New aviation safety technology on show in Alaska

Airline Industry Information, August 24, 2000

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Technologies that promise to reduce the number of air accidents in Alaska were on display on 23 and 24 August at the University of Alaska Anchorage's (UAA) Merrill Field Complex and the Bethel, AK, airport.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hosted the open house in conjunction with the UAA and the Alaska aviation industry. The satellite-based technologies, known as Capstone, will apparently be applied to the National Airspace System throughout Alaska eventually

Jane Garvey, an FAA administrator, said that the Capstone project is part of the FAA's goal of reducing the accident rate for all sectors of aviation by 80% by the year 2007 and addresses two key safety priorities -- controlled flights into terrain and runway safety.

Capstone will apparently equip up to 150 aircraft used in passenger, mail or freight operations with an avionics package which is designed to improve a pilot's situational awareness by putting the same weather, terrain and traffic information that air traffic controllers have on the ground, in the cockpit. This information is aimed to assist in preventing mid air-air collisions and controlled flight into terrain.

The FAA will also publish non-precision approach procedures and install the automated weather observation system and 12 ground broadcast transceivers at 10 village airports in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region in southwest Alaska to compliment the Capstone project.

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