Runway Intersection Awareness for Safe Takeoff Distance Checks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft intersection takeoffs, which start at positions other than the runway beginning, are prone to accidents due to pilots being unaware of the correct runway length and intersection identification, leading to unsafe takeoff conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that provide runway awareness by receiving and processing runway and aircraft position data to identify the intersection, determine available runway distance, and display this information on a cockpit display, ensuring compliance with performance parameters and safe takeoff criteria.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pilots perform intersection takeoffs without runway awareness systems, then operational flexibility and runway capacity are improved, but safety deteriorates due to wrong intersection selection and insufficient runway length awareness
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification of the aircraft's position relative to runway intersections and calculates the available runway distance before the takeoff decision is made. This advance calculation and display of runway distance information allows pilots to verify sufficient runway length prior to committing to the takeoff, thereby maintaining operational flexibility while enhancing safety through proactive awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback to the pilot by displaying the identified intersection and calculated runway distance available. This feedback loop allows the pilot to verify whether the selected intersection provides sufficient runway length for the current takeoff performance requirements, enabling corrective action if the runway distance is inadequate, thus resolving the safety concern while preserving operational flexibility.
2Device complexity
If pilots rely on memory and training for intersection takeoff procedures, then system complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of runway distance awareness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes existing onboard navigation systems and aircraft position data that are already part of the standard aircraft instrumentation. By processing this existing data through additional logic to identify intersections and calculate runway distances, the system achieves precise runway distance awareness without requiring complex external equipment or increasing overall system complexity significantly.
3Loss of information
If the system displays runway distance information at the intersection, then runway awareness is improved, but loss of time for information processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors aircraft position and pre-calculates the available runway distance from potential intersection points before the pilot needs to make a takeoff decision. This preliminary computation ensures that when the pilot requests intersection takeoff information or when the system determines the aircraft is approaching an intersection, the runway distance data is already available for immediate display, minimizing any time loss while maximizing runway awareness.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for promoting intersection takeoff awareness. The system includes a database storing runway data that includes identifications and locations of runways, identifications and locations of intersections along the runways, and lengths of the runways, a sensor system configured to generate aircraft position data that includes a current position of the aircraft, a display device, and a controller configured to, by a processor: retrieve the runway data, receive the aircraft position data, identify a first intersection of a first runway as the aircraft approaches the first intersection, determine a runway distance available from the first intersection, and display, on the display device, prior to the aircraft entering the first runway, the runway distance from the first intersection and/or an indication as to whether the runway distance from the first intersection is sufficient for takeoff based on performance parameters of the aircraft and safe takeoff criteria.