Safety Recommendation A-17-022

The FAA is integrating specified elements from Safety Recommendations A-17-21, -22, and -26 into the Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS) design.

We note that, as part of the work being done to develop a PIREP form on the Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS), the FAA has received problem statements from the Weather Community of Interest Systems & Communications Special Weather Action Team regarding the automatic population of mandatory PIREP fields. The FAA reported that these elements will likely be included as an upgrade to E-IDS in the future.

Also, the FAA and National Weather Service are developing a PIREP International Civil Aviation Organization Meteorological Information Exchange Model-based schema for common exchange services that supports the Weather Message and Switching System Replacement (WMSCR)-revised System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Submit PIREP Service. Although the FAA had intended to include the Submit PIREP Service in WMSCR by July 2025, the deadline was not met and we are not aware of when the FAA anticipates completing this work.

We believe the FAA’s ongoing work to implement E-IDS and develop a tool that allows PIREPs to be disseminated through a common exchange model directly to the NAS are responsive to these recommendations. Once you have completed this work, we request that the FAA provide a staff-level demonstration of these tools. Pending the completion of these actions, Safety Recommendations A-17-21 and -22 remain classified OPEN-- ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

-From Michael G. Whitaker, Administrator: Since our previous response dated September 20, 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has received problem statements from the Weather Community of Interest (Wx COI) Systems & Communications Special Weather Action Team (SWAT) regarding the automatic population of mandatory PIREP fields (e.g., time, position, location, altitude) in the PIREP form being developed on the Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS). These elements are not acquired from air traffic controller displays, but from flight data available within internal FAA systems such as System Wide Information Management (SWIM).

This would likely be an upgrade to E-IDS in a future release.

Regarding the Board’s recommendation for a PIREP common exchange model, the FAA and the National Weather Service have also begun development on an updated version of a PIREP International Civil Aviation Organization Meteorological Information Exchange Model (IWXXM)-based schema for common exchange services. This schema will support the Weather Message and Switching System Replacement (WMSCR)-revised SWIM Submit PIREP Service. The FAA anticipates implementing the Submit PIREP Service in WMSCR by July 2025.

We note that you will begin integration testing of the Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS) at the end of this year and, once operational, the system will first be deployed at nonoceanic air route traffic control centers. We also note that you are conducting an operational proof-of-concept system study looking at additional means of submitting and retrieving PIREPs over very high-frequency radio on a dedicated frequency and without having to talk to a controller or flight service specialist.

We continue to believe your plan to implement E-IDS is responsive to these recommendations, and, pending the system being fully operational, Safety Recommendations A-17-21 and -22 remain classified OPEN-- ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

-From Kathryn B. Thomson, Deputy Administrator: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to implement the Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS), which is an enterprise-level platform. As previously stated, the FAA will deploy the E-IDS to over 500 facilities across all Air Traffic Control domains, which will substantially improve entry speed and reduce entry errors by providing a modern, customizable, and graphic user interface with automation-assisted entry and form validation. The E-IDS will enable air traffic controllers to easily, consistently, and accurately submit PIREP information, and the E-IDS will disseminate requested PIREP information to the controller.

The E-IDS will be the FAA’s comprehensive, coordinated, efficient, flexible, and scalable PIREP system.

The E-IDS implementation program will continue software development and start system integration testing near the end of Calendar Year (CY) 2023, with initial operating capability on schedule for CY 2024. The FAA developed an evolving strategic plan and roadmap for PIREP modernization that addresses FAA-wide goals for overall E-IDS improvement. The current timeframes and their respective focuses are as follows:

• Near-Term (FY21-FY24): Make it easier for all users, especially air traffic controllers, to submit an accurate and timely PIREP into the NAS via E-IDS. The FAA will initially deploy the E-IDS to non-oceanic Air Route Traffic Control Centers.

• Mid-Term (FY25-FY29): Rationalize and optimize disparate PIREP processes and begin leveraging automated capabilities.

The FAA also initiated an operational proof of concept system study to explore the concept of submitting and retrieving PIREPs over very high-frequency radio on a dedicated frequency and without having to talk to an air traffic controller or flight service specialist. Over 280 pilots participated in the two study areas, and the FAA collected over 3,000 PIREPs. The two study areas are within a radius of approximately 50 nautical miles from Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Nenana Municipal Airport (ENN), Nenana, Alaska. This effort could support an additional means to submit and retrieve PIREPs.

I will keep the Board informed of our progress on Safety Recommendations A-17-21, -22, and -26 and anticipate providing an update by August 31, 2024.

We note that the Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS) is an automation support tool that you intend to deploy at operational control positions within air traffic control (ATC) facilities in 2024. Mr. Nolen reported that the E-IDS will enable terminal and en route operational personnel to enter PIREPs at their positions, and that other positions will be able to access this information immediately. We also note that the E IDS will improve entry speed and reduce entry errors by providing automation assisted entry and form validation.

We believe the FAA’s plan to implement E-IDS is responsive to these recommendations. Pending the system being fully operational, Safety Recommendations A-17-21 and -22 remain classified OPEN-- ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

-From Billy Nolen, Acting Administrator: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) informed the Board in its last letter that the Operational Needs Assessment (ONA) was submitted to the Air Traffic Organization’s (ATO) Operational Concepts, Validation, and Requirements (CVR) Group. The CVR Group completed its comprehensive analysis and determined that the requirements outlined in the ONA were already included in the future Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS) capabilities.

The FAA’s E-IDS is an enterprise-level platform to be deployed to over 500 facilities across all Air Traffic Control domains. This automation support tool will be located at operational control positions and will provide aeronautical information critical to ensuring the safe and expeditious movement of aircraft throughout the National Airspace System. With E-IDS, terminal and en route operational personnel will be able to enter PIREPs at their positions, allowing immediate availability of this information for access by other positions.

The E-IDS will substantially improve entry speed and reduce entry errors by providing a modern, customizable, and graphic-user interface with automation-assisted entry and form validation. The E-IDS program was approved for a Final Investment Decision in June 2020. In December 2020, the E-IDS program office completed the system requirements review and is expected to complete the preliminary design review by the summer of 2022. We expect the initial operating capability of the E-IDS in Calendar Year 2024.

From the Aviation Safety Research Report, NTSB/SS-21/01, “Preventing Turbulence-Related Injuries in Air Carrier Operations Conducted Under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121” published on September 7, 2021: 4.1.1 PIREPs In its 2017 PIREP special investigation report, the NTSB identified shortcomings with PIREP submission and dissemination (NTSB 2017). Several safety issues identified in that report remain unresolved. For example, it is common for Part 121 air carrier pilots to solicit and report ride conditions when communicating with ATC, but this information often does not become a PIREP that is disseminated into the NAS.

In interviews with Part 121 air carrier stakeholders, pilots stated that, although they often informally discussed ride conditions with ATC and found such exchanges to be valuable, it was rare to explicitly submit formal PIREPs to ATC, and they almost never submitted PIREPs for smooth ride conditions. In interviews with ATC stakeholders, controllers stated that they rarely entered reports of smooth ride conditions or light turbulence as PIREPs, and pilots stated that they had no expectation that ATC would enter these informal ride condition reports as PIREPs.

In an analysis of voice communications from pilots to ATC, the MITRE Corporation estimated that 10 million transmissions occurred in 2018 that contained weather information of value to the NAS, but less than 900,000 PIREPs were submitted that year (Kopald 2020). The majority of these communications were reports of smooth ride conditions or light chop. However, as noted in the NTSB’s 2017 PIREP special investigation report, even PIREPs of smooth ride conditions are valuable in determining where turbulence is not present.

Not sharing all relevant weather information can lead to safety-of-flight issues not only because other pilots do not have the information, but also because weather forecasters and researchers do not receive it either and, therefore, cannot effectively update existing turbulence products and algorithms or develop new ones. In addition, as mentioned in interviews with FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center personnel, the insufficient submission of turbulence PIREPs could lead to issues with the safe routing of aircraft through the NAS.

We are pleased to learn that your ATO’s Operational Concepts, Validation, and Requirements Group is currently reviewing an operational needs assessment, which addresses the need for improved automation of PIREP collection, entry, and dissemination. We believe that this is a necessary first step to addressing these recommendations. Pending future updates, and completion of the recommended actions, Safety Recommendations A-17-21, -22, and -26 remain classified OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

-From Steve Dickson, Administrator: This is our final response to Safety Recommendations A-17-16, -20, -27, and -28. This is our follow-on response to Safety Recommendations A-17-21 through-24, and -26, and supplements all previous responses.

On February 28, 2019, ATO published changes to two FAA Orders to align all sections pertaining to PIREP guidance: JO 7210.3Z was updated to JO 7210.3AA, Facility Operation and Administration, and 7110.10Y was updated to 7110.10Z, Flight Services. We are currently working on aligning the above orders with FAA Order JO 7110.65, ATC, which was last revised on September 12, 2017. We plan to complete the changes by September 2020.

An Operational Needs Assessment (ONA) was the outcome of a cross organizational workgroup. The ONA addresses the need for improved automation of PIREP; collection, entry, and dissemination. The ONA was submitted to the ATO's Operational Concepts, Validation, and Requirements (CVR) Group, which will perform a more comprehensive analysis to determine the feasibility of adopting the ONA recommendations (in the context of other systems and capabilities within the NAS). The ONA also addresses the need for improved automation of PIREP collection, entry, dissemination, and it cites ideas such as those contained in Safety Recommendations A-17-21, -22, and -26.

The CVR Group will perform a more comprehensive analysis to determine the feasibility of adopting these recommendations in the context of other systems and capabilities within the NAS.

We note that you are establishing a team of subject matter experts from across your Air Traffic Organization (ATO), including representatives from the Air Traffic Services, System Operations, Safety and Technical Training, and Mission Support Service units, to analyze these recommendations and determine the feasibility of adopting them. Pending our review of your completed assessment and specific plans for addressing each of these recommendations, Safety Recommendations A-17-21 through -23 and -26 through -28 are classified OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

-From Michael P. Huerta, Administrator: The FAA is establishing a team of subject matter experts from across our ATO. including representatives from the Air Traffic Services. System Operations, Safety and Technical Training, and Mission Support Service Units, that will analyze these recommendations determine the feasibility of adopting them.

I will keep the Board informed of the FAA 's progress on recommendations A-17-21 through -23 and A-17-26 through -28 and provide an update by July 2018.

On March 29, 2017, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) adopted its special investigation report titled “Improving Pilot Weather Report Submission and Dissemination to Benefit Safety in the National Airspace System.”1 Additional information about related incidents and accidents and the resulting recommendations may be found in the special investigation report, which can be accessed at our website, http://www.ntsb.gov, under report number NTSB/SIR-17/02.

In this special investigation report, we issued 19 new recommendations, including one to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute; one to the Aviation Accreditation Board International, the National Association of Flight Instructors, and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (each, respectively); two to the National Weather Service (NWS); one to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA); one to the Cargo Airline Association; and the following 13 recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration.