences of such an event.
Brandywine Airport is a public-use general aviation airport in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, three miles northeast of West Chester. It is designated as a reliever airport and a regional general aviation airport by the FAA. It is privately owned by the New Brandywine Airport Club Inc, with a single fixed-base operator, aircraft repair, as well as flight training in both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. The American Helicopter Museum and Education Center is located adjacent to the airport, with taxiway access.
Waukegan National Airport is a public airport in Waukegan, in Lake County, Illinois. The airport is 40 miles (64 km) north of Chicago. It was originally Waukegan Memorial Airport. It has been operated by the Waukegan Port District since 1956. In January 2014 under a FAA reclassification of many small airports, the airport was renamed Waukegan National Airport
Newark–Heath Airport is a public airport located in Heath, Ohio. It is three miles (4.8 km) southwest of the central business district of Newark, a city in Licking County, Ohio, United States. The airport was opened in 1930 by the city of Newark, and was transferred to the Licking County Regional Airport Authority in 1967. The airport currently has a McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II S.N. 64–0683 on static display.
Union County Airport is a public use airport in Union County, Ohio, United States. It is owned by the Union County Airport Authority and located one nautical mile (2 km) southeast of the central business district of Marysville, Ohio. This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.
Mesquite Metro Airport is a public use airport in Dallas County, Texas, 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) east of the central business district of Mesquite. The airport is west of the border of Dallas County and Kaufman County.
Aero Valley Airport is a privately owned, public use airport 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) northwest of Roanoke, in Denton County, Texas, United States.
Grimes Field is a city-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) north of the central business district of Urbana, a city in Champaign County, Ohio, United States. The airport is named after Warren G. Grimes, a forefather in the field of aviation lighting, and his Grimes Manufacturing Company operated the airport until 1987. It primarily serves general aviation traffic. Although it is owned by the City of Urbana, Grimes Field is self-supporting.
Dalton Airport is a privately owned, public use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) east of the central business district of Flushing, in Genesee County, Michigan, United States. It is named after its founder, Edwin P. Dalton, who opened it in 1946 on the former site of the Marsa farm.
Harrison County Airport is a public use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) south of the central business district of Cadiz, a village in Harrison County, Ohio, United States. It is owned by the Harrison County Airport Authority. This airport was included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.
On July 7, 2017, an Airbus A320-211 operating as Air Canada Flight 759 was nearly involved in an accident at San Francisco International Airport in San Mateo County, California, United States. The flight, which originated at Toronto Pearson International Airport, had been cleared by air traffic control to land on runway 28R and was on final approach to land on that runway; however, instead of lining up with the runway, the aircraft had lined up with the parallel taxiway, on which four fully loaded and fueled passenger airplanes were stopped awaiting takeoff clearance. The flight crew initiated a go-around prior to landing, after which it landed on 28R without further incident. The aircraft on the taxiway departed for their intended destinations without further incident. The subsequent investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the Air Canada airplane descended to 59 feet (18 m) above the ground before it began its climb, and that it missed colliding with one of the aircraft on the taxiway by 14 feet (4.3 m).
Airport surveillance and broadcast systems are a set of runway-safety tools that display aircraft on and near an airport.
The Sandusky City Airport is a public-use airport located three miles north of the city of Sandusky, Michigan. The airport is publicly owned by the city.