| Issue 8 | Volume 143 | Tuesday, March 10, 2015 | theavion.com |
NextGen Program Gains ADS-B Implementation Chrissi Culver Correspondent I stood there in astonishment as I watched the radarscope at Daytona Beach control tower. “As you can see, the targets update every second rather than the typical 5-7 seconds in terminal or 12-15 seconds in enroute facilities,” said Scott Forrest, a controller at Daytona tower. “We’re one of the first facilities in the country to feature this new radar scope.” I couldn’t believe my eyes; from what I learned and practiced in my air traffic courses, radar targets don’t update every second. Why are these targets updating every second? The answer was simple but completely unexpected to me: NextGEN. The “Next Generation Air Transportation System” is finally being phased into the air traffic system in the U.S. Many regard NextGEN as the “Big Foot” of the aviation industry, but progress is being made to integrate the new satellite-based system into the current groundbased radar system that has been in place since the end of World War II. Forrest explained to me that the new radarscope integrates secondary radar targets—transponder beacons from the “old” system—and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data for realtime positioning reports on every aircraft equipped with ADS-B. “ADS-B works where radar often doesn’t,” according to Garmin ADS-B Academy online, “even in remote areas or mountainous terrain. It can function at low altitudes and on the ground. It can also be used to monitor traffic on airport taxiways and runways.” Pilots—even military and airline pilots—are now flying with portable ADS-B receivers, which allow them to see aircraft equipped with ADS-B transmitters on their tablets and receive subscription-free weather services. “What was once a nice-to-have gadget has become an essential part of risk management,” according to Sporty’s Pilot Shop. Continued on A5 >>
Photo Courtesy: Reuters Delta flight 1086’s MD-88 hinges on an embankment over Flushing Bay at LaGuardia airport in New York City. The aircraft found itself in this configuration after careening off runway 13 shortly after touching down from a flight from Atlanta. Substantial damage was incurred on the aircraft, though no major injuries were sustained by the passengers or crew.
Delta MD-88 Veers off Snowy Runway Crystal Cortez Correspondent On March 15, Delta Flight 1086 skidded off runway 13 upon landing at LaGuardia Airport. The MD-88 departed from Atlanta, Georgia and arrived a little after 11 a.m. at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The aircraft veered to the left approximately 5,000 feet down the runway, of the total 7,003 feet available. The MD-88 impacted a fence before coming to a halt just short of Flushing Bay. All 127 passengers and five crew members were quickly evacuated and transported inside the terminal. Twenty-four people suffered non-life threatening injuries and three people were transported to a nearby hospital. All four runways at LaGuardia were immediately shut down after the accident. Runway 22 was reopened later that day around 2 p.m., allowing just enough time to remove the plane from the runway environment and into a hangar. Runway 13 remained closed until 10:30 a.m. on Friday. Patrick Foye, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, reported that the runway was indeed plowed shortly before the plane landed and two other aircraft before Flight 1086 reported “good braking conditions”. The weather at that time reported one-fourth statuate mile visibility with snow and freezing fog. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be releasing a strictly-factual preliminary report later this month. An official report is expected within 12 to 18 months.
Photo Courtesy: Justin Lane/European Pressphoto Agency New York City emergency services respond to passengers lightly injured during the crash landing. No passengers were seriously harmed during the accident.
Photo Courtesy: NTSB National Transportation Safety Board members begin their investigation of the flight 1086 accident. As mandated by the government, the NTSB has 10 days to produce a preliminary report on the event.