Runway Approach Monitoring for Autonomous Overrun Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to provide timely corrective actions to prevent runway overruns and excursions by identifying unstable aircraft approaches and guiding flight crews effectively, leading to increased risks of accidents.
Innovation Solution
A ground-based system that monitors aircraft approaches using ADS-B Out messages and runway databases to detect unstable trajectories, providing corrective actions and go-around recommendations to air traffic controllers for transmission to flight crews.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional systems determine likelihood of runway overrun and issue alerts, then safety awareness is improved, but corrective action capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a closed-loop feedback mechanism by continuously monitoring approach stability parameters, predicting runway overrun likelihood, and providing real-time corrective guidance to flight crews. This feedback loop transforms static alerts into dynamic, actionable guidance that adapts to changing flight conditions, thereby improving both safety awareness and corrective action capability simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of approach stability parameters and predicts potential runway overrun scenarios before they occur. By identifying unstable approaches early and providing corrective guidance in advance, the system enables flight crews to take preventive actions during the approach phase rather than reacting after problems have developed, thus improving both safety and operational effectiveness
2Loss of time
If flight crew attempts to correct unstable approach manually, then response time is reduced, but accuracy of correction deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system acts as an intermediary between the unstable approach condition and the flight crew by providing computationally-derived corrective guidance based on precise analysis of approach parameters. This intermediary function enables flight crews to respond quickly to unstable conditions while maintaining high accuracy in corrections, as the system handles the complex calculations and parameter analysis that would be difficult for pilots to perform manually under time pressure
3Reliability
If air traffic controllers provide timely guidance, then runway overrun prevention is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically monitoring approach parameters, predicting runway overrun risks, and generating corrective guidance without requiring complex human intervention or coordination. This automation of previously manual processes reduces the burden on air traffic controllers while improving prevention capability, as the system independently handles the complex analysis and guidance generation functions
Solution Approach 2:
The system integrates multiple functions including parameter monitoring, stability analysis, prediction modeling, and guidance generation into a single multi-functional platform. This universal system design improves runway overrun prevention while managing complexity by consolidating functions rather than requiring separate systems for each task, thereby providing comprehensive protection through integrated operations
Data Source
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AI summary
A ground-based system for autonomous runway excursion prevention and monitoring stores runway datasets for each runway (or each directional orientation of a runway), each dataset including 1) lengths of the runway's stable/unstable touchdown regions (STR/UTR), the STR defined by a runway aiming point and by touchdown zone markings on either side (and the UTR comprising the remainder of the runway) and 2) an ideal glide slope associated with a stable approach path to the runway by a particular aircraft and a touchdown within the STR, the ideal glide slope and STR defining a stable approach channel (SAC). The system constructs a trajectory based on position reports from each approaching aircraft and, if the aircraft sufficiently deviates from the SAC and the remaining runway length after predicted touchdown is consistent with a likely runway overrun (RO), generates course corrections for the flight crew to resolve the unstable approach path.