Something as simple and basic as improved runway markings may help avoid incursions, which in their most serious form are near-collisions, or worse.
At Ted Francis Green Airport in Providence, R.I., a pilot project using revised markings has been so successful at reducing incursions that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is taking the program nationwide. New enhanced centerline and hold short markings will be required at the nation's biggest 72 airports by June 30, 2008 (e.g., those airports with more than 1.5 million enplanements a year). The new markings will be optional at all other airports, but if they are used, they must be installed at every holding position on the airfield.
Basically, the new "hold short" marking increases contrast and visibility by adding an enhanced centerline on the taxiway side. At the airport's option, the enhanced centerline may be supplemented by red holding position signs.
The new signage is an improvement, but another step can be taken, according to Captain Mitchell Serber, chairman of the Air Line Pilot's Association airport ground environment group: the yellow dashed lines of the hold short marking ought to be painted white. "Contrast, contrast, contrast," he said. "White on the runway side; yellow on the taxiway side. Simple and effective."
The FAA has published an advisory circular outlining the enhanced airport markings. Titled AC 150/5340-1J, "Standards for Airport Markings," it indicates that painting the dashed lines white on the holding position is "not adopted at this time." However, that may be a future development. For now, the new markings are distinguished by the prominent centerline, which advise crews they are approaching hold short position markings.
Another means of reducing incursions is to minimize the number of runway crossings. Currently, large numbers of crossings occur at airports with multiple parallel runways. The number of such crossings is estimated at 1,100 daily at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport, some 1,700 per day at Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport, and nearly 1,700-2,000 per day at Chicago's O'Hare, depending on the final layout decision for the current modernization plan. Basically, those crossings involve a taxiway at the end of the runways, which can threaten an airplane that has been directed to taxi into position for take- off. Serber says end around taxiways are much to be preferred. The end around taxiway basically skirts the runways, keeping airplanes from crossing one runway on its way to use another. One such is planned at Atlanta, with construction slated to begin in late 2005 or early 2006, with the work completed in early 2007.
"The end around taxiway may help reduce delays as well as reduce the number of runway crossings," says Serber. "As such, it is a true win-win proposition: safety and increased efficiency."
Bill Davis, vice president of safety services for the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, cautioned that the new markings and taxiways are only a partial solution, and that much depends, still, on the pilots. Taxiing with one eye on the centerline and one eye on the checklist won't suffice, he said. "This is a risk environment from gate to gate," he said, meaning that it warrants the full attention of both pilots and controllers. Based on a study of hundreds of incursions, he said, the errors are endemic to both parties.
For aircrews, Serber said, "We must remain heads-up when taxiing and be assertive enough to stop the aircraft if we become task saturated or lose situational awareness."
"And for the guys out there," he quipped, "we cannot be afraid to pull over and ask for directions if we get lost!"
Common Air Traffic Control Errors in Runway Incursions:
* The controller forgets (about a closed runway, a clearance that was issued, on aircraft waiting to take off or cleared to land).
* Lack of (or inadequate) coordination between controllers.
* Misidentified aircraft.
* Readback/hearback errors.
Pilot Performance Errors in Runway Incursions:
* Readback instruction correctly and then do something else.
* Fail to "hold short" as instructed.
* Get lost (with and without poor visibility).
* Misunderstand the clearance.
* Take off without a clearance.
Source: FAA
[Copyright 2005 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved.]
