Aviation Safety: Opportunities Exist for FAA to Improve Airport Terminal Area Safety Efforts

The U.S airspace system is one of the safest in the world, but incidents and near misses at and around U.S. terminal areas-runways, taxiways, and ramps-still occur. Runway "excursions" are one type of these incidents, which occur when an aircraft veers off the side, or overruns the end, of a runway, and can result in serious injury, death, or property damage. FAA collects excursion data from two FAA databases and one National Transportation Safety Board database. In 2019, GAO reported that there were likely duplicate records in FAA's excursion data as a single excursion could be reported in more than one of these three sources. Although GAO did not have enough identifying information in the excursion data FAA provided to confirm the number of duplicate reports, GAO's analysis of excursion data did identify possible duplicates. Further, despite containing possible duplicates, FAA used excursion data, and data on other terminal-area incidents, to measure the relative riskiness of these incidents by assigning a different severity weight to each incident depending on its proximity to a fatal accident. Federal standards for internal control state that data should be appropriate, current, complete, and accurate. FAA officials said that they did not know how many duplicate records there were-and that they did not have an automated way to identify (and remove) all duplicates-but that the duplicates were likely to be minor, lower-risk events. However, without a process to identify duplicates, FAA was not able to verify that this statement was true, and therefore could not accurately assess and mitigate the risk excursions posed to terminal area safety. As such, GAO recommended that FAA should develop a process to identify and remove duplicate excursion records. In January 2022, GAO confirmed that FAA had taken actions to identify and remove duplicate excursion records from the data it collects on surface incidents. Specifically, FAA identifies duplicate records by applying additional filtering logic to match incidents with the same date, aircraft type, location, or other parameters, and removes duplicates it identifies. This process is automated. FAA also performs a manual check for duplicate records. By taking these additional actions to identify and remove duplicate excursion records, FAA is better able to assess the risk these incidents pose to passengers, airport staff, and others, which met the intent of GAO's recommendation.

The U.S airspace system is one of the safest in the world, but incidents and near misses at and around U.S. terminal areas-runways, taxiways, and ramps-still occur. Specifically, ramps are typically small, congested parts of the terminal area in which departing and arriving aircraft are serviced by ramp workers, who include baggage, catering, and fueling personnel. The Flight Safety Foundation, which has collected its own data on ramp safety, estimated that each year 27,000 ramp accidents and incidents occur worldwide and can be costly due to effects such as damage to aircraft and schedule disruptions. GAO has also previously reported that these areas can be dangerous for ground workers and passengers. In 2019, GAO reported that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not use data to analyze most ramp area incidents, and did not plan to do so. For example, the manager of FAA's Runway Safety Group, which coordinates FAA's terminal area safety efforts, said that FAA analyzed fatal ramp accidents through its participation in the Commercial Aviation Safety Team, a joint FAA-industry efforts established in 1997 to reduce the U.S. commercial fatality risk by 50 percent from 2010 to 2025. However, FAA's Runway Safety Group manager said that FAA did not analyze non-fatal ramp incidents, which are estimated to occur more frequently. In addition, FAA officials said that FAA likely had data on some non-fatal ramp incidents. For example, some air traffic controllers GAO interviewed said that they would report any ramp area incidents they observed through FAA's mandatory reporting process, and officials from a pilot association said that they would also report such incidents. Finally, FAA's Runway Safety Group manager said they did not plan to analyze ramp incidents in FAA's new "surface safety metric," which measures the relative riskiness of terminal-area incidents by assigning a different severity weight to each incident depending on its proximity to a fatal accident. As such, GAO recommended that FAA take steps to analyze data on ramp area incidents in FAA's new surface safety metric. In January 2022, GAO confirmed that FAA had implemented steps to collect information on and analyze ramp incidents in the agency's new surface safety metric. Specifically, at the 14 airports where FAA air traffic control services are provided in the ramp area, FAA air traffic control personnel are required to file a mandatory occurrence report or an FAA Form Accident/Incident Preliminary Notice when an event occurs during a pushback clearance from either a ramp or a gate area onto a movement area. The events in these reports are then analyzed and processed in the new surface safety metric. Analyzing data on ramp incidents at these airports will help FAA begin to identify trends across these airports at which FAA personnel provide air traffic control services. It will also provide FAA with information useful in mitigating ramp incidents at these and other airports, as lessons from these 14 airports could be applied to other airports. As such, FAA's actions meet the intent of GAO's recommendation.

The U.S airspace system is one of the safest in the world, but incidents and near misses at and around U.S. terminal areas-runways, taxiways, and ramps-still occur. In fiscal year 2018, FAA recorded over 1,800 incidents of planes, vehicles, or pedestrians entering runways when they were not authorized to do so. In 2019, GAO reported that while FAA, airports, and airlines have implemented multiple efforts to improve runway, taxiway, and ramp safety, FAA had not assessed the effectiveness of these efforts, and may be missing opportunities to improve its terminal-area safety efforts. For example, FAA had funded multiple technologies to improve runway safety, such as Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X)-a ground surveillance system that enables air traffic controllers to track landing and departing aircraft and alerts controllers of potential collisions. However, FAA had not assessed the effectiveness of ASDE-X. Similarly, FAA had not assessed the effectiveness of its Runway Safety Program, whereby FAA staff, along with local airport stakeholders, provide data and support to local air traffic managers to help identify and manage terminal area safety incidents. Without assessing how FAA's primary efforts, such as ASDE-X and the Runway Safety Program, contribute to the agency's goal of improving runway and taxiway safety, FAA could not determine the extent to which it was targeting its limited resources to the most effective strategies. As such, GAO recommended that FAA establish a plan to assess the effectiveness of all of its terminal area-safety efforts, including ASDE-X and the Runway Safety Program. In January 2022, GAO confirmed that FAA had taken steps to assess the effectiveness of its terminal-areas safety efforts. For example, FAA had analyzed data available from its Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC) and ASDE-X to assess the effectiveness of these surveillance technologies. FAA's analysis showed that airports with these surface surveillance technologies experienced a lower average rate of runway incidents than did airports without these technologies. In addition, FAA had developed tools to evaluate the effectiveness of the Runway Safety Program, such as an interactive search tool for runway safety incidents that aids airport and air traffic control stakeholders identify, discuss, and mitigate specific terminal-area safety incidents. By taking these steps to assess the effectiveness of its terminal-area safety efforts, FAA is better positioned to make decisions about how to target its limited resources within and among these efforts.

The U.S airspace system is one of the safest in the world, but incidents and near misses at and around U.S. terminal areas-runways, taxiways, and ramps-still occur . In fiscal year 2018, FAA recorded over 1,800 incidents of planes, vehicles, or pedestrians entering runways when they were not authorized to do so. In 2019, GAO reported that FAA, airports, and airlines have implemented multiple efforts, including technologies, to improve runway, taxiway, and ramp safety ; FAA's efforts, which are coordinated by the Runway Safety Group, focus primarily on runway and taxiway safety. However, FAA may be missing opportunities to improve its terminal-area safety efforts, including improving communication within FAA . Specifically, FAA Regional Runway Safety Program staff told GAO that they do not receive the results of most runway incursion investigations . Four of FAA's five Regional Runway Safety Program Managers GAO interviewed reported that, they did not receive the results of investigations of pilot deviations-which constitute the majority of runway incursions-from the Office of Flight Standards . FAA does not require Flight Standards to automatically provide their investigations of runway and taxiway incidents to the Runway Safety Group, which could enhance runway and taxiway safety . FAA officials reported to GAO that FAA requires Flight Standards to make its investigations available to Runway Safety Group staff, if requested, but acknowledged that this does not always result in Runway Safety Group staff receiving these investigations in a timely manner. FAA officials said they are in the process of implementing additional processes to improve communication between Flight Standards and the Runway Safety Group, but documentation on these processes FAA provided to GAO did not address getting investigations to Runway Safety Program staff in a timely manner . The manager of the Runway Safety Group told GAO that Regional Runway Safety Program Managers may request individual investigations from regional Flight Standards officials, but that it would be time consuming for these regional managers to make such requests for every pilot deviation . Without timely access to the results of Flight Standards' incident investigations, Runway Safety Program officials-and therefore, local air traffic control managers-may not have all of the relevant information they need to develop appropriate runway and taxiway safety mitigation strategies and plans . As such, GAO recommended that the Administrator of FAA require Flight Standards to share the results of its investigations with the Runway Safety Group, in a timely manner. In July 2022, GAO confirmed that FAA had made changes to its systems and processes that resulted in Flight Standards sharing its investigations in real time . Flight Standards transitioned its pilot deviation investigation data from a legacy system to a newer system . FAA officials said they made changes to how Runway Safety Group staff access the results of pilot deviation investigations in the new system . Specifically, FAA officials said they have assigned specific individuals as points of contact for Runway Safety Group staff to contact obtain pilot deviation investigations . FAA documented these changes in a May 20, 2022 memo from Flight Standards to the Runway Safety Group, noting that Flight Standards would respond to most requests for investigations within 24 hours. FAA officials said that these changes resulted in the Runway Safety Group receiving pilot deviation investigations "in real time." FAA officials cited one example where, prior to the process changes, it took 2 months for Runway Safety Group staff to obtain a pilot deviation investigation, but after the process changes, it took a few hours . By making these changes, FAA is better positioned to share Flight Standards investigations with the Runway Safety Group in real time , which meets the intent of GAO's recommendations.

The U.S airspace system is one of the safest in the world, but incidents and near misses at and around U.S. terminal areas-runways, taxiways, and ramps-still occur. In fiscal year 2018, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recorded over 1,800 incidents of planes, vehicles, or pedestrians entering runways when they were not authorized to do so. In 2019, GAO reported that while FAA, airports, and airlines have implemented multiple efforts to improve runway, taxiway, and ramp safety, FAA may still be missing opportunities to improve these efforts, including improving communication between FAA and airports. For example, selected airport operators GAO interviewed reported that they may not have all information they need to develop appropriate terminal area safety mitigation strategies following an incident. Specifically, most of those GAO interviewed reported that air traffic control managers did not provide them with complete and timely information on all runway and taxiway incidents. Six of 10 airport operators we interviewed told us that air traffic control managers did not notify them of all runway and taxiway incidents as they happened. According to air traffic control procedures, controllers are required to report as soon as possible to airport managers and others "any information which may have an adverse effect on air safety." However, this requirement did not specify the types of terminal area safety incidents to which this applies. Lacking complete information on runway and taxiway incidents at their airports could hamper airport operators' ability to develop appropriate safety strategies or make investment decisions related to safety in a timely manner. As such, GAO recommended that FAA require air traffic control managers to share information on terminal area incidents with airport operators, in a timely manner. In 2020, GAO confirmed that FAA had updated its order on air traffic control organization occurrence reporting to require the Air Traffic Manager at an airport to notify airport management of all known incidents by the close of business the next administrative day. By updating this order, FAA is better positioned to improve external communication between air traffic managers and airport operators and help airports identify and implement needed mitigations more quickly, which met the intent of GAO's recommendation.