Press Conference Prompts FAA Action

The Alaska Aviation Coordination Council announced Friday that the FAA has agreed to put Capstone ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) from aircraft flying in the Bethel region back on air traffic controller's screens starting June 15.

"We applaud them (FAA) for what they have done, and we look forward to getting this necessary service fully restored," said Felix Maguire, spokesperson for a coalition made up of several Alaska aviation groups.

The FAA also issued a press release to Alaska media announcing that it plans to put the ADS-B images back on air traffic controller's screens at the Anchorage Center on June 15 and will turn on service to the Dillingham area Ground Based Transceivers use to receive and transmit ADS-B data.

The FAA issued the following statement:

On June 15, the FAA will resume air traffic control separation and advisory services by Anchorage ARTCC using ADS-B information in the Bethel, Aniak, and St. Mary's areas. ADS-B targets will be separated by a minimum of 5 NM. Non-Radar separation will be applied between an ADS-B target and a radar target.

On July 15, the FAA will begin an operational validation of a minimum separation standard between an ADS-B target and a radar target (known as mixed environment) in the Bethel, Aniak, and St. Mary's areas.

On or about August 15, the FAA plans to expand the operational validation of mixed environment to the Dillingham and King Salmon areas.

There was no information about service to Southeast Alaska, or future plans to install the informational and situational service statewide. FAA officials did not return calls from an ANN correspondent.

As Aero-News reported, the FAA turned off all ADS-B services in Alaska on March 24, but three days later restored all but the air traffic portion of the "bundled" technology services that offer pilots situational awareness.

Air traffic officials indicated that a report that documented ghosting images of transponder and ADS-B equipped aircraft in the same airspace created concerns by controllers over separation and technical glitches was responsible for the service being shut down in March.

The statements came after the coalition -- commonly known as the industry working group, which is made up of the Alaska Airmen's Association, Alaska Air Carrier's Association, Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and the Seaplane Pilots Association -- called for a press conference about FAA safety issues related to ADS-B on June 2nd.

According to Maguire, officials "high-up" in the FAA called them on June 1 to inform them of the news that ADS-B air traffic service would be restored.

FAA officials did not attend the press conference on June 2 in Anchorage.

The coalition has worked with the FAA, and specifically the Capstone Program, to reduce accidents by more than 47 percent according to a MITRE, UAA, and Embry-Riddle study.

FMI: www.alaska.faa.gov/capstone/