MIT Lincoln Laboratory TCAS Performance

The Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) Verion 7 surveillance requirements were developed in the mid-1990s with the use of limited radar data. Recently, a more comprehensive radar data source has become available, enabling a thorough analysis of TCAS surveillance performance throughout the National Airspace System (NAS). This paper characterizes six high traffic terminal environments over three months. A busy one-hour period was selected from each location for density and equipage measurements. This paper then describes the use of a high fidelity simulation to characterize compared with the design requirements, including interference limiting specifications. The effect of TCAS surveillance activity on Air Traffic Control (ATC) ground radar performance is also investigated. Results indicate that the surveillance algorithms perform as intended and that TCAS has a minimal impact on ground radar. Areas of concern are noted for future investigations.

• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Linclon Laboratory, 244 Wood Street
  Lexington, MA  United States  02420-9180

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Authors:
  • Rose, C
  • Panken, A
  • Harman, W
  • Wood, L
• Publication Date: 2010-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Pagination: 84p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic control; Aviation safety; Computer algorithms; Crash avoidance systems; Performance; Warning systems
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01336842
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: ARC-370
• Contract Numbers: FA8721-05-C-0002
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 18 2011 12:24PM