FAA Issues AC on Runway Overrun Protection

After industry developed its own guidance material designed to increase runway safety, the FAA last month, published an Advisory Circular – AC 91-79 Runway Overrun Prevention – designed to reduce runway overruns which account for approximately 10 incidents or accidents annually. The AC provides ways for pilots and operators of turbine-powered airplanes to identify, understand, and mitigate risks associated with runway overruns during the landing distance phase of flight. It also provides operators with detailed information that may be used to develop company standard operation procedures (SOPs) to mitigate those risks.
The AC covers the potential impact of non-stabilized approaches, excess speed, landing beyond the touchdown point and failure to account for contaminated runway conditions when developing required runway distance. In addition, it calls for the development of standard operating procedures and crew training. It also provides source material for developing the SOPs and training.
Last Spring, the National Transportation Safety Board called industry together for a day-long session on the prevention of runway accidents. Related Story  Attendees found that low-tech solutions promised immediate improvement in runway safety, not the least of which was NOTAM reform. Indeed, the Air Transport Association (ATA) said there is no “silver bullet” to prevent runway incursions, calling for the implementation of other measures since many of the coming technologies are not mature, nor foolproof.
During the session, Flight Safety Foundation said runway excursions – crashes as aircraft left runways – were far deadlier and should receive more focus. Foundation Fellow Earl Weener, PhD, cited data collection as a real problem since runway incursions are required to be documented but incidents involving runway excursions and runway confusion are only documented if they involve damage or injury. Even so, he produced two charts outlining the growing problem, despite the lack of universal data on incursions, excursions and confusion.
Indeed, every speaker outlined the enormous efforts by industry and government to address safe airport operations including web-based lessons produced on the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s Aviation Safety Foundation’s web site on runway safety not only received tens of thousands of hits but the vast majority actually completed the course. In addition, after Comair’s Lexington accident in August 2006, the Foundation sent out 200,000 CDs of the course and follow up surveys indicate that 70 percent or 140,000 pilots, completed the course.