Flight Phase Stability Indicator for Runway Overrun Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aviation warning systems, such as GPWS and TAWS, fail to adequately address runway overrun and underrun risks due to 'deliberate detuning' near airports, leading to pilot errors and accidents, as evidenced by the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777-200ER incident at San Francisco International Airport in 2013.
Innovation Solution
A flight phase stability indicator system that provides real-time, graphical, and textual stability information to pilots using a plurality of stability zones and a traversing position indicator, integrated with navigation and flight phase data to offer caution and warning advisories, enhancing situational awareness during approach and landing operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If warning systems are deliberately detuned near airports to inhibit nuisance alerts during low and slow flight operations, then false alarm reduction is improved, but accident prevention capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts alert sensitivity based on flight phase stability rather than using a fixed detuned threshold. The stability indicator continuously monitors multiple flight parameters (vertical speed, glide path deviation, airspeed, thrust setting) and adjusts the warning system's responsiveness in real-time, allowing high sensitivity when flight is unstable and reduced sensitivity when flight is stable, thus resolving the contradiction between false alarm reduction and accident prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the warning system based on the calculated flight phase stability. Instead of using a single fixed threshold, the system modifies alert triggering parameters dynamically according to the stability indicator's assessment of current flight conditions, enabling the system to maintain high alerting capability during unstable approaches while suppressing alerts during stable, controlled flight
2Device complexity
If traditional GPWS and TAWS systems use fixed alerting thresholds, then system simplicity is improved, but adaptability to different flight conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of flight phase stability using multiple flight parameters before triggering alerts. By pre-assessing the stability state based on vertical speed, glide path deviation, airspeed, and thrust setting, the system prepares the appropriate alerting response in advance, allowing it to adapt to different flight conditions without requiring complex real-time decision-making during critical moments
Solution Approach 2:
The stability indicator serves multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors flight phase stability, predicts runway overrun/underrun risk, generates appropriate alerting responses, and provides situational awareness information. This multi-functionality allows a single system to adapt to various flight conditions and warning scenarios without requiring separate specialized systems for each function
Data Source
AI summary
A flight phase stability indicator system and method for generating and presenting stability indicator(s) are disclosed. A processor receives flight phase data representative of an identification of a current operational flight phase; receives navigation data comprised of aircraft position, a planned flight trajectory, and runway data if runway data is needed for the current operational flight phase; determines stability data representative of a stability of the current operational flight phase based upon at least the navigation data; generates presentation data responsive to the determination and representative of the flight phase stability indicator and/or presentation(s) of flight phase stability; and presents the indicator represented in the presentation data on or through a presentation unit comprised of a visual display, aural advisory unit, and/or tactile advisory unit.