[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 53 (Friday, March 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14641-14643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6683]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


One-Year Runway Incursion Information and Evaluation Program

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: General statement of policy.

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SUMMARY: This document announces a one-year program to gather 
information from airmen who are involved in runway incursions and to 
evaluate that information in an effort to determine the root causes of 
such events. The document also states the FAA's policy concerning 
enforcement-related incentives that will be offered to airmen to 
encourage them to participate in the program and the FAA's policy 
concerning the use for enforcement purposes of information provided by 
airmen under the program.

DATES: Effective date: March 17, 2000. Expiration Date: The Runway 
Incursion Information and Evaluation Program expires on March 19, 2001.

[[Page 14642]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ross Cusimano, AFS-200, Air 
Transportation Division, Flight Standards Service, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591; 
Telephone: (202) 267-8166.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In recent years, the number of runway incursions has increased 
significantly. As a result, the Administrator has identified as a high 
priority the implementation of several initiatives aimed at reducing or 
eliminating accidents or incidents attributable to runway incursions. 
These initiatives ``include efforts that address pilot familiarity with 
airports, navigation and communications improvements, pilot/controller 
memory and attention, controller skill development, compliance with FAA 
regulations by pilots and controllers, and improved dissemination of 
safety/security-related information.'' (1998 Airport Surface Operations 
Safety Action Plan, page 3). (Available on the Internet at http://www.faa.gov/ats/ato/ato102/files/actionplan/index.html).
    A runway incursion is defined as ``any occurrence at an airport 
involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that 
creates a collision hazard or results in loss of separation withan 
aircraft taking off, intending to take off, landing, or intending to 
land.'' (FAA Order 8020.11A, Chapter 1, Paragraph 5). Runway incursions 
are grouped into four categories: Pilot Deviations, Operational Errors, 
Operational Deviations, and Vehicle or Pedestrian Deviations. Pilot 
deviations are the leading category of runway incursions, increasing by 
38 percent from 1997 to 1998. An analysis of runway incursion data 
indicates runway incursions most likely to cause accidents generally 
occur at complex, high volume airports. (1998 Airport Surface 
Operations Safety Action Plan, page 3). The data also show there is a 
high incidence of runway incursions involving general aviation pilots 
that often result from misunderstood controller instructions, 
confusion, disorientation, and/or inattention. Id. Because runway 
incursions can involve and affect such a wide cross section of pilot 
skill levels and airport operations, the FAA has concluded that runway 
incursion prevention measures must be as broad in scope as possible.

One-Year Runway Incursion Information and Evaluation Program 
(RIIEP)

    The Administrator has set a goal to reduce runway incursions by 15 
percent in calendar year 2000. To help achieve this goal, the FAA is 
developing programs designed to reduce pilot deviations through 
enhanced education and training of pilots and crewmembers, and to 
gather and evaluate more data on the causes of runway incursions.
    To assist with the development of a comprehensive compliance 
program for airport surface operations, the FAA is implementing a one-
year program through which it seeks to gain information about runway 
incursions by interviewing airmen involved in such events.* While the 
FAA is immediately aware through the Air Traffic Service of the 
occurrence of a runway incursion, oftentimes the FAA knows little about 
why the incursion happened and the factors or events that may have led 
to it. The FAA believes, that given certain assurances under the RIIEP, 
airmen who are involved in runway incursion may be willing to share 
with FAA inspectors valuable safety information about those incursions. 
This information may help the FAA to determine root causes of runway 
incursions and lead to the development of effective corrective actions 
to help reduce or eliminate this problem.
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    \*\ The RIIEP does not apply to foreign airmen involved in 
runway incursions.
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    Under the RIIEP, each regional Flight Standards Division manager 
will establish a group of regional aviation safety inspectors 
(operations) who will serve as a Flight Standards Incursion Team (FSIT) 
and will coordinate National Runway Safety Program (NRSP) activities at 
the regional level. The FSIT will be responsible for coordinating the 
activities of FAA field inspectors who will interview the airman 
involved in a runway incursion during normal working hours as soon as 
practicable after the incursion occurs. The field inspectors will 
report in writing the results of an interview to the FSIT. The FSIT 
will review the written report of the interview and forward the report 
to the national coordinator for NRSP in the Flight Standards Service, 
Headquarters.
    Field inspectors will advise airmen that their participation in the 
interview process is voluntary. The interviews may be conducted in 
person, or by telephone. Questions that might be asked of airmen during 
the interview include the following:
     Were the airport signage, lighting, and markings adequate 
or were they a contributing factor to the runway incursion?
     What were the lighting conditions when the runway 
incursion occurred?
     Was the airman familiar with the airport layout?
     Were there language problems that contributed to the 
runway incursion?
     What was the airman's experience in operations at tower 
operated/high density airports?
     What does the airman believe caused the runway incursion?
     What would have helped to prevent the runway incursion 
from happening?

Enforcement Policy

    The FAA through the Air Traffic Service ordinarily is immediately 
aware when a runway incursion occurs. Oftentimes, the Air Traffic 
Service's report of a pilot deviation or a vehicle or pedestrian 
deviation associated with a runway incursion will result in the opening 
of an enforcement investigative report for an alleged regulatory 
violation(s) and either legal enforcement action (certificate action or 
civil penalty action) or administrative action (letter of correction or 
warning notice) being taken against the airman involved.
    To encourage participation in the RIIEP, the FAA has decided to 
offer certain assurances to airmen regarding enforcement action that 
typically would be taken for an alleged violation resulting from a 
runway incursion. Under the RIIEP, if an airman cooperates in answering 
questions that will assist in identifying the cause of the runway 
incursion, the FAA ordinarily does not expect to take punitive legal 
enforcement action (i.e., civil penalty action or a fixed period of 
suspension) against him or her for an alleged violation that may result 
from the incursion, provided the alleged violation does not appear to 
be intentional or to involve criminal conduct, and the runway incursion 
did not result in an accident.
    In certain cases, the FAA may determine an airman should complete 
corrective action to help preclude the recurrence of a runway 
incursion, or should at least be warned that his or her conduct was 
allegedly in violation of subtitle VII of Title 49 of the U.S. Code or 
the Federal Aviation Regulations. In these cases, the FAA will issue an 
appropriate administrative action to the airman.
    If alleged violation(s) resulting from the runway incursion or the 
circumstances surrounding the runway incursion demonstrate, or raise a 
question of, a lack of qualification of the airman, then the FAA will 
proceed with appropriate remedial action, which

[[Page 14643]]

might include reexamination and/or certificate revocation or 
certificate suspension pending reexamination.
    The FAA recognizes airmen will have concerns the information they 
provide under this program will be used by the FAA to take enforcement 
actions against them. The FAA, however, does not expect to use 
information provided by airmen during interviews conducted by FAA 
inspectors under the RIIEP in any FAA punitive legal enforcement 
action.
    The RIIEP will be in effect for one year beginning the date of 
publication of this notice.

    Issued in Washington, DC on March 13, 2000.
Jane F. Garvey,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-6683 Filed 3-16-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M