“If you think safety is expensive, try having an accident”
Stellios, Easy Jet
There is nothing as valuable to airfield operation as safety. It's a question about the health and lives of people as much as it is about money and goodwill. Safegate offers airport light systems, ALS, and expertise for safer and more efficient airfield ground operation that efficiently prevents incursions and accidents on runways, taxiways and aprons.
In ground operations there is a real risk for collision due to runway incursions and conflicting routes at taxiways and aprons. Here are a few examples from the real world:
After landing... the aircraft vacated the runway at a high-speed taxiway. TWR instructed the MD80 to give way to a JS32 already on the taxiway. The commander did not get the full meaning of the instruction at once and continued. ("I was busy in maneuvering the aircraft, and honestly did not get the full meaning of the instruction at once"). The First officer was for a moment "head down" and reading a taxi chart. The JS32 had to break hard in order to avoid collision."
The consequence
Disturbances, passenger discomforts.
Risk assessment
Hazardous event: | "Mishearing of instructions" |
Frequency: | > 1 per year/airport |
Severity: | Hazardous - serious or fatal injury
to a small number of the passengers.
(JAR AMJ 25.1309) |
"The aircraft should have parked at gate 10, but followed the transport road center line, between gate 9 and 10. A driver in a dispenser vehicle, which was parked at gate 9, noticed the situation and drove away".
The consequence
Damage to aircraft and vehicle.
Risk assessment
Hazardous event: | "Following wrong center line" |
Frequency: | > 1 per year/airport |
Severity: | Hazardous - Serious or fatal injury
to a small number of the occupants.
(JAR AMJ 25.1309) |
October 8, 2001 at Linate Airport in Milan, Italy, SAS Flight 686 headed to Copenhagen Airport collided on take-off with a Cessna business jet. There were no survivors. Wreckage was sent flying into a baggage handling building, where an additional 4 people were killed. The accident occurred in thick fog. Investigations showed that the control tower's instructions to the Cessna had not been followed correctly, and the plane had erroneously moved onto the runway.
The consequence
Linate 113 casualties, (Taipei 145, Tenerife 576)
Managers in jail, airport shut down, broken aircraft
Risk assessment
Hazardous event: | "Unintentional entering of active RWY" |
Frequency: | Once per 1 - 10 years/airport |
Severity: | Catastrophic - Multiple deaths
(JAR AMJ 25.1309) |
- Lights and signs used to reinforce radioed taxing directives, all lights estinguished but those indicating the designated route.
- Pre-defined routes making the decision process for the controller easier and less prone to errors.
- Interface to positioning system alerting potential collisions.
- Interface with active docking systems
- Active Stop Bars integrated with sensors
- Interface to ground positioning system (SMR, VDL-Mode 4, MBD, GPS etc)
- Smart Signs
Best Case
Worst Case
- Apron, TWY and RWY blocked
- Delays
- Liability cost to airline
- Missed revenue/profit for the airport and airline
- Administration cost
- Staff cost
- Casualties
- Injuries / Casualties
- Damages to equipment
- Good will lost
- Apron, TWY, RWY or Airport blocked
- Delays
- Liability cost to airline
- Missed revenue/profit for the airport and airline
- Administration cost
- Staff cost
Conflicting routes, accidents and incursions can be avoided with a combination of Airfield Ground Lighting System, AFL/ASP, and Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System, A-SMGCS. The savings are great and immediate.
- Less injuries/casualties
- Less damage to equipment
- Less apron, TWY, RWY and airport blocked
- Fewer delays
- No loss in revenue and profit
