Eurocontrol hails transformation since Milan crash
Actions to improve the safety of Europe’s runways since the tragedy at Italy’s Milan Linate airport in October 2001 have yielded a huge increase in incident reporting and a much better understanding of accident causes, says Eurocontrol.
A survey of 120 European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) airports has found that 91% have now established the local runway safety teams recommended following the accident, says Eurocontrol runway safety project manager Yvonne Page.
In the Linate crash, a Scandinavian Airlines Boeing MD-87 hit a Cessna Citation CJ2 crossing the runway as it was taking off in fog, killing 118 people. Page says that while work had already begun to improve runway safety, the crash “was a major stimulant” for long-overdue changes in incident reporting cultures.
One of the main factors contributing to the disaster was that the two aircraft were using different radio frequencies while on the runway. Since Linate, the use of the same frequencies for all runway operations is becoming commonplace, says Page.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation has acted with unusual speed in developing a global definition of runway incursions as: “Any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and takeoff of aircraft.”
In Europe alone there were 14 different definitions, says Page. “Now we have one, which will be progressively adopted by all states.”
Further help came from the recent European Commission directive establishing the concept of a “no blame” culture in European safety management. In 1999 only 50 reports on potentially dangerous runway incidents were received. By 2004 the figure had risen to 530.
“Our ability to improve runway safety is totally dependent on reporting,” says Page. “This is how we learned that communications breakdown was one of the main factors to be addressed.”
The International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations commends the progress, but adds that while introducing runway safety teams is a “major step forwards, aerodromes will always be dangerous places, so we must ensure that runway safety teams meet regularly and report openly on problem areas”.
JULIAN MOXON/LONDON
Source: Flight International
