FAA's 'Call To Action'

FAA’s ‘Call To Action’

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 12:07 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is responding to a recent series of serious runway incursions, characterized by high potential severity despite no overall increase in incidents, by issuing a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO 23002) and holding a "Call To Action" summit.
These initiatives aim to identify underlying factors contributing to the incursions and tighten existing safety systems across the aviation industry to prevent future occurrences.
Key recommendations from the "Call To Action" include re-examining air traffic data, seeking new surface surveillance technologies, promoting shared training best practices for ground operations, and encouraging general aviation flight data sharing for improved safety decision-making.

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In recent months, a number of notable and high visibility events have occurred in the National Airspace System (NAS). While the overall numbers do not reflect an increase in incidents and occurrences, the potential severity of these events is concerning. Six serious runway incursions have occurred since January 2023, including an incident at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City involving a taxiing aircraft narrowly avoiding a departing aircraft and a landing aircraft coming within 100 feet of a departing aircraft at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas.”

So begins the FAA’s recent Safety Alert for Operators, SAFO 23002, “Aviation Safety Call to Action,” published March 22, 2023. The new SAFO is one of the agency’s reactions to the recent spate of serious runway incursions involving both air carrier and general aviation aircraft, including a helicopter. The SAFO followed a March 15, 2023, “Call To Action” event, which included more than 200 leaders from all segments of the aviation industry, sought to identify “areas where the existing safety system could be tightened to prevent future occurrences” and recommend ways to achieve such a goal.