Agreement Reached Concerning Land and Hold Short Operations

Air Safety Week, Feb 15, 1999

Openly declaring victory last Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reached an agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the Air Transport Association (ATA) on a uniform set of procedures regarding land and hold short operations (LAHSO).

The signed agreement came as time was expiring on a critical Feb. 19th deadline. Pilots were set to impose a "moratorium" on any LAHSO operations, creating the potential for delays.

Details of the signed agreement cover five broad categories, including weather and runway surfaces, training, visual aids (such as improved lighting for LAHSO operations), greater landing distances and handling rejected landings. These procedures are to go into effect March 12.

"This gives us everything we needed to continue accepting LAHSO clearances with adequate safety margins," said John Mazor, an ALPA official.

A risk analysis is under way to further assess LAHSO and its effects at various airports.

"The risk analysis team have identified key areas of concentration: the airport environment, controller/pilot communication, aircraft crew performance, aircraft mechanical system performance and rejected landing procedures," said Fraser Jones, an FAA official. A preliminary report is slated for completion by June.

Runway/taxiway intersections vary among airports. ALPA officials took that into account when carving out the agreement.

"We didn't just go about this 'willy nilly,' " Mazor explained. "We agreed that each airport conducting LAHSO operations would be examined on a case-by-case basis and devise a customized procedure to deal with each one of those intersections."

Thirty-two airports have been targeted by the ATA as "priority airports." For example, some 83 percent of operations at Chicago O'Hare (ORD) involve LAHSO clearances.

One major concern of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) surrounds the shift in responsibility. "The concept of air traffic controllers assuming separation responsibility for a rejected landing...is unacceptable and unachievable," said NATCA President Michael McNally in a written statement.

In a telephone interview, NATCA safety director Bill Blackmer added, "We're not trying to hide in the tower, we're there to assist." (For a related LAHSO story, see ASW, Aug. 24, 1998) >> ALPA, 703/481- 4440; FAA, 202/267-8521; NATCA, 202/223-2900 <<

The New Law of LAHSO

Herewith, a summary of the LAHSO agreement between the FAA, ALPA and the ATA:

* Runway Surface and Weather Minima: Operators can only conduct LAHSO operations on dry runways at this time until manufacturers provide demonstrated landing distance figures on wet runways.

* Training: An FAA Flight Standards Handbook Bulletin advising operators that approved training procedures are in place for both pilots and air traffic controllers will be forthcoming.

* Visual Aids: LAHSO lighting specifications will be improved, which includes a minimum of 5-7 in-pavement pulsating white lights at the LAHSO hold point. Such a system is currently installed at Boston Logan (BOS), Dallas/Ft. Worth International (DFW) and Washington Dulles International Airports (IAD). It also includes a minimum of six in-pavement pulsing white lights at the alert point (1,000 ft. prior to the hold point). An FAA Draft Advisory Circular (AC) on LAHSO lighting will reflect these amended changes prior final to publication. The agreement also restricts nighttime LAHSO operations to those airports with such lighting.

* Landing Distance: Landing length will be the greater of the Simultaneous Operations on Intersecting Runway (SOIR) length or the FAA Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) distance plus 1,000 feet for the configuration, environment and weight actually used for landing.

* Rejected Landing: Only LAHSO configurations which do not require rejected landing instructions may be used. A rejected landing must be executed within the first third of the runway or 3,000 feet, whichever is less, and air traffic controllers retain responsibility for ensuring separation from other aircraft.

Sources: ALPA, FAA