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Collision Avoidance

Risk Factors​

  • Pilot conditions
    • Fatigue
    • Boredom
    • Illness
    • Distraction and preoccupation
  • Environmental conditions
    • Haze
    • Smoke
    • Precipitation

Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge pg. 14-28

See and Avoid​

  • Most collision occurs within in 5nm of an airport or navaid
  • Limitations of our eyes
  • Relies on visual scanning techniques
  • Avoid directly overflying NAVAIDs

Scanning Techniques​

  • Shift your glance about 10° over the sky for 3-5 seconds at a time
  • Peripheral vision is good at spotting collision threats
  • No relative motion: On a collision course
  • More information in AC 90-48

Collision reaction times

Airport Operations​

  • Always check final before pulling onto a runway
  • A cruise climb can use useful to lower the nose when departing an airport
  • Don't descend into the traffic pattern

Proper Clearing Procedures​

  • Always attempt to clear the area you're going to maneuver into
  • High wing
    • 90 degree turns left/and right, make sure to look down the wing
    • For steep spirals or spins clear the area below you
  • Low-wing
    • More difficult to clear below the airplane

High-Risk Areas​

  • Flight in MOAs
  • Practice areas
  • Busy airports B, C, D
  • Non-towered airports without a lot of traffic
  • IFR intersections

Collision Avoidance Systems​

ADS-B​

  • ADS-B Out is required anywhere a transponder is required (most controlled airspace)
  • ADS-B information is broadcast from ground stations
  • Many airplanes do not have ADS-B
  • ADS-B has a maximum number of targets and delays

TIS​

  • Traffic Information Service
  • Essentially an uplink of traffic data from ground radar stations

TCAS​

  • Querying the transponders of other aircraft (no ground station relay)
  • Resolution advisory (RAs):
    • Commands to climb or descend
    • Airliners are required to respond to RAs