Proactive approach fuels airfield safety

The importance of applying predictive thinking to airport safety management is discussed here. This proactive approach is crucial in order to determine how the risks of identified hazards can be either eliminated or mitigated. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken a proactive approach to the issue of runway excursion prevention. Safety Risk Management (SRM) is one of the four pillars of Safety Management System (SMS), and it is within this context that the FAA has taken steps to identify and analyze the hazards of non-conforming runway safety areas (RSAs), as well as assess the need to improve RSAs and implement measures to mitigate or eliminate these risks. The FAA produced a standard that commercial airports would need 1,000 feet of space to mitigate the severity of overrun accidents. As airports faced the difficulty of compliance with this standard, the FAA took a proactive approach by working with industry partners to develop technology that can be effective in stopping an overrunning aircraft. Deployment of engineered material arresting systems (EMAS) at many airports resulted, with successful results on eight occasions of runway excursion. An example of the effectiveness of EMAS to mitigate risks associated with overruning aircraft is provided from two separate incidents at Key West (Florida) International Airport. As RSAs are being completed at commercial service airports, thought must be given to applying the same measures to general aviation airports in the United States.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.airportmagazine-digital.com/airportmagazine/october_november_2013?pg=6#pg32
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07445326
• Authors:
  • Quan, Kevin
• Publication Date: 2013-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: pp 32-35
• Serial:
  • Airport Magazine
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: AAAE Service Corporation, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0744-5326

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airports; Aviation safety; Disaster preparedness; Regulation; Risk management; Runway overruns; Safety programs; Standards
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Engineered material arresting systems
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Law; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Terminals and Facilities; I10: Economics and Administration; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01502270
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 23 2013 11:06AM