FAA Forms Runway Safety Council

In its continuing bid to prove it is doing something to improve runway

safety, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) convened the Runway Safety

Council, a joint government-industry body that will take a deeper, systemic

approach to improving runway safety. The creation of the council follows the

agency's 14-month-long call to action for the improvement of runway safety which

resulted in several low-cost initiatives such as runway safety lights being

deployed across the system. It also follows another General Accountability

Report saying runway incursions remain a high risk and a House hearing on the

subject. Related Story

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The goal of the council is to fundamentally change the existing safety

culture and move toward a proactive management strategy that involves different

segments of the aviation industry. FAA said the council will play a lead role in

resolving critical surface safety issues. The participating entities will

dedicate subject matter experts and analysts to a team that will examine the

root causes of runway incursions. The Root Cause Analysis Team will investigate

incidents from a systems perspective, getting input from airports, operators and

air traffic.

One focus will be on how human factors contribute to runway incursions

and what can be done to reduce human errors. The Root Cause Analysis Team will

analyze and attempt to resolve issues in a positive, non-punitive environment.

The team will recommend to the council ways to resolve or mitigate system risks.

If the council supports the recommendations, it will work with different parts

of the FAA to address what needs to be done, and track progress toward a

solution of the problem.

A coordinated, systemic approach is necessary because serious runway

incursions are seldom caused by a single factor. The current culture separates

responsibility for incursions into different categories: operational errors by

controllers, pilot deviations or vehicle or pedestrian deviations.

Investigations into those incidents are conducted by different parts of the

agency, depending on which category is responsible.

The council includes officials from the FAA, the National Air Traffic

Controllers Association, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, the Air

Line Pilots Association, the Air Transport Association, the American Association

of Airport Executives, the Airports Council International, the Aircraft Owners

and Pilots Association, the National Association of Flight Instructors, the

National Business Aviation Association and the Air Taxi Association.