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either in denial or do not operate in the system often enough to have seen or heard it unfold firsthand. Each aircraft is likely reporting in a perfectly honest way, but runway conditions and braking actions do not affect all aircraft types the same. So, as one might imagine, such situations can also lead to overrun incidents or accidents as aircraft of varying capabilities utilize the reports of aircraft with very different performance parameters. The FAA has recently made several significant changes to bring more clarity, and more rigid requirements to Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessments (TALPA) and runway condition and braking action reporting. These changes address such issues as the example given, as well as rejected takeoff situations.
The TALPA Initiative
Beginning on Oct. 1, 2016, a new format of Field Condition (FICON) Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) will be utilized to report runway conditions determined via the new TALPA procedures at federally obligated airports. These changes are a result of findings from the TALPA Aviation Rulemaking Committee. Originated in 2006, the project was designed to provide airport operators with a common method for accurately determining contaminated (non-dry) runway conditions, in order to reduce the risk of runway overruns. Such information can then be utilized by pilots, dispatchers, operators and other flight planners to calculate minimum runway lengths for landings or rejected (aborted) takeoffs, when combined with the manufacturer’s aircraft specific data. In overly simplistic terms, the former subjective assessments of runway conditions have been replaced with more objective means. Now, runway conditions are based on both the type and depth of the contaminate and are expressed using a corresponding runway condition code [see Figure 2]. Such specific information can be better applied to aircraft-specific performance charts for calculating the most accurate runway requirement data.
Braking Action Changes
Also effective Oct. 1, 2016, Mu reports will be replaced by Runway Condition Codes (RwyCC), which may take Mu measurements into account, but will also incorporate specific contamination types and depths. While braking action reports from pilots will continue to be solicited and used, the acceptable terminology has changed. The most significant change is that the term, “Fair” has been replaced with “Medium” to better conform to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards [see Figure 1]. Along with this, a report of “Nil” will no longer be acceptable for an active runway. Instead, a braking action of “Nil” (as ascertained by pilot reports or RwyCC) will render that runway unusable and necessitate its immediate closure. This eliminates the option of using such a runway by operators who could otherwise do so legally; a decision which has led to many runway overrun incidents and accidents in the past. This
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has been especially true with turboprop operators who often rationalized the use of a runway with Nil braking action by considering their slower landing speed, reverse thrust prop capabilities (beta plus power), and a greater headwind or less crosswind on that runway. Accident history has proven those perceived “positives” do not outweigh the negative of little or no runway braking action. Thus, any such runway is now considered closed, by definition, and cannot be considered re-opened until braking action can be measured and reported as something greater than “Nil.”
Information Assessment: Good!
Many regulatory and operational changes made by the FAA in the past have been accompanied by corresponding educational information that is difficult to find or challenging to translate from regulatory language. Not so with TALPA and the changes highlighted here. Below are just a few of the many resources available for a deeper understanding of these changes and what they mean for your operations and missions:
 The FAA website has a page dedicated to TALPA with a multitude of links corresponding to specific operators and the various regulatory sections effected. See URL: http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/talpa/
 Advisory Circular 25-31 “Takeoff Performance Data for Operations on Contaminated Runways,” dated 12-22-2015
 Advisory Circular 25-32 “Landing Performance Data for Time-of-Arrival Landing Performance Assessments,” dated 12-22-2015
 Advisory Circular 91-79A, dated 04-28-2016
 Current edition of the Aeronautical Information
Manual (AIM) KA
Copyright 2016, Matthew McDaniel.
First publication rights granted King Air magazine via the Village Press. All other rights reserved by copyright holder.
Matthew McDaniel is a Master & Gold Seal CFII, ATP, MEI, AGI & IGI. In 26 years of flying, he has logged over 16,000 hours total, over 5,500 hours of instruction- given, and over 2,500 hours in the King Air and BE- 1900. As owner of Progressive Aviation Services,
LLC, (www.progaviation.com), he has specialized
in Technically Advanced Aircraft and Glass Cockpit instruction since 2001. Currently, he also flies the
Airbus A-320 series for an international airline and holds eight turbine aircraft type-ratings. Matt is one of less than 25 instructors in the world to have earned the “Master Certified Flight Instructor” designation for seven consecutive two-year terms. He can be contacted at (414) 339-4990 or matt@progaviation.com.
OCTOBER 2016