System Safety

Although hoping to decrease delays, improve system capacity, and modernize facilities, the ultimate goal of the NAS Plan is to improve system safety. If statistics are any indication, the beneficial effect of the implementation of the plan may already be underway as aviation safety seems to have increased in recent years. The FAA has made particular emphasis to not only reduce the number of accidents in general, but also to make strides in curtailing controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and runway incursions as well as continue approach and landing accident reduction (ALAR).

The term CFIT defines an accident in which a fully qualified and certificated crew flies a properly working airplane into the ground, water, or obstacles with no apparent awareness by the pilots. A runway incursion is defined as any occurrence at an airport involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that creates a collision hazard or results in a loss of separation with an aircraft taking off, attempting to take off, landing, or attempting to land. The term ALAR applies to an accident that occurs during a visual approach, during an instrument approach after passing the initial approach fix (IAF), or during the landing maneuver. This term also applies to accidents occurring when circling or when beginning a missed approach procedure.