Widespread introduction of regional jets has prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration to develop new approach procedures which promise to reduce accidents caused by controlled flight into terrain.
Under the Precision-like Approach Initiative (PAI), the FAA is producing new procedures for the 11,000 approaches in the USA that lack instrument landing system (ILS) guidance. The new procedures will allow aircraft with suitable navigation systems to fly a 3° stabilised approach even in the absence of an ILS glideslope.
Many approaches flown by regional airlines are "dive and drive" - the crew descends rapidly from the final approach fix to a minimum descent altitude then flies until the runway is in sight.
The new procedures will be available to aircraft having multi-sensor area navigation systems with barometric vertical navigation. The system must meet a required navigation performance of 0.3nm (0.5km) - known as RNP 0.3.
Source: Flight International
