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Runway incursions are a major area of concern to the FAA, airport, and aircraft operations, and to the general public. This report provides qualitative and anecdotal information on factors affecting safe winter operations and the prevention of runway incursions by airport snow removal and equipment operators. Through a literature review and a questionnaire distributed to airport personnel, data were collected to address the studyâs main points of focus as follows: ⢠Communication protocols and systems currently in use, ⢠Winter operational protocols in use, ⢠Human factors that affect personnel, ⢠Equipment and vehicle design factors that play a role in prevention, ⢠Training or training systems used by airports, and ⢠The availability of commercial displays or warning sys- tems to prevent incursions. Throughout the report, examples from incident reports and from survey respondents are included to help highlight the problems and solutions that airport operators experience dur- ing winter operations. Both practical and theoretical guidance on managing collision risk factors are provided. The collision risk factors are grouped and discussed under the headings of: Communication, Environment, Human Performance, Situa- tional Awareness, Time Pressures, Vehicles and Equipment Resources, Operational Factors. Lastly, technology investi- gated, used, or proposed to help mitigate the effects of human error and help reduce the possibility of a serious runway incursion are described. The study found that unsatisfactory communication con- tinues to be a factor contributing to runway incursions by individuals engaged in snow removal operations. Communi- cation refers to both the radio communication requirements of the FAA, the methods for coordination between the par- ties engaged in winter operations, and the dissemination of safety information to others. Although the FAA has standard procedures for radio communication, the study found that errors by all parties involved continue to result in runway incursions. The methods for coordination were found to vary among airports, in part due to the size of an airportâs opera- tions, the available resources, and the emphasis airport man- agement placed on proper coordination. Methods that work at large airports may not apply to smaller airports, or vice versa. Also, the dissemination of safety-related information, primarily through the notice to airmen (NOTAM) system, was 48 targeted as being unsatisfactory by many survey respondents. The FAA implemented new NOTAM procedures effective January 28, 2008, as a first step toward resolving the unsatis- factory concerns. The survey responses and discussion with airport opera- tors point to an effort by airport organizations to do the best they can given the resources they have. Every airport did take snow and ice control activity seriously and recognized the increased risk of an incident or runway incursion. Additional resources of equipment, personnel, technology, and money are possible solutions, but the report highlights that organi- zational procedures (or the lack of them), competing pressures, and human performance factors are issues seeking attention as well. The methods airport operators use for marshaling their resources during winter operations varied among airports. Conducting snow removal operations with small groups of equipment with one lead was deemed a good practice at larger airports. Whether an airport closed a runway for snow removal operations or accommodated aircraft operations depended on many competing factors. These factors could be more thoroughly evaluated through implementation of a safety management system. Winter operations require sustained human performance over both intense short and long periods of a snow event. Fatigue is a major factor affecting the decision making and risk management of individuals. The study found that fatigue was frequently reported as the cause of mistakes on the air- field. Contributing to fatigue was stress as a result of factors both within and external to the workplace. Both the individual and airport management have a responsibility to address the effects of fatigue and stress as factors contributing to runway incursions. None of the snow and ice control plans reviewed for this report discussed runway incursion prevention issues associated with driver fatigue and distraction, though it was mentioned in an ancillary policy and procedure manuals developed by one airport. The importance of situational awareness (SA) while oper- ating on the airfield was an important ingredient for reducing collision risk factors. Loss of SA was found in the literature to be a major cause of controller, pilot, and ground vehicle oper- ator errors. A safe operating environment is achieved when snow crews and air traffic controllers coordinate effectively CHAPTER ELEVEN CONCLUSIONS
49 and work closely to that end. A letter of agreement is a starting point, but it may also require a trusting relationship with air traffic control tower personnel. Adherence to well-established standard operating procedures is important in that regard, and this report provides information on procedures in place at different-sized airports. Lastly, both past, present, and future technology is presented that has been studied by the FAA, implemented in some cases, and still being considered in others, and which further helps to act as a defensive mechanism for addressing human error as a cause of runway incursions. The hope is that tech- nology can reduce the impacts on the weak links of the coor- dination and communication necessary between controllers, pilots, and ground vehicle operators. The technology, however, also needs to be affordable to the smaller airports and stand up to the harsh conditions of winter operations. Specific issues arising from this report and which are areas for further investigation or research are as follows: ⢠Provide for specific research and training opportunity into the impact of fatigue during winter operations at airports and how to better address or manage it. ⢠Study enhancing the training and education of personnel within airport organizations into the principles of fatigue, stress, and SA. ⢠Study better methods for disseminating airport operating conditions and related safety information to pilots, espe- cially at uncontrolled airports. ⢠Study more uniform procedures and practices for inclu- sion in an airportâs snow and ice control plan or separate procedure manual. ⢠Study expanding the Runway Incursion Information and Evaluation Program to include airport operators, as a means for better understanding the nature of errors that occur during winter operations. ⢠Study revising the vehicle purchasing parameters to encourage the acquisition of safety-related devices and more powerful vehicles to maximize visibility, minimize driver fatigue, and reduce the time spent on the runway. ⢠Research and investigate more fully the advantages and disadvantages of headphone use, types of vehicle light- ing and their arrangement on the vehicles, and better ergonomic controls and cabin environments specific to airport equipment. ⢠Study safety management systems as a means for better evaluating decisions associated with operating proce- dures, staffing levels, coordination with others, and man- aging the pressures associated with snow and ice control and low visibility conditions. ⢠Investigate, conduct, and better report research on the capabilities of incursion technology during winter operations.
