NTSB Takes On Midair Collisions

In the aftermath of its investigations into recent midair collisions the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in November released guidance for pilots stressing the inherent limitations of the long-standing see-and-avoid practice and urging adoption of technological solutions. The NTSBs guidance is found in Safety Alert SA-058, Prevent Midair Collisions: Dont Depend on Vision Alone. The Safety Alert is available in the PDF file format free for the download at tinyurl.com/SAF058.

Monday, January 09, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The NTSB's Safety Alert SA-058 highlights the limitations of traditional "see-and-avoid" practices and urges the adoption of technological solutions to prevent midair collisions, based on investigations into recent fatal accidents and identified air traffic control failures.
While the NTSB's alert emphasizes technology, other strategies like "see-and-avoid" and VFR flight-following services remain valid methods for collision avoidance.
AOPA Air Safety Institute and the University of North Dakota are researching whether curved or oval traffic patterns could be a safer alternative to rectangular ones, aiming to reduce loss-of-control accidents during the landing phase.

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In the aftermath of its investigations into recent midair collisions the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in November released guidance for pilots stressing “the inherent limitations” of the long-standing see-and-avoid practice and urging adoption of technological solutions. The NTSB’s guidance is found in Safety Alert SA-058, Prevent Midair Collisions: Don’t Depend on Vision Alone. The Safety Alert is available to download in the PDF file format for free.

The NTSB’s Safety Alert on midair collisions was developed as the Board investigated two recent accidents. One, involving a U.S. Air Force F-16 and a Cessna 150, occurred near Monck’s Corner, S.C., on July 5, 2015. Both aboard the Cessna died while the F-16 pilot safely ejected after the collision. Both aircraft were destroyed.