An Australian perspective An Australian excursions and consequences 2: Minimising the of runway Part likelihood excursions Runway ATSB TRANSPORT SAFETY REPORT Aviation Research and Analysis Report – AR-2008-018(2) Final Runway excursions Part 2: Minimising the likelihood and consequences of runway excursions An Australian perspective AR-2008-048.indd 1 17/06/09 10:03 AM ATSB TRANSPORT SAFETY REPORT Aviation Research and Analysis Report AR-2008-018(2) Final Runway excursions Part 2: Minimising the likelihood and consequences of runway excursions An Australian perspective - i - Published by: Australian Transport Safety Bureau Postal address: PO Box 967. Civic Square ACT 2608 Office location: 62 Northbourne Ave, Canberra City, Australian Capital Territory, 2601 Telephone: 1800 020 616, from overseas +61 2 6257 4150 Accident and incident notification: 1800 011 034 (24 hours) Facsimile: 02 6247 3117, from overseas +61 2 6247 3117 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.atsb.gov.au © Commonwealth of Australia 2009. This work is copyright. In the interests of enhancing the value of the information contained in this publication you may copy, download, display, print, reproduce and distribute this material in unaltered form (retaining this notice). However, copyright in the material obtained from other agencies, private individuals or organisations, belongs to those agencies, individuals or organisations. Where you want to use their material you will need to contact them directly. Subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, you must not make any other use of the material in this publication unless you have the permission of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Please direct requests for further information or authorisation to: Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Copyright Law Branch Attorney-General’s Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Barton, ACT 2600 www.ag.gov.au/cca ISBN and formal report title: see ‘Document retrieval information’ on page v - ii - CONTENTS THE AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT SAFETY BUREAU ................................. vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................. vii ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................ xi 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ........................................................................................... 1 1.2 Objectives ............................................................................................. 3 1.3 Scope .................................................................................................... 4 2 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................... 7 2.1 Data sources .......................................................................................... 7 3 RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH RUNWAY EXCURSION ACCIDENTS ................................................................................................. 11 3.1 Where do aircraft stop following a runway excursion? ...................... 11 3.2 Implications for communities and developments near airports .......... 15 3.2.1 Risks to the public ................................................................... 15 3.2.2 Implications for development near airports ............................. 16 3.3 What about Australia? ........................................................................ 17 3.3.1 Runway excursions .................................................................. 17 3.3.2 Australian airport environs ...................................................... 19 4 PREVENTATIVE RISK CONTROLS – FLIGHT CREW AWARENESS AND RUNWAY DESIGN .................................................. 23 4.1 Effective standard operating procedures (SOPs) ................................ 25 4.1.1 Conducting pre-landing risk and threat briefings .................... 26 4.1.2 Correct approach and landing techniques ................................ 27 4.1.3 Timely and effective braking ................................................... 29 4.1.4 Correct missed approach and go-around procedures ............... 31 4.2 Enhanced flight crew training and risk awareness.............................. 32 4.3 Organisational risk awareness and safety cultures ............................. 33 4.3.1 Operator policies ...................................................................... 33 4.3.2 Post-accident changes to operator procedures ......................... 35 4.4 Indicators of remaining runway distance ............................................ 36 4.4.1 Runway distance remaining signs ............................................ 36 4.4.2 Runway end lights ................................................................... 36 4.4.3 Enhanced cockpit alert systems ............................................... 37 - iii - 4.5 Quality runway surfaces ..................................................................... 38 4.5.1 Improved drainage ................................................................... 38 4.5.2 Improved friction and macrotexture ........................................ 42 4.6 Runway lighting ................................................................................. 44 4.7 Runway condition reporting procedures and tools ............................. 45 5 RECOVERY RISK CONTROLS – BETTER TECHNOLOGIES AND AIRPORT DESIGN ............................................................................ 49 5.1 Runway strips ..................................................................................... 50 5.2 Runway end safety areas (RESAs) ..................................................... 52 5.2.1 Safety benefits of RESAs ........................................................ 52 5.2.2 RESA requirements ................................................................. 54 5.2.3 RESAs at Australian airports ................................................... 58 5.3 Soft ground arrestor beds .................................................................... 62 5.3.1 What is the need? ..................................................................... 62 5.3.2 Types of soft ground arrestor systems ..................................... 63 5.3.3 Requirements for soft ground arresting systems ...................... 66 5.3.4 EMAS performance ................................................................. 68 5.3.5 Australian use of soft ground arresting systems ...................... 71 5.3.6 EMAS cost and installation challenges.................................... 72 5.4 Other arresting technologies ............................................................... 75 5.5 Public safety areas/zones .................................................................... 76 6 SUMMARY ................................................................................................... 79 7 REFERENCES .............................................................................................. 83 8 APPENDICES ............................................................................................... 91 8.1 Appendix A – Sources and submissions ............................................. 91 8.1.1 Sources of information ............................................................. 91 8.1.2 Submissions ............................................................................. 92 8.2 Appendix B - Australian runway data ................................................ 94 8.3 Appendix C - FAA sample worksheet for calculating landing length ................................................................................................ 117 8.4 Appendix D - FAA/Industry Agreed Braking Action Definitions ... 118 8.5 Appendix E - Airports worldwide with approved EMAS installations ....................................................................................... 119 8.6 Appendix F - Estimated EMAS performance for selected narrow and widebody aircraft ....................................................................... 122 - iv - DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL INFORMATION Report No. Publication date No. of pages ISBN AR-2008-018(2) June 2009 141 978-1-921602-26-9 Publication title Runway excursions: Part 2 – Minimising the likelihood and consequences of runway excursions, An Australian perspective Author(s) Taylor, R. P. Godley, S. T. Prepared By Reference Number Australian Transport Safety Bureau Mar2009/INFRA-08436 PO Box 967, Civic Square ACT 2608 Australia www.atsb.gov.au Acknowledgements Thank you to the Australian airport operators surveyed as part of this report, and the expertise of Dr Steven Emery of Kubu Australia. Photos courtesy of the Aviation Safety Network, Agência Brasil, Vital Chemical Pty Ltd, Engineered Arresting Systems Corporation (ESCO), and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Cover photo courtesy of ESCO/Zodiac Aerospace. Abstract While most runway excursions are relatively minor with no serious injuries or aircraft damage occurring, they do have the potential to pose a serious risk to public safety and infrastructure. This has been illustrated by several significant runway overruns around the world in 2007 and 2008, resulting in hundreds of on-board fatalities, as well as ground fatalities and significant property damage in communities adjacent to airports. Further analysis of the Ascend World Aircraft Accident Summary set of 120 runway excursions on landing involving commercial