Minimum Safe Federal Aviation Administration Altitude Warning - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Minimum Safe Federal Aviation Administration Altitude Warning Presented to: Pan American Aviation Safety Summit; Sao Paulo, Brazil By: Glenn W. Michael Manager, CAST International Operations April 21, 2010 Date:

MSAW Overview • A general overview of MSAW • Accident Investigation impacts on MSAW • Air Traffic Control procedures and MSAW • MSAW Development Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 2 Administration

Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) is… Four words meaning…. Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 3 Administration

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) • A controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT) accident is one in which an otherwise serviceable aircraft, under the control of the crew, is flown (unintentionally) into terrain, obstacles or water, with no prior awareness on the part of the crew of the impending collision Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 4 Administration

Wreckage of KA Flight 801 Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation NTSB 5 Administration

Proximity to UNZ VOR Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 6 Administration

On-Board Barriers • Instrument Landing System (ILS) – Glideslope out of service since July – Outer/Middle marker indicators suppressed • Published approach procedures – Pilot misunderstood/disregarded DME fixes. • Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) – Commonly ignored due to nuisance warnings • Pilot not flying, flight engineer – Didn’t challenge approach soon enough Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 7 Administration

Ground-based Barriers • Minimum Safe Altitude Warning System – Inhibited by FAA due to nuisance warnings Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 8 Administration

Effectiveness of MSAW • NTSB/FAA simulation indicated that, without the inhibition, MSAW would have generated an alert 64 seconds before impact. • NTSB: This would have been sufficient for the controller to advise KA 801. (p. 174) Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 9 Administration

NTSB concluded: “Contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) intentional inhibition of the minimum safe altitude warning system (MSAW) at Guam and the agency’s failure to adequately manage the system.” Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 10 Administration

As Former FAA Administrator Blakey said, "We need to change one of the biggest historical characteristics of aviation safety improvements— our reactive nature. We must get in front of accidents, anticipate them, and use hard data to detect problems and disturbing trends." Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 11 Administration

“Mitigations” (Safety Enhancements) • The measures taken or proposed to eradicate the hazard or to reduce the probability or the severity of a risk. Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 12 Administration

Order of Precedence for Hazard Mitigation • Modify the system – design the hazard out • Physical guards or barriers – prevent the risk from occurring • Warning or alert signal • Procedural and training change • Advise people – placards, notices, brief all pilots, etc. Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 13 Administration

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 MSAW Origination Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 14 Administration

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 15 Administration

Origin of MSAW Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 16 Administration

Origin of MSAW Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 17 Administration

Ground Based Prevention of CFIT • ATC Safety Net What ground-based intervention would have prevented the accident? – Automated tools provide the means for ATC to strengthen overall defenses against CFIT – Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW) Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 18 Administration

Minimum Safe Altitude Warning • A function designed solely as a controller aid in detecting potentially unsafe aircraft proximity to terrain/obstructions • Generates and alert to the controller when a pilot is below, or is predicted to be below, a specified altitude • Must be adapted specifically for each RADAR system Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 19 Administration

Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (cont) • Types of MSAW Processing – General Terrain Monitoring – Approach Path Monitoring Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 20 Administration

Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (cont) • General Terrain Monitoring – Current Alarm • Presently less than 500 feet above terrain map – Prediction Alarm • Pilot will be less than 500 feet above terrain map within 30 seconds – Projection Alarm • Pilot will be unable to clear all obstacles within eight minutes flying time on present course at a five degree climb angle Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 21 Administration

MSAW General Monitoring Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA) 500´ Threshold Terrain Clearance Altitude Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 22 Administration

Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (cont) • Approach Path Monitor – Current • Pilot is currently below the calculated APM alarm slope altitude – Prediction • Pilot is predicted to be 100 feet below the calculated APM alarm slope altitude within the next 15 seconds Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 23 Administration

MSAW Approach Path Monitoring Glideslope Path Alarm Trigger Area (100´ below glideslope path) Runway 1 nm

MSAW: Safety-Critical? • FAA: Safe operation of aircraft is ultimately pilots’ responsibility. – MSAW is an aid to Air Traffic Controllers – MSAW only ground-based CFIT barrier Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 25 Administration

MSAW • Phraseology – LOW ALTITUDE ALERT (call sign), CHECK YOUR ALTITUDE IMMEDIATELY. THE Minimum IFR Altitude is (altitude) THE (as appropriate) MDA/DH IS (altitude). Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 26 Administration

MSAW • Procedures and phraseology – ICAO order • Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Air Traffic Management (PANS-ATM) Document 4444 – Chapter 15 Para. 15.6.4 Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW) Procedures Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 27 Administration

Thank You Questions??????? Minimum Safe Altitude Warning Federal Aviation 28 Administration