Prevention of Runway Incursions, Essay Example

Runway Incursions

Runway incursions occur when an object (usually a person, vehicle or aircraft) intrudes a protected area that has been designated for the takeoff and/or landing of aircraft. Even though runway intrusion are rare, in the United States, approximately 1 runway incursion occurs every day (Dillingham, 2008). Their occurrence usually leads to disasters of considerable proportions. Runway incursions usually stem from two main scenarios; (1) a pilot complies with a faulty ATC clearance, or (2) a pilot fails to comply with an effective ATC clearance. All these causes are attributed to human era.

A majority of the registered runway incursions in the United States has mainly been caused by pilots failing to comply with an effective ATC clearance (Dillingham, 2008). A cabin crew that is particularly new to a given airport is at a higher risk of being involved in a runway incursion. This risk is compounded when visibility is reduced to below a mile as a result of foggy conditions. This is evident in the Tenirife Airport disaster, which left 583 people dead (Dillingham, 2008). This is considered the deadliest plane crash when one considers the passengers and crew that were on board the two Boeing 747s.

Over the years, there have been a number of developments that have been ad regarding runway safety and reduction of runway incursions. Both technical and non-technical initiatives have been employed in numerous airports worldwide.

Technical Initiatives

AMASS (Airport Movement Area Safety System). This is one of the most effective technological tools in preventing ground incursions. It is fundamentally a radar-based system that traces all ground movements and issues audio and visual alerts in the event of potential collisions on taxiways and runways.

ASDE-X (Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X). This surface detection technology provides more precision by integrating data from a number of sources including Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B), transponder multilateration systems and radars.

Airfield Changes; a number of changes to the airfield design have been adopted to reduce runway incursions. End-round taxiways have been developed in a number of airports to reduce the risk of intruding on a runway that is being used for landing or takeoff.

Non-technical Initiatives

Runway Safety Council

The FAA Call to Action; tis initiative by the FAA emphasizes on strict adherence to designed procedure and regular training for ground and cabin crews. One of the main aims of the initiative is to minimize pilot distractions and enhance situational awareness.

Pilot Outreach Efforts

Actions by pilots are the root causes of runway incursions. As such, the FAA has developed a number of outreach initiatives targeting pilots. These include a pilot handbook published by the FAA, highlighting all the essential communication procedures. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has partnered with the FAA and created two online courses specifically designed to train pilots on runway safety matters.

System Utilization, Logistics Management

System modification is the redesigning or alteration of a whole system or certain aspects of it, so as to realize a given desired goal or objective. This is achieved by considering all subcomponents of a given system and modifying the existing design to one that would help ensure the system realizes the desired and set objectives. In modifying a system, the system administration has the alternative of either:

• concentrating in improving the reliability of the system
• alter the system’s design
• acquire and store alternative subcomponents or subsystems to allow for a quick change out
• repair a failed system by first considering its repair capability(Grady, 2014)

System modification mainly aims at influencing three elements of a system, (1) reliability, (2) availability, and (3) maintainability. These three elements are designed into all systems and can be influenced in given ways to realize desired objectives and goals. A system’s reliability is arguable one of the most determining aspects of an effective system (Grady, 2014). System reliability can be enhanced by modifying existing subsystems. Improving system availability mainly entails the introduction of new technologies to provide a service that was initially non-existent.

Most managers seek to improve the following aspects of subsystems:

• Capacity; system modifications would generally seek to increase system capacity to ensure maximum output.
• Information flow; the flow of information dictates the efficiency with which tasks are performed by individual units and across departments.
• Reduction in system redundancies; redundancies cause stagnation in information flow or processes(Grady, 2014).

References

Dillingham, Gerald L; . (2008). Aviation safety : FAA has increased efforts to address runway incursions : testimony before the Subcommittee on Aviation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives.Washington: U.S. Govt. Accountability Office.

Grady, J. O. (2014). System requirements analysis. Boston: Elsevier.

Schönberger, J. (2011). Model-based control of logistics processes in volatile environments : decision support for operations planning in supply consortia. New York: Springer.

Wood, D. F. (2002). International Logistics. New York: AMACOM Books.