2022 NBAA Single-Pilot Safety Standdown Puts Runway Excursions Into Sharp Focus

Oct. 17, 2022

Experts brought runway excursions into sharper focus Monday at the Single-Pilot Safety Standdown, held ahead of the 2022 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Orlando, FL.

The presentation took place as runway excursions continue to be a challenge for aviators. In fact, go-around compliance from unstable approaches is only about 3%, according to a Flight Safety Foundation study.

Attendees were shown interactive, multimedia case studies and presentations that brought the risks of runway excursions to life. Presenters also shared tools available to mitigate those risks.

Peter Basile, senior air safety investigator at Textron Aviation, put attendees in the pilot’s seat, walking through a case study of a 2020 Cessna Citation 551 flight, which resulted in a runway excursion and, ultimately, an accident. Basile also discussed Advisory Circular 91-79A and relevant Safety Alert for Operators, which include guidance for mitigating the risk of a runway overrun.

‘Duncan Hines Cake Mix’

Dan Moore, of Dan Moore Aero, shared the “Duncan Hines Cake Mix” method of stabilized approaches, with consistency being the key to a stabilized approach and runway excursion mitigation.

“You can’t bake a cake with a different recipe and expect it to turn out the same way every time,” Moore said. He explained that although many passengers – and even pilots – score a landing based on the smoothness of the touchdown, “a stabilized approach means much more than the last five or six seconds.”

Moore also gave attendees tips on developing standard operating procedures and benchmarks, as well as utilizing configuration flying to improve performance and mitigate risks.

Raphael Maitre, vice president of customer support at Daher, explained the role of data in safety and risk mitigation, especially through the MyTBM app, which offers TBM operators immediate feedback on key flight parameters. Although the system is not a full FOQA (flight operational quality assurance) program, Maitre explained the data-driven approach is “inspired” by the successes of FOQA.

The ‘No Kidding’ Limit

NBAA Board Member and Citation Jet Pilots Association’s Safety Committee Chairman Charlie Precourt shared results of a comprehensive research study aimed at addressing runway excursions and how the findings from that study were converted into usable, realistic policies, procedures and guidance for pilots.

Precourt asked, “When are you beyond the point where you can salvage it [the landing]?” Calling this the “no kidding” limit, he gave attendees practical advice to develop their own “no kidding” limits, emphasizing the higher risk of going around at low altitude versus making a go-around decision earlier in the approach.

Wrapping up the event, Dan Boedigheimer, CEO of Advanced Aircrew Academy and incoming NBAA Safety Committee vice chair, pointed to the relationships between NBAA and owner-pilot associations and manufacturers as being critical to addressing key safety issues in business aviation.

“The information presented here today really applies to all business aircraft operations,” said Boedigheimer, as he summarized the Single-Pilot Safety Standdown.

NBAA and the NBAA Safety Committee have developed a number of safety resources for single-pilot operators.

Review NBAA’s single-pilot operations safety resources.