Would Reduce Aircraft Incidents Caused By Human Errors, Inventor Says

A new, patented technology primarily designed to target and provide an effective, practical solution to enhance runway safety during takeoffs and landings, while preventing collisions during climbs, mid-flights, and descents has been announced by ALTACAS Technology.

Some twenty percent of of fatal accidents occurred during takeoffs and initial climb, while 46% occurred during initial approach, final approach, and landing, according to the website www.planecrashinfo.com, with the majority caused by human errors.

Among these statistics, runway incursions are the most prominent, which are incidents where a takeoff or landing aircraft is threatened by an unauthorized aircraft, vehicle, or person on a runway. In the U.S. alone, the FAA reported 1,264 runway incursions in 2014, a noticeable increase from 966 in 2010. Also, latest statistics from the ICAO shows runway related issues as the highest among "Occurrence Categories" at nearly 60%, and that runway excursion and incursions accounted for 19% of all accidents and serious incidents.

Several years ago, inventor and the company's chief engineer Bryan Smalls was informed by associates that the U.S. government was looking for ways to reduce runway incidents. This information led him to conceptualize and patent ALTACAS, which employs LIDAR radar and remote sensing technology along with GPS tracking technology. Its automated systems allows individual aircraft to particularly monitor runways and airways of initial climbs before takeoffs while allowing inbound aircraft to monitor airways and runways before landing, thereby minimizing runway incursions.  The existing crash avoidance system mainly targets mid-flight aircraft, according to the company. ALTACAS also effectively monitors mid-flight aircraft.

ALTACAS detects, warns, and tracks aircraft of possible collision while providing evasive course of action. Its automated systems provides imagery, distance, speed, and direction of oncoming aircraft and non-aircraft vehicles, while simultaneously opening a three-way communication between pilots and air traffic controllers to defuse crisis. Sensor activated lightings alongside runways allows takeoff aircraft to identify runway usage to incoming aircraft and warn others on intersecting runways. Aircrafts in the vicinity receive audible warning that runway is in use.

ALTACAS reduces aircraft incidents caused by human errors and provides pilots and air traffic control additional reaction time to prevent collisions. Smalls says, "Every second is indispensible when aircraft are on a collision course. Any safety system providing additional time may help avert a catastrophe and save the loss of lives and property."

Smalls believes ALTACAS technology can be retrofitted into existing aircraft' safety systems, and may prove useful to trains and ships in the near future. He says this venture will take a concerted effort by the government and private companies to implement.

Consequently, he thinks it would be best to make this concept and patent available to others for licensing or sales.

(Source: ALTACAS news release. Images from company YouTube video)

www.altacas.com