Cooperative Network Design EVAIR Safety Bulletin No 4 Summer Seasons 2006-2009 Evolution EUROCONTROL EVAIR_bulletin04.indd 1 15/02/10 14:15 EUROCONTROL VOLUNTARY ATM INCIDENT Data providers REPORTING (EVAIR) The number of EVAIR ATM incident data providers among commer- cial airlines has been increasing year on year. By the end of 2009, 63 SUMMER SEASONS 2006-2009 EVOLUTION airlines were providing ATM incident reports to EVAIR. The airlines which contribute to EVAIR account for 50% of the overall European EXECUTIVE SUMMARY air traffic. The statistics in the EVAIR Safety Bulletin No 4 cover the summer Main trends periods (April - September) 2006 to 2009. The statistics are based Eight main ATM contributors are used as the basis for monitoring: on the ATM/CNS incident reports collected manually and ACAS RAs collected automatically from one Mode-S radar station. The 1. Mistakes; main data providers are commercial airlines and ANSPs providing 2. Spoken Communication; feedback to airlines’ incident reports and the ACAS RAs from the 3. Operational Communication; Mode-S radar station. 4. Traffic and Airspace problems; 5. Traffic Information; Data collection 6. Lapses; Through the manual data provision (commercial airlines and feed- 7. ATC Clearance; back from ANSPs) EVAIR collected approximately 1500 reports for 8. Coordination. the summer seasons from 2006 to 2009. For the same period, 2637 valid ACAS RAs were collected automatically from the Mode S radar During the summer periods 2006-2009 in absolute figures, Mistakes station. with 27%, Spoken communication with 19%, Operational Communi- cation and Traffic information with 11% each make almost 70% of the The number of reports EVAIR collects has grown each year. In per- overall ATM contributors. centage terms the increase is the following: 2007 – 26% more than in 2006; 2008 - 28% more than in 2007; and 2009 - 78% more than EVAIR Safety Bulletin - Airlines’ Contribution in 2008. In this EVAIR Safety Bulletin we introduce a new ‘Airlines’ Corner’ section and Brussels Airlines is our first contributor. They are one It is emphasised that there is no evidence to suggest that the of the most pro-active EVAIR data providers, and we thank increase in the number of the reported incidents is reflective of them for their kind offer to share their safety data with the avia- an erosion of the ATM safety performance but rather it is due to tion safety community. the increase of voluntary reporting as promoted by EVAIR, familia- risation of the ATM incident data providers with these activities Security and Confidentiality and a general improvement of the reporting culture. In collecting and processing data, EVAIR follows strict security and confidentiality arrangements. Safety data provided are properly safe- Among six phases of flight (landing, standing, taxiing, take-off, guarded and de-identified and the information is only used for the approach and en-route) for the summer periods 2006-2009, the promotion and enhancement of aviation safety. statistics (in absolute figures) show that the largest number of inci- dents (78%) occur within the en-route and approach phases. In the EVAIR Suggestions/Improvements summer periods 2006 - 2008, the largest number of incidents was EVAIR is constantly looking at ways to improve its services and within en-route phase; however, during summer 2009, the biggest products and suggestions and proposals are more than welcome. number of incidents occurred within the approach phase. Indeed, Please forward any thoughts, ideas and comments to Ms Dragica during summer 2009 there were 1.5 incidents per 10,000 flight op- Stankovic, EVAIR Function Manager: [email protected] erations in the approach phase compared with 1.1 incidents during the same period in 2008. © Skyguide EUROCONTROL 2 EVAIR Summer Seasons 2006-2009 Evolution EVAIR_bulletin04.indd 2 15/02/10 14:15 CONTENTS Executive Summary 2 Contents 3 EVAIR Function Manager’s Perspective 4 Introduction to EVAIR Statistical Data 6 Section 1 - Phases of Flights 7 l Main contributors to ATM incidents 8 Section 2- EVAIR Support to European Action Plans 13 l Runway Incursions 14 l Level Busts 15 Section 3 - EVAIR Support to Call Sign Similarity Implementation Project 17 Section 4 - ACAS Monitoring 20 l Part One: Manual 20 l Part Two: ACAS RAs Collected Automatically From One Mode-S Radar Station 25 Section 5 - Miscellaneous 34 l Lasers 34 EVAIR Airlines’ Corner 35 Annexes 42 l Annex 1 - European Action Plans 42 l Annex 2 - Definitions & Acronyms (from Heidi and HERA Taxonomies) 43 l Annex 3 - Acronyms 46 EVAIR Team 47 EVAIR Summer Seasons 2006-2009 Evolution 3 EUROCONTROL EVAIR_bulletin04.indd 3 15/02/10 14:15 EVAIR FUNCTION MANAGER’S PERSPECTIVE We are very pleased to say that thanks to our stakeholders’ agreed that the timely provision of the feedback improves the voluntary contributions and their commitment to EVAIR activi- communication and more importantly develops trust between ties, we have had consistent year on year growth in the number airlines and ANSPs. The role of EVAIR is to facilitate the feedback of collected incident reports. The graph below shows these process by keeping up to date safety focal points on the side of the increases of manually reported incidents in absolute figures. airlines and ANSPs; forwarding ATM incidents to ANSPs or airlines involved; asking for the reply and, when/if the feedback arrives, forwarding it to an appropriate address. The majority of the 700 600 requests for the feedback are still initiated by the airlines but the 500 communications channels are open two-ways and EVAIR would 400 be happy to act as a conduit from ANSPs to airlines if requested 300 to do so. 200 100 Spread of incidents through phases of flights 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 The graph below shows the spread of ATM incidents through phases of flight, (i.e. standing, taxiing, take off, approach and Figure 1 – Incident data collection (absolute figures) en-route). Through summer periods 2006 - 2009, the absolute figures among six phases of flight, show that the largest number Data providers of incidents (78%) occurred within En-route and Approach phases. It is more than clear that without data providers there is no EVAIR. Until 2008, the largest number of incidents occurred within We are very glad to say that our main stakeholders - commer- En-Route phase. However, data for summer 2009 shows that the cial airlines and ANSPs - recognise EVAIR as an activity which is largest number of incidents occurred within the Approach phase, addressing their interests. EVAIR continues its efforts to enlarge which is close to the trends identified by the other safety data bases. the team of providers among Airspace Users and Air Navigation Service Providers. Indeed during summer 2009 there were 1.5 incidents per 10, 000 flight operations in the Approach phase compared with 1.1 incidents Automated data collection during 2008. More detailed statistics follow. In the future we expect more incident data to be collected auto- Standing matically. In this regard, EVAIR is making all necessary prepara- Landing 0.9% Take-off 0.7% tions to be able to process and analyse this larger amount of data. 10.3% We are working on the enlargement of the number of Mode-S En-route radars from where ACAS RAs will be collected and also on the 37.8% Taxiing 10.5% training developments for the ANSPs to use new tools for auto- 700 mated600 data collection and analysis. 500 Feedback400 – Motivation for better reporting As300 one of the main pillars of EVAIR activities, the EVAIR feedback mechanism200 is becoming increasingly recognised by all stake- 100 holders as a means to help airlines (and ANSPs) address issues and 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 provide quick fixes. This also has important benefits in that it acts Approach as an incentive to pilots to report more. During recent meetings 39.8% between EVAIR and some of the ANSPs and the airlines, it was Figure 2 – Incident per phases of flight Summers 2006 – 2009 EUROCONTROL 4 EVAIR Summer Seasons 2006-2009 Evolution EVAIR_bulletin04.indd 4 15/02/10 14:15 Eight main ATM contributors have been used as the basis for within 10 different European states. More anecdotal evidence and monitoring: press/media stories confirm this unwelcome trend. The problem cannot be resolved by the aviation alone rather it requires 1. Mistakes concerted interventions involving amongst others the police, 2. Spoken Communication judiciary, manufactures and law makers. For its part, EVAIR may 3. Operational Communication investigate the feasibility of promoting wider European actions to 4. Traffic and airspace problems try and stop the escalation of this problem. 5. Traffic information 700 6. Lapses New section – Airlines’ corner 600 7. ATC Clearances Within this EVAIR Safety Bulletin issue we introduce a new section 500 8. Coordination dedicated to our incident data providers. This innovation provides 400 300 an opportunity for our stakeholders to present their Safety 200 During the summer periods 2006-2009, in absolute figures, four Management and data collection systems and share with us their 100 contributors out of eight (Mistakes, Spoken communication, concerns and findings which can be compared with those identi- 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 Operational communication and Traffic information) account for fied by EVAIR. almost 70% of the overall ATM contributors. Traffic and Airspace We are delighted that Brussels Airlines has agreed to make the problems ATC clearance/ Operational first contribution. It is as one of the most pro-active EVAIR data 6% Instructions comms 10% 11% providers and we thank them for their kind offer to share their Coordinations Spoken comms safety data with the aviation safety community. issues 19% 7% Traffic information 11% Lapses Mistakes 9% 27% Figure 3 – Contributors to ATM incidents Summer 2006 – 2009 Customised statistics – Laser, Call Sign Confusion Besides the contributors listed above, EVAIR also produces statis- tics for some specific items such as Call Sign Confusion and Laser interference in aviation.