After several recent gate accidents, last week’s runway excursion of a United 737 at Jackson Hole and protestations that runway safety is improving, the FAA is continuing with its runway safety efforts and is now installing technology that warns pilots about potential runway safety hazards at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) under a partnership with the City of Los Angeles.
The system, called Runway Status Lights, uses a series of red lights embedded in the pavement to warn pilots if it is unsafe to cross over or enter a runway. The lights are either off or red and pilots must still await clearance to enter the runway when the lights go off. Earlier introduction at Dallas/Fort Worth, where incidents have been cut by 70 percent, caused confusion with pilots expecting a green light alerting them they could enter the runway. In one incident, when the red lights went off, a pilot entered the runway assuming it was clear before getting clearance.
The system was delayed awaiting the installation of repeatedly delayed advanced ground radar finally scheduled for operation at the end of this year.
Under an agreement between the FAA and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), pilots will begin testing Runway Status Lights at LAX — the nation’s fourth busiest airport — early next year. LAWA is funding the system, which costs an estimated $6 million. LAX was the site of the nation’s worst runway accident in 1991 when a US Airways 737 crashed into a SkyWest Metroliner on landing, killing all aboard the Metroliner and 34 in all. LAX also had the highest number of runway safety problems since 2000. It has been wanting the system for over a year and finally offered to pay for it in order for it to be deployed, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The FAA will install, test, evaluate and maintain the system. “This is another valuable tool we’re using to reduce the risk of runway incursions,” said FAA Acting Administrator Robert A. Sturgell. “These lights give pilots and their passengers another layer of safety against potential runway accidents.”
Pilots approaching a runway equipped with Runway Status Lights will see red lights illuminated at runway entrances if the airport’s ground surveillance radar detects traffic on or approaching that runway. Clearance to cross or enter a runway must be given by air traffic control. Pilots must verify clearance before proceeding even after the warning lights are no longer illuminated. Runway Status Lights will also be used by vehicle operators.
The system has undergone two decades of development and is linked to three different computer systems requiring great precision, according to the Times, which said it took engineers decades to fine-tune ground radar that the warning system relies on to properly pinpoint an airplane's location. They also had to ensure the system would not confuse or increase the workload of controllers and pilots.
The National Transportation Safety Board has runway safety among its most important initiatives and wants cockpit warning systems to alert pilots about impending conflicts rather than relying on air traffic controllers to warn pilots, which, says the board, often comes too late and after crews have already taken evasive action. Related Story  Chair Mark Rosenker urged quicker implementation of new runway system systems. “There will be a catastrophic collision,” he has said on a number of occasions. The FAA has set this summer to decide how many and where the Runway Status Lights will be deployed. The agency is expected to do its usual deployment at the 20 busiest airports but is awaiting the passage of its latest budget.
The system is in place at Dallas/Fort Worth and San Diego and has improved runway safety without reducing capacity or increasing controller workload. However, controllers experienced incidents where the system had to be rebooted because the lights did not switch off.
The FAA is also testing Final Approach Runway Occupancy Signal at Long Beach that uses cables imbedded in the runway to detect metal moving above them. If an aircraft is detected, a signal is sent to approach lights which flash indicating the runway is occupied.