Flight Path Vector Landing Short Warning System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft may land short of the runway if they do not approach within appropriate airspeed and rates of descent, and existing systems like TAWS do not provide adequate warnings in all scenarios, leading to potential accidents.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an air data inertial reference unit (ADIRU), a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), and an alert system that determines a flight path vector (FPV) location and current airspeed to issue alerts if the aircraft is at or before the runway threshold, or if the airspeed is below a landing short envelope, to prevent short landings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TAWS is used to prevent terrain crashes, then terrain safety is improved, but warning coverage is insufficient when aircraft approach runway at inappropriate speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The warning system is segmented into multiple independent alert types: landing short alerts (when FPV location is at or before runway threshold), airspeed caution alerts (when airspeed is below landing short envelope), and terrain alerts. Each segment addresses specific hazard conditions, allowing comprehensive coverage without requiring a single complex warning system to detect all scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessment of airspeed and FPV location before the aircraft reaches the runway threshold. By calculating the landing short envelope based on current airspeed and determining FPV location in advance, the system issues warnings proactively rather than reactively, allowing pilots time to correct their approach before it becomes too late.
2Ease of operation
If manual landing is performed without FPV, then pilot control flexibility is maintained, but airspeed and descent rate control precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors airspeed and calculates the landing short envelope in real-time, providing feedback to the pilot through visual and audio alerts. The dynamic calculation of the envelope based on current airspeed creates a closed-loop feedback system that helps pilots maintain appropriate airspeed without requiring manual computation, thereby improving precision while preserving manual control flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The FPV (Flight Path Vector) acts as an intermediary between the aircraft's energy state and the runway threshold location. By displaying the FPV location relative to the runway threshold, the system provides pilots with intuitive visual information about their approach trajectory and potential landing point, enabling better airspeed and descent rate control without removing manual control authority.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method can include determining that an aircraft is on approach to a runway. The method can include determining a flight path vector (FPV) location of the aircraft based at least in part on a projected landing location with respect to the runway and determining a current airspeed of the aircraft. The method can also include performing at least one of the following: issuing a landing short alert to a pilot of the aircraft if the FPV location is at or before the runway threshold, issuing an airspeed caution alert if the FPV location is between the runway threshold and the target runway location and if the current airspeed is below a landing short envelope, and determining not to issue an alert if the FPV location is between the runway threshold and the target runway location and if the current airspeed is at or above the landing short envelope.