Transport Canada Introduces New Guidance on Braking Action Reports

by Robert Kostecka, Civil Aviation Safety Inspector, Transport Canada, Aerodrome Standards

He served as the team lead for GRF implementation in Canada and is currently working on TCCA’s approach ban regulatory initiative. He holds type ratings on the A320, A330, A340, A380, B757, B767, CRJ, DHC-8, B-25 and BE200, as well as a Class 1 Aeroplane Flight Instructor Rating. He has 13,000 hours total flying time, with 4,000 hours PIC time on large, transport category jet aircraft.

The hazards and risks associated with aircraft operations on runways that are wet or contaminated with water, slush, snow, compacted snow, frost or ice—and the numerous accidents that have occurred during these conditions—are well known and have been thoroughly documented.

In Canada, these accidents have included several transport category aircraft types, including the Airbus A340, Embraer 145, Boeing 727, and Boeing 737, as well as a variety of other aircraft. Runway overruns have been on the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) Watchlist since 2010. The TSB has stated: “Snow, rain, and ice affect runway surface conditions. Pilots need timely and accurate information about runway surface conditions in all seasons to calculate the distance their aircraft needs to land safely.”

The challenges of conducting operations on wet and contaminated runways was recognized by the international aviation community as a critical safety issue that needed to be addressed.

Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment (TALPA)

In the United States, the fatal runway overrun of a Boeing 737 at Chicago Midway (KMDW) in December 2005 resulted in the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) convening a Takeoff and LandingPerformance Assessment Advisory Rulemaking Committee(TALPA ARC). The members of the TALPA ARC included representatives from civil aviation authorities (FAA, TCCA, EASA and ANAC), major aircraft manufacturers (Boeing and Airbus), air operators, airports and associations, as well as a variety of other groups (pilot unions and others).

The groundbreaking work of the TALPA ARC resulted in many substantive improvements in how runway surface conditions (RSC) are reported and addressed operationally.

Global reporting format (GRF) for reporting runway surface Conditions

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has mandated the reporting of runway surface conditions in accordance with a Global Reporting Format (GRF) that is based on TALPA performance methods and terminology. Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), together with NAV CANADA and other industry stakeholders, has worked hard to bring about the implementation of the GRF in Canada. The new format was successfully implemented on September 12, 2021—nearly two months ahead of the ICAO target date.

GRF provides consistent terminology and runway assessment criteria, presented in a standardized format, and used by:

• airport operators for the reporting of runway surface conditions;
• aircraft manufacturers for the development of performance information that is based on improved methods (i.e. TALPA-based performance information); and
• flight crews that use the reported runway surface conditions and TALPA-based performance information when determining takeoff and landing performance assessments.

Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM)

The core component of the GRF is a matrix which maps an equivalency between standard runway conditions, airport reporting codes, braking action reports, and aircraft performance engineering guidance. Known as the Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM,) this guide is used to harmonize airport observations with the time-of-arrival (TOA) landing performance assessments made by the flight crew, providing a significant advancement over previous performance methods and practices. An example of the RCAM appears on the following page.

The RCAM features runway condition codes (RWYCCs), which are assigned by the airport or aerodrome operator. The RWYCC is a number from 0 to 6, representing the slipperiness of a specific third of a runway and providing a standardized “shorthand” for reporting this information to pilots.

In general, the RCAM is a useful and effective tool to predict the slipperiness of the runway, based on the observed runway surface description (i.e. type and depth of contamination). However, there are circumstances in which the runway may be more slippery than indicated by a reported runway surface description and the corresponding RWYCC. These circumstances include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• active precipitation and/or rapidly changing conditions;
• any process that transfers heat to the surface that may make the runway more slippery. Heat sources can include aircraft tires, engine exhaust/thrust reverse, atmospheric conditions and precipitation;
• a runway surface treatment including de-icing or anti-icing chemicals making the runway temporarily more slippery; and
• an aircraft’s anti-skid system reacting differently than expected.

The RCAM also includes pilot braking action reports. These levels of braking, as observed by the pilot of an aircraft, are expressed using standardized terms, including good, good to medium, medium, medium to poor, poor and nil.

The importance of braking action reports

Braking action reports that are accurate and precise can be an effective means of mitigating potential hazards created by the circumstances described above. In this regard, braking action reports play a number of very important roles, and are used by:

• pilots to make the time-of-arrival (TOA) landing performance assessment;
• airport and aerodrome operators to validate preliminary RWYCC in a runway surface condition (RSC) NOTAM; and
• airport or aerodrome operators to take specific actions when reports of poor or less than poor/nil braking are received.

To effectively accomplish the important functions listed above, it is important for flight crews as well as airport and aerodrome operators to have reliable braking action reports.

Limitations and shortcomings

Although pilot braking action reports are very important, there is considerable evidence that these reports have not always been consistent:

• The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report on the Chicago Midway accident, which occurred on December 8, 2005, stated:
  • - …pilot braking action reports are subjective and can vary significantly depending on the reporting pilot’s experience level and the type of airplane in use…
  • - …pilot braking action reports are subjective and reflect individual pilot expectations, perceptions, and experiences…
  • - …braking action reports are sensitive to airplane type and the actual deceleration methods used to slow or stop the airplane….
• TCCA also received important feedback from airport operators during the implementation of the GRF in Canada, which indicated that pilot braking action reports have been inconsistent.

The search for a solution

The importance of braking action reports—and their well-known shortcomings—compelled TCCA to search for a solution. Fortunately, the Society of Aircraft Performance and Operations Engineers (SAPOE) had already made great strides to address the issues associated with braking action reports. SAPOE evolved from the membership of the TALPA ARC; as the TALPA ARC drew to a close, the members of the Part 25 (aircraft certification) and Part 121 (airline) subcommittees decided that their unique collaborative partnership should continue, and therefore they created SAPOE.

One of the problems SAPOE tackled was braking action reports. SAPOE defined the problem:

• RCAM provides a means to predict landing performance but does not provide a way to validate that prediction.
• Pilot braking action reports are well known to be far too inaccurate and subjective for meaningful analysis.

To address these issues, SAPOE established a task force called the Lion Team to develop standards for aircraft friction recording and reporting technologies. The SAPOE Lion Team developed two international standards that have been published by ASTM International:

• ASTM E3188 Standard Terminology for Aircraft Braking Performance; and
• ASTM E3266 Standard Guide for Friction Limited Aircraft Braking Measurement and Reporting.

Implementing the solution: TCCA publishes new guidance material

The SAPOE Lion Team, under the leadership of Captain John Gadzinski, generously supported TCCA in the development of guidance material (based on the ASTM E3188 and ASTM 3266) that is intended to help pilots to provide braking action reports with increased accuracy and precision (i.e. reliable braking action reports). The result was Advisory Circular (AC) 700-060—Braking Action Reports.

The purpose of AC 700-060 is to provide information and guidance to pilots and operators regarding the observation, reporting, and operational use of braking action reports, including:

• pilot braking action reports (PBAR); and
• aircraft braking action reports (ABAR).

The information and guidance in this AC is intended to:

• enable flight crews to accurately and consistently report the level of wheel braking performance experienced during landing, thus providing a key safety assurance check to the predictive levels of braking outlined in the Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM);
• establish suitable phraseology for reporting braking action reports to air traffic services (ATS); and
• provide an explanation of the engineering principals used to define braking action as detailed by the industry standards (ASTM E3188 and ASTM 3266).

There has been global interest in AC 700-060. In fall 2021, hundreds of aviation professionals from around the world, including representatives from the world’s leading civil aviation authorities, ICAO, major aircraft manufacturers, international airlines, pilot associations and others, participated in a series of information sessions that introduced AC 700-060. The FAA is incorporating the contents of AC 700-060 (as well as portions of AC 700-057—Global Reporting Format (GRF) for Runway Surface Conditions: Guidance for Flight Operations) into their own guidance material.

Conclusion

The successful implementation of the GRF has been a major step forward in addressing the hazards and risks associated with aircraft operations on wet or contaminated runways. AC 700-060, the first guidance on braking action reports from any civil aviation authority, is an additional refinement that builds on the significant safety advances made with the GRF.

With the invaluable assistance and support from Capt. John Gadzinski and the SAPOE Lion Team, TCCA has taken an important step to improve flight safety for Canadians and the global aviation community.