The Biden administration announced on Friday its plan to increase investment in aviation safety and explore the possibility of mandating the use of technology to prevent close calls near airports.
Recent close calls at airports across the country have prompted the government to take action. Federal investigators are currently looking into seven serious incidents since January.
To address these concerns, the White House plans to invest $26 million in new safety measures, including automated alerts for air traffic controllers regarding planes heading towards the wrong runway. Additionally, radar systems will be installed at more airports to track the movement of planes on runways and taxiways.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also requested recommendations from an internal panel of experts regarding the implementation of systems that would notify pilots if they are approaching the wrong runway, taxiway, or if the chosen runway is too short.
While many newer airline jets are equipped with such technology, older planes and private aircraft often lack these safety features.
Most planes already have GPS-based systems that warn pilots of potential collisions with the ground or obstacles. Companies like Honeywell enhance these systems with additional information during taxiing, takeoff, and landing to minimize the risk of close calls or runway incursions.
While newer planes already alert pilots when they line up to land on the wrong runway, this feature is not currently mandatory, according to Douglas Moss, a retired airline pilot and aviation instructor at the University of Southern California.
Chris Manno, an airline pilot and aviation blogger, noted that the precision of GPS systems can be limited, especially in cases where parallel runways are closely spaced, such as at San Francisco International Airport. In 2017, an Air Canada jet almost collided with other planes after mistaking a taxiway for the runway.
Manno also mentioned that being informed about runway length or landing at the wrong airport would be valuable warnings for pilots. He praised the FAA’s initiative as a positive step.
Preliminary reports on close calls this year suggest instances of pilot error and air traffic controller mistakes. The National Transportation Safety Board revealed that a blocked radio transmission caused a close call between Southwest and SkyWest planes at San Diego International Airport in June.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that there has been a noticeable increase in serious close calls this year. The government is taking measures to reduce such incidents, including holding a safety summit in March and increasing spending on airport infrastructure.
Despite not having experienced a fatal crash involving a U.S. airline since 2009, industry and government officials emphasize that safety measures must be continually improved. Buttigieg stressed the importance of preventing any incidents from occurring by addressing potential risks.
David Boulter, the FAA’s Associate Administrator for Safety, noted in a letter to the advisory panel on rulemaking that alerting technologies should be viewed as part of the solution, and more consideration should be given to human factors in order to prevent close calls.
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