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Safer Skies/CAST Completed - Underway 05-31-07


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Safer Skies/CAST
65 Selected Safety Enhancements
40 completed / 25 underway
Updated 05/31/2007


Safety Enhancement 1: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Terrain Avoidance Warning System (TAWS) (completed)

This safety enhancement substantially reduces or eliminates CFIT accidents by improving pilot
situational awareness by establishing appropriate procedures for the installation and use of
Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) equipment. Procedures include proper flight
crew reaction in regard to TAWS aural and visual warnings.

Action: The FAA issued a final rule in March 2000 that requires all new commercial aircraft to
be equipped with TAWS equipment by March 2003 and the entire commercial fleet equipped by
March 2005.

Safety Enhancement 2: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) (completed)

This safety enhancement ensures that all operators establish flight crew Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) that fit that operators particular operation, institute SOP training, and
encourage operators to use SOPs in all normal operations.

Action: Industry and the FAA worked together to develop an SOP template that was published in
new guidance, Standard Operating Procedures for Flight Deck Crew Members (AC 120-71).

Safety Enhancement 3: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Precision Approach Implementation: Vertical Angles (completed)

This safety enhancement develops criteria to support the inclusion of vertical angles on all
existing instrument approach procedures allowing for a stabilized vertical descent to the runway
end at all certificated airports within the United States.

Action: FAAs Aviation Systems Standards (AVN) developed a plan to include vertical angles
on instrument approach procedures. Certificated airports (Part 139) were prioritized into high-,
medium-, and low-risk categories and were completed first. Eighty four percent of certificated
airports currently have vertical angles included in their published instrument approach
procedures.

Safety Enhancement 4: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Precision Approach Implementation: VGSI at runway ends used by air carriers
(completed)

This safety enhancement develops and implements a plan to install Visual Glide Slope Indicators
(VGSI) at each runway end of runways used by air carriers.
Completed - Underway 05-31-07


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Action: New precision-like instrument approach procedures to all runway ends required VGSI
lighting at all runway ends used by air carriers. FAAs Air Traffic System Requirements (ARS)
developed a plan and installation has begun.

Safety Enhancement 5: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Precision Approach Implementation: Distant Measuring Equipment (DME)
(completed)

This safety enhancement establishes a plan to ensure installation of DME at airports where
significant numbers of older air carrier aircraft are expected to operate or where particularly
vulnerable instrument approach procedures are located, allowing for a stabilized vertical descent
to the runway end.

Action: Additional DME installation is required in order for older generation commercial aircraft
to use the new precision-like instrument approach procedures. FAAs ARS developed a plan to
install DMEs at locations where older generation commercial aircraft operate.

Safety Enhancement 6: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Precision Approach Implementation: (RNAV) 3D Instrument Approach
Procedures (completed)

This safety enhancement develops criteria in FAA Order 8260.48 for approach charts that
include 3D RNAV minima and charting specifications for publication of approach charts, which
include 3D RNAV minima. This will allow for a stabilized vertical descent to the runway end.

Action: AVN has developed a plan that will

rename GPS procedures at Part 139 airports as
RNAV procedures and include vertical guidance. The plan is available at
http://avn.faa.gov/content/ifp/cast.pdf
and has been implemented at all NTSB risk airports and
about 80% of all Part 139 airports. Estimated date for all Part 139 airports is September 2009.

Safety Enhancement 7: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Precision Approach Implementation: RNAV Required Navigation Performance
(RNP) instrument approach procedures (completed)

This safety enhancement adds Required Navigational Performance (RNP) criteria and guidance
to FAA Order 8260.48, allowing for reduced landing minima. There are only a few air carriers
that currently use RNP, and only on their newest airplanes. Authorization is granted by special
operation specifications. This enhancement would allow all air carriers to use RNP for equipped
aircraft.

Action: FAA AVN implemented a comprehensive instrument approach procedure production
plan that enables industry to take advantage of new aircraft and space based navigation
technology, especially as it relates to RNAV/RNP procedures.



Completed - Underway 05-31-07


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Safety Enhancement 8: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Precision Approach Implementation: x-LS (ILS, MLS, GLS) (completed)

This safety enhancement defines the parameters for future installation of the xLS (laterally and
vertically guided approach path) to runway ends not served by Instrument Landing System (ILS).

Action: Advanced precision approach procedures have been incorporated into the ICAO Road
Map and into the Joint Planning Office (JPDO) Next Generation Agile Air Traffic System
design.

Safety Enhancement 9: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW) (completed)

This safety enhancement ensures that ground-based radars and their associated by-products
provide the necessary levels of terrain avoidance protection to aircraft operating domestically
within the United States and that air traffic controller MSAW training is adequate and
appropriate to operate.

Action: All current MSAW data was verified for accuracy. All MSAW systems were checked
and a plan for re-check every 540 days was developed. ATC controllers were provided with
initial and recurrent training on the use of MSAW.

Safety Enhancement 10: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Institute proactive safety plans: Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) and
Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAP) (completed)

This safety enhancement develops and implements a mutually agreed upon methodology to use
de-identified Flight Operations and Quality Assurance (FOQA), and Aviation Safety Action
Partnership (ASAP) information to identify safety related issues and corrective actions. This will
give operators the tools to identify safety issues and trends, and initiate corrective actions prior to
an accident. It will also allow air carriers to share safety information.

Action: These are voluntary programs. FAA ASAP guidance was issued in January 2000 and
revised in November 2002. There are currently 51 carriers participating in ASAP programs. The
FOQA rule was issued in October 2001. There are currently 15 carriers participating in the
FOQA programs.

Safety Enhancement 11: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Training - CFIT prevention in Crew Resource Management (CRM) Training
(completed)

This safety enhancement reduces CFIT accidents by promoting comprehensive SOPs as a key
element of every Part 121 air carriers CRM training program. Under a related project, a
template for comprehensive SOPs is being developed, including SOPs that specifically address
CFIT accident prevention.
Completed - Underway 05-31-07


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Action: Crew Resource Management Training (AC 120-51) was revised to stress the use of
CFIT prevention using SOPs in CRM training. The new AC Standard Operating Procedures for
Flight Deck Crew Members (AC 120-71) was also referenced.

Safety Enhancement 12: Controlled Flight Into Terrain
Training CFIT Prevention Training (completed)

This safety enhancement substantially reduces or eliminates the CFIT accident rate by adding
CFIT prevention training and procedures to all Part 121 air carrier training curriculums that
emphasize pilot situational awareness and escape procedures for flight crews to use in the event
of a terrain warning indication.

Action: The CFIT Education and Training Aid was posted on the FAAs website and distributed
to every FAAs principal inspector for U.S. Part 121 air carriers. It was also sent to every
Regional Technical Branch requesting a review to determine if their carriers were conducting
CFIT training and, if they were not requesting them, to volunt