AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL/ACTIVE BEACON COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM KNOXVILLE SIMULATION

This project was conducted to assess the performance of an active mode Beacon Collision Avoidance System (BCAS) operating in a moderate-density terminal Air Traffic Control (ATC) environment. The specific objectives addressed the impact of active BCAS on controllers and control procedures, the performance of new vertical speed limit (VSL) logic, the effectiveness of an alternate desensitization method, and the impact of 'no miss distance' filtering. An additional objective was to characterize and validate the active BCAS algorithm in terms of number, duration, and location of alerts and resolution effectiveness. The tests were conducted using the ATC Simulation Facility at the National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center during February and March 1979. Analysis of results indicated that an active BCAS system provided an effective aircraft separation assurance system as a backup to the ATC system and had no adverse effect on controllers or control procedures. The VSL logic modifications significantly reduced the BCAS activity for overflight traffic relative to the BCAS alarm rate in the full BCAS tests. An alternative desensitization method to range and altitude, based only on altitude, proved to be reasonably effective. The lack of horizontal miss distance information with active BCAS resulted in an increase in the positive command rate when compared to the full BCAS Knoxville results. (Author)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Original contains color plates: All DTIC and NTIS reproductions will be in black and white.
• Corporate Authors:

  NATIONAL AVIATION FACILITIES EXPERIMENTAL CENTER

  ATLANTIC CITY, NJ  United States 

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Authors:
  • Adkins, A
  • Billmann, B
  • Strack, R
  • Windle, J
• Publication Date: 1980-5

Media Info

• Pagination: 93 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic control; Air traffic control facilities; Algorithms; Aviation safety; Crash avoidance systems; Mode S; Radar beacons; Simulation; Test facilities; Training simulators
• Old TRIS Terms: Air traffic control terminal
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00318881
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FAA-NA-79-54, FAA-RD-80-5
• Files: NTIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 27 2002 12:00AM