Strange as it may seem one of the more difficult things that pilots have to deal with is finding their way around airports. Despite ICAO standardisation many obvious things like airport signage are not always the same at every airport, and even if they were, airport layouts will always differ. Surprisingly, navigating the aircraft down through the descent and arrival routes, then flying the approach and landing can often be easier than trying to navigate around the taxiways after vacating the runway. Equally, after all the hassle of getting the passengers on board, completing the checklists, pushing back on time, starting engines and leaving the ramp, finding ones’ way to the runway is not always as easy as it may seem. It really is extraordinary how difficult a seemingly simple task can be!
On the aircraft I used to fly, we had no map displays – only the basic fight instruments and paper charts. We followed our progress around the taxiways as carefully as we could following the charts. But even in good conditions it was surprisingly easy to become confused or to make a mistake. Usually this was resolved very quickly by reference to the marker boards and by checking compass headings, or by asking the tower for help. But sometimes one made a wrong turning, especially in poor visibility, or when everything was covered with snow, or at an unfamiliar airport.
Good cockpit procedures rigidly followed – such as always checking the heading when on the runway and always checking suitable aids like the ILS localiser can help. But sooner or later confusion will lead to another bad accident. We have had some not so long ago, an SIA B747 attempted to take off on a closed runway at Taipei and ran into the construction vehicles, a Comair CRJ-100 tried to take off on the wrong runway at Lexington – it was too short and they failed to get airborne. We have had aircraft getting lost in bad visibility and straying onto the active runway into the path of an SAS MD-87 taking off at Milan. And now we have had two incidents in quick succession; fortunately with no collisions – a KLM B737 took off from a taxiway at Amsterdam and an Aeroflot A320 took off from a taxiway at Oslo. These may look like foolish mistakes. All I would say, having flown most of world’s air routes, is that these mistakes are surprisingly easy to make and that it is obvious to me, as airports get busier and busier, that pilots need more help.
Safety systems such as TCAS, moving maps, GPWS, then EGPWS followed by TAWS, have all been significant steps towards greater safety in the air. But on the ground we are lagging behind. Modern aircraft are now being fitted with airport moving map displays showing own aircraft position in relation to the taxiways and runways. These can come as original equipment or be retrofitted in Electronic Fight Bags (EFBs). It will soon even be possible to go further and, using ADS-B (In and Out), to show the presence of other aircraft on the airport surface. Moving map displays are available now. The display of other aircraft will come soon. The technology is nearly mature.
My question is how long can we wait? We know only too clearly that pilots can become confused and make mistakes at airports – I know I have. All accidents are preceded by ‘precursors’ – and recently we have had several. Is it not time to require moving maps on all aircraft, showing own position in relation to the airport layout? And will it not soon be time to show also the positions of other aircraft so that everyone not only knows exactly where they are, but also whether there is confliction with other traffic?
The KLM incident was a serious one. They were on their home basis and the captain was PF. Rushing to get airborne has led to other disasters for this airline. Bottom line, think before you act.