Safety Recommendation A-97-118

THE INTENT OF THE BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION IS MET BY USING THE NAVY PROGRAM FOR GUIDELINES. THE DOD NOTES THAT ALTHOUGH COPIES OF THE NAVY'S CURRICULUM WERE PROVIDED TO OTHER SERVICES, INCORPORATION OF THIS CURRICULUM INTO OTHER SERVICE SYLLABI WILL DEPEND UPON EACH SERVICE'S NEEDS AND APPROPRIATE MODIFICATIONS BASED UPON THOSE NEEDS. THE SAFETY BOARD ENCOURAGES THE DOD TO ENSURE THAT THE NECESSARY MODIFICATIONS ARE MADE AND THE PROGRAM ADOPTED BY THE OTHER SERVICES. AS THE DOD PROVIDED THE REQUESTED GUIDELINES TO ALL THE MILITARY SERVICES, A-97-118 IS CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."

Letter Mail Controlled 10/10/2000 4:14:35 PM MC# 2001513 PER YOUR REQUEST, THE DEPT. OF DEFENSE CONDUCTED A FOLLOW-UP REVIEW OF ACTIONS TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO A-97-118. WE FEEL CONFIDENT THE PROCEDURES CURRENTLY IN PLACE WITHIN EACH SERVICES' PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM WILL ENSURE REPEAT INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE ARE MINIMIZED. THE DEPT. OF NAVY, IN RESPONSE TO THIS RECOMMENDATION, REVIEWED AND MODIFIED ITS INSTRUMENT GROUND SCHOOL ADDING DETAILED INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TRAFFIC ALERT AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM (TCAS).

INFORMAL MEETINGS WITH DELTA AIRLINE REPRESENTATIVES ALSO HELPED IN THE FEEDBACK PROCESS, AS DID THE EXCHANGE OF TRAINING AND REFERENCE MATERIALS SUCH AS THE TCAS PORTION OF THE DELTA PILOT'S REFERENCE MANUAL. WITHIN THE DEPT. OF THE AIR FORCE, THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO THE NATIONS AIR INCIDENT WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SPECIAL "HOT TOPICS" BRIEFING GIVEN TO ALL PILOTS AS PART OF THEIR RECURRING INSTRUMENT REFRESHER TRAINING. THE BRIEFING IS NOW PART OF THE INSTRUMENT REFRESHER COURSE CURRICULUM AND FOCUSES ON GENERIC TCAS OPERATIONS AND THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL INTERFACE.

IN ADDITION, TCAS TRAINING HAS BEEN INCLUDED AS PART OF THE COMMUNICATION NAVIGATIONAL AVIONICS TRAINING GIVEN TO ALL UNDERGRADUATE PILOT TRAINING STUDENTS. THE SUBSEQUENT NTSB RECOMMENDATION, TO DISSEMINATE THE NAVY'S TCAS TRAINING AS A MODEL FOR ALL THE MILITARY SERVICES, WAS ALSO ACCOMPLISHED. AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, EACH SERVICE DEVELOPS ITS TRAINING PROGRAMS BASED UPON THE OPERATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF THAT PARTICULAR SERVICE, THE OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED, AND THE ENVISIONED OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.

ALTHOUGH COPIES OF THE NAVY'S CURRICULUM WERE PROVIDED TO OTHER SERVICES, INCORPORATION OF THIS CURRICULUM INTO OTHER SERVICE SYLLABI WILL DEPEND UPON EACH SERVICE'S NEED AND APPROPRIATE MODIFICATIONS BASED UPON THOSE NEEDS.

THE SAFETY BOARD'S OBJECTIVE IN ISSUING A-97-118 WAS TO HAVE DOD ESTABLISH GUIDELINES FOR TRANSPONDER USE BY MILITARY AIRCRAFT DURING INTERCEPT MANEUVERS THAT WOULD PREVENT TCAS ADVISORIES BEING GENERATED, AND RESULT IN POTENTIAL AIRCRAFT UPSETS AND ACCIDENTS. THE U.S. NAVY, IN A LETTER TO THE SAFETY BOARD (APRIL 21,1999) STATED THAT IT PLANNED TO MODIFY ITS INSTRUMENT GROUND SCHOOL SYLLABUS TO INCLUDE MORE DETAILED TCAS OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS FOR AVOIDING POTENTIAL CONFLICT ALERTS DURING INTENTIONAL INTERCEPTS.

THE SAFETY BOARD WOULD LIKE DETAILED INFORMATION ON HOW THIS INTENDED ACTION WOULD PREVENT INCIDENTS SUCH AS NOTED IN THIS LETTER, AND FURTHER INFORMATION ON DOD'S PLANS TO REVIEW THE NAVY'S PLANNED CHANGES TO TCAS TRAINING, AS A MODEL FOR TRAINING OF ALL MILITARY SERVICES. PENDING RECEIPT OF THIS INFORMATION, AND FINAL ACTION BY DOD ON TRANSPONDER USE GUIDELINES THAT WOULD ADDRESS THESE SAFETY CONCERNS, A-97-118 IS CLASSIFIED "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE."

ALL MILITARY DEPARTMENTS HAVE REEMPHASIZED THE POLICY OF REMAINING WELL CLEAR OF UNKNOWN AIRCRAFT UNTIL CLEARED TO PROCEED BY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSONNEL. THIS CLARIFICATION HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN DOCUMENTS PERTAINING TO FLIGHT PROCEDURES.

WE NOTE THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS FOR REVIEW & COMMENTS CONCERNING THEIR IMPLEMENTATION. PENDING A RESPONSE ON THE RESULTS OF THIS REVIEW, A-97-114 THROUGH -120 ARE CLASSIFIED "OPEN--AWAIT RESPONSE."

(Letter Mail Controlled 2/10/98 6:52:46 AM MC# 980140) I REFER TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATION OF THE REGRETTABLE ENCOUNTER ON 2/5/97, BETWEEN NATIONS AIR FLIGHT 70 & A U.S. AIR NATIONAL GUARD F-16. RECOMMENDATIONS A-97-114 THROUGH 120 HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE MILITARY DEPARTMENT FOR REVIEW & COMMENTS CONCERNING THEIR IMPLEMENTATION. THE DOD IS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO INSURING THE SECURITY & SAFETY OF ITS PERSONNEL & OF THE PUBLIC. MODERN TECHNOLOGY CLEARLY OFFERS MANY PATHWAYS TO IMPROVE AVIATION SAFETY THAT WE SHOULD EXPLOIT WHEREVER POSSIBLE. I DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS EXPENDED BY YOU & YOUR COLLEAGUES TO IMPROVE CIVIL & MILITARY AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.