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Volpe Center Highlights

Focus

Technology Efforts to Reduce Runway Incursions Demonstrated at National Runway Safety Summit (FAA)

Increasing runway safety by reducing incidents and incursions is the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) "Number 1 Priority" and one of the National Traffic Safety Board's "Top 10" most wanted safety fixes, according to the FAA Administrator Jane Garvey. The FAA defines a runway incursion as: "Any occurrence at an airport involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that creates a collision hazard or results in loss of separation with an aircraft taking off, intending to take off, landing, or intending to land."

Though relatively few in number when compared to the massive amount of traffic that moves safely through our nation's airports every day, runway incursions present a special problem. Not only do they have the potential to put more lives at risk due to the number and proximity of aircraft operating on the airport surface, they also take place in a complex and dynamic environment where root causes are difficult to isolate.

Photo of Mr. John LoBue, Mr. Dave Setser, Mr. John Butler of the Volpe Center and the FAA Administrator Jane Garvey at the National Runway Safety Summit.

Mr. John LoBue and Mr. Dave Setser of the Volpe Center brief the FAA Administrator Jane Garvey at the National Runway Safety Summit.
Also pictured: Mr. John Butler, a Volpe Center contractor
(Cambridge Systematics, Inc.).
(Photo courtesy of Mr. John LoBue)

RIRP

RUNWAY INCURSION REDUCTION PROGRAM

The research and development goals of RIRP are to:

Provide seamless surveillance of the airport surface
Maintain and display vehicle identification and flight information

System evaluation at Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) is a continuation of the 1996 Atlanta/Hartsfield RIRP Demonstration
The Volpe-developed Surveillance Server is the heart of the DFW System:

Fuses information from multiple sensors and subsystems
Provides a digitized visual representation of all aircraft and vehicles on the airport surface
Subsequently alerts controllers to potential runway incursions

Provides Surveillance Server data to cockpit display during joint FAA/NASA RIPS demonstration

ASDE-X

AIRPORT SURFACE DETECTION EQUIPMENT (MODEL-X)

The safety-critical ASDE-X system consists of a Radar Sensor, a Multilateration Sensor, a Multiprocessor, and high-resolution Displays
The Multiprocessor subsystem combines independent surveillance data from the Radar subsystem with cooperative data from the Multilateration subsystem to provide the Air Traffic Controller with a single target displaying Flight ID
The system will be capable of using all sensors at once, or using each sensor alone
Future system enhancements could include safety alert logic and additional sensors
The ASDE-X system is slated to go into more than 20 selected airports

AMASS

AIRPORT MOVEMENT AREA SAFETY SYSTEM

AMASS is a safety logic enhancement to the ASDE-3, automatically providing conflict alerts to Air Traffic Controllers
Both ASDE-3 and ASR radar data are used to introduce targets into the AMASS safety logic
Several tools have been generated by the Volpe Center to aid in the optimization of AMASS;

The Analysis Tool depicts track records of aircraft and can be used to troubleshoot multipath problems
The Volpe Center has developed simulation capability to assess AMASS performance before installation using Flight Data Recorder information

AMASS is scheduled to be installed in more than 30 of the nations busiest airports

In an effort to aid in the prevention and reduction of runway incursions, the FAA's Surface Integrated Products Team is working in conjunction with industry and other government agencies in researching and evaluating ways to increase the safety of aircraft and vehicle movement on the airport surface, and decrease the potential for accidents. The Volpe Center's Airport Surface Division provides technical and management support to the FAA in this effort.

From June 26 to 28, 2000, Mr. John LoBue, Mr. David Setser, Mr. Seamus McGovern, Mr. Francis Coyne, Mr. Joseph Ruggerio, and Mr. Brendan English of the Airport Surface Division participated in the National Runway Safety Summit held in Washington, D.C., and staffed an exhibition booth highlighting several FAA programs focused on mitigating runway incursions. These programs include the Airport Surface Detection System, model-X (ASDE-X); Airport Movement Safety System (AMASS); and the Runway Incursion Reduction Program (RIRP). Booth visitors included Administrator Garvey and Mr. Arthur Sullivan from the FAA's Runway Safety Program Office. Administrator Garvey and Mr. Sullivan were provided in-depth briefings by the Volpe Center.

While briefing Administrator Garvey, Mr. LoBue emphasized that the Volpe Center performed as an integral part of the FAA's team of civil servants and support contractors. He also discussed how Volpe Research and Development (R&D) efforts in the areas of data fusion and technical evaluations of lower cost surface surveillance radar systems leveraged the FAA's R&D efforts, providing the technical underpinnings for acquisition of the ASDE-X system. Mr. Setser then briefed the Administrator on the RIRP data fusion technology project currently in development/evaluation at Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport. The RIRP system fuses several operational and experimental surveillance sensors to provide seamless coverage of the airport surface, and also provides alerts of potential runway incursions between taxiing and landing/departing aircraft. Mr. Ruggiero then briefed Mr. Sullivan on recent improvements in the RIRP.

The National Runway Safety Summit was the culmination of a series of Runway Safety Regional Workshops held in various cities across the United States (Los Angeles, Seattle, Anchorage, Kansas City, Boston, Fort Worth, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Reno, and Washington, D.C.). The three-day Summit focused on recommendations, actions, and results of the regional workshops, a human factors symposium, and other industry-wide activities now underway to improve runway safety.

More than 500 aviation decision makers attended the Summit. Attendees included senior FAA management, aviation safety experts, and representatives of the airlines, pilot and air traffic controller unions, general aviation groups, and airports.