Focus on Safety: short runways
When the media began airing reports that runway length may have been a contributing factor in the December 2005 accident of Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 at Midway International Airport, suddenly the flying public had something new to worry about: what if their destination airport has shorter-than-average runways? Warranted or otherwise, the public is paying closer attention these days to runway length and landing procedures at airports across the country.
Though it is arguable that all airports could use whatever extra concrete they can get, the recent scrutiny is still of little consequence to larger and newer airports, where runway length and placement was planned with changing technology and aircraft advancements in mind. But some older facilities are now handling newer and larger aircraft, while smaller facilities outside major metropolitan areas are providing relief for their larger metro counterparts, even if they aren’t equipped to handle the overflow. These facilities must handle the changes in frequency and complexity of the aircraft in their airspace while contending with a very limited area in which to maneuver the traffic safely.
Santa Ana Air Traffic Control Tower in Costa Mesa, Calif., has a 5,700-foot runway used by all major carriers. “For departures, they do a full-power run-up and then release the brakes,” reports Facility Representative Daniel Albanese. “On top of that, they have noise abatement procedures that require an extremely high angle on take-off. Then on arrivals, they have to come in slow to make it work. I’ve talked to some pilots who say it’s one if the hardest airports in the country.”
Most controllers agree that shorter runways are mostly a problem for pilots first, and controllers second. “Sometimes, a pilot is issued a shorter runway, but he’ll refuse it and request the longer one,” says NATCA Technology Coordinator Dennis Lamy. “Then the controller has to figure out a Plan B.”
A pilot may refuse a short runway for any number of reasons, including weather, aircraft performance, or company requirements. “Short runways are most likely to be refused in bad weather,” says Lamy. “Even without snow, if the pavement is wet, braking action decreases and it can be just as hard to stop a Boeing 737, Airbus or business jet.”
As Philadelphia Tower Controller Brian Buckley explains, the issue of a runway refusal is not uncommon for controllers. “Although Runway 17/35 is not the shortest of the secondary runways at Philadelphia International Airport, it is by far the most utilized,” he said. “At 5,200 feet, it is long enough that most regional jets will accept an approach clearance. But if the pilot refuses, the controller’s workload can be affected immensely.”
It is this combination of unwieldy aircraft, increasing traffic, short runways and delayed requests from pilots for an alternate runway that is the most likely recipe for disaster. “If a pilot doesn’t let you know early enough that he wants a different runway, it can get complex and increase workload,” Lamy says. “And if you work a high-density airport, it could get ugly.”
