"Florida airports among 20 that hold the most potential for runway violations"

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Local airports among 20 that hold the most potential for runway violations
By Ken Kaye
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel 


Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Miami international airports are among 20
others in the nation that hold the most potential for "runway incursions,"
where a plane accidentally rolls into the path of another, federal officials
said Monday.

The two airports join the likes of those in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York,
Atlanta and Dallas, all of which have come under extra federal scrutiny, as
the runway incidents have become one of aviation's most common and
potentially deadly incidents.

"It's a primary area of focus for everybody in the industry," Federal
Aviation Administration Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell said during a
press conference.

Although about 70 percent of runway encroachments are minor, with a plane or
ground vehicle rolling across an active runway far from a landing or
departing aircraft, some are deemed extremely serious, where pilots are
forced to take quick, evasive action.

The federal review, conducted by teams of FAA, airline and airport
inspectors, was initiated in August after a steady increase in runway
violations nationwide over the past five years, from 323 in 2003 to 330 last
year.

Hoping to reverse the tend, the FAA focused on the 20 airports with the most
incursions, air traffic and other safety risks.

Since October 2006, there have been four runway encroachments at the Fort
Lauderdale airport and five at the Miami airport, according to federal
records. Palm Beach International Airport saw two and was not on the FAA's
list of airports under extra scrutiny.

One at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International on July 11 nearly ended in
disaster. A United Airlines jet taxied onto a runway just as a Delta jet was
touching down - even though an air traffic controller was screaming at the
United jet to "stop, stop, stop!"

The Delta jet lifted off again, but missed hitting the United jet by less
than 100 feet, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, which
is still investigating. The two planes were carrying a total of 300
passengers.

Mike Nonnemacher, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood's director of operations, said
because of that incident, the airport landed the FAA's recent list. He said
that since then, additional lighting and markings have been added to the
intersection where the United crew rolled onto the runway.

In general, he said, Broward County's biggest airport strives to be safe and
has met all FAA's requirements.

"We have already got our airfield complete and gone beyond what the FAA
requires," he said.

In all, the FAA has set a goal of seeing a sharp reduction in the number of
runway encroachments by 2010.

Progress has been made reducing the most serious of these runway
encroachments - to 24 this year nationwide from 31 last year - by requiring
airports to make a number of lighting and marking upgrades. The agency also
called for more detailed air traffic instructions and better pilot training.

Compared to other major airports around the nation, South Florida's major
airports have seen relatively few incidents in the past two years.

Boston's Logan International Airport saw 22 runway encroachments in 2005 and
2006. Los Angeles International and Philadelphia International both had 16
runway violations in those two years. And Chicago's O'Hare saw 15 incidents
in that period.

Miami International saw five runway infractions in 2005 and 2006 and Fort
Lauderdale-Hollywood and Palm Beach international airports each saw four
incidents in those two years.

However, taking into account the rate of runway incursions per 100,000
airport operations, or takeoffs and landings, at least Miami and Palm Beach
international airports ranked as high or higher than several other major
airports.

Miami had a rate of 1.04 violations per 100,000 operations in 2006 and Palm
Beach had a rate of 1.55. Chicago O'Hare had a rate of .94 and Atlanta's
Hartsfield International had a rate of .93.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood had a rate of .67 incidents per 100,000
operations, among the lowest for major airports. Boston Logan had a rate of
1.7 incidents, among the worst.

The FAA also is trying to reduce runway infractions at smaller general
aviation airports. Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, which led the nation
with 15 incidents in 2001 has seen a large drop, to six in 2003 and three in
2006. That was after the airport's manager, Clara Bennett initiated a
program to improve runway markings, signs and lighting. So far this year,
Executive has seen four runway violations, all minor.

"We're very proud that trend has been decreasing significantly," Bennett
said Monday.

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