Safety Spotlight: Over the line

Five of the seven recommendations in the NTSB report are solid and bear further assessment. Two are problematic. One recommendation would require all aircraft accessing Class B and C primary airports to have systems that advise pilots when they are not aligned with a runway. Requiring such equipment on all aircraft accessing these airports ignores circumstances surrounding most WSEs and also ignores the real risk elements with WSEs. Another would require the development of cockpit systems that alert pilots to wrong surface alignments, and, once those systems are available, would make them mandatory in any aircraft accessing primary airports in Class B and C airspace. These two recommendations could severely limit access for some GA aircraft, add expense to aircraft owners, and would likely have no impact on the GA accident rate. The solution to WSEs is not yet another system inside the aircraft to compel more head-down time for pilots.

Clearly, WSEs are a problem we need to address. The number of WSEs across the National Airspace System is on the rise, and some 85 percent of them involve GA aircraft. As of July 2018, there were 381 wrong surface events, up from 371 in FY 2017 and 327 in FY 2016. In August of this year, acting FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell hosted an all-day summit with industry leaders to explore the WSE issue and develop solutions to reduce them. In developing its report, the NTSB apparently did not utilize the results of the FAA summit, although NTSB staffers were in attendance.

While we need to address the WSE problem, we must also acknowledge that none of the incidents resulted in an aircraft accident. Further, an overwhelming majority of the incidents in GA aircraft didn’t involve another aircraft, on the ground or in the air. We could completely solve this issue, experience no wrong surface events in a given year, and the result would be no—zero—impact on our accident or fatal accident rate. I’m not suggesting we wait until there is an accident. I’m suggesting we put the issue in perspective; add some context to truly understand the problem and where the risk really lies; and develop practical, effective solutions rather than costly, ineffective tonics that limit access to some airports for potentially tens of thousands of GA airplanes.

Ninety percent of WSEs happen in daylight operations. A substantial number of WSEs occur at airports with offset parallel runways and some 87 percent of them occur at smaller facilities. While the offending pilots are clearly confused, they are also looking and clearing their flight path, which is a common-sense element that averts mishaps in WSEs. In numerous cases, tower controllers recognized an aircraft was aligned with the wrong surface and elected to allow the event to continue, believing (correctly so) that allowing an airplane to land on an incorrect surface that has been visually cleared by the pilot and the controller is a better option than a late command for a low-energy, high-angle-of-attack go-around.

The FAA Safety Risk Management Team, nudged by the Air Canada incident, met in February 2018 to finalize a hazard analysis of wrong surface events. The team developed 20 recommendations to mitigate the risks of WSEs, none of which called for adding mandatory equipment to GA aircraft. After extensive analysis, the team determined that GA aircraft WSEs posed only a moderate risk, while air carrier WSE events presented a “high” risk.

We have achieved impressive results in aviation safety by rallying the industry where the risks are the greatest, and developing practical solutions with high probability of a positive impact. We must continue that focus.

The NTSB has played a vital role in driving aviation safety performance. Its investigators wade through chaos, under tragic and emotionally wrenching scenes, to ensure we understand accident causes and apply the lessons to prevent future tragedies. In the Air Canada Flight 759 report, the NTSB took too broad an approach and offered two potentially costly recommendations that could affect tens of thousands of GA airplanes, limit GA access to some airports, and distract the aviation community with work that likely would have no impact on the aviation accident rate.

Go fly, and make sure you’re lined up with the correct runway.

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