Atlanta Tower Simulation. Volume 2. Appendixes
Abstract
At the request of the Atlanta (ATL) Facility, The Technical Center conducted dynamic real-time simulations of selected aspects of the Atlanta Tower's Airport Enhancement Plan. Atlanta controllers, who served as subjects, evaluated traffic flow to a three runway configuration with both a third parallel runway, 3000 feet south of existing runway 9R and a 30 degree converging runway. Large numbers of blunders (deviations of inbound aircraft away from their assigned localizer paths) were introduced to exercise the proposed system. In over 90 blunders during approaches to the third parallel runway, 5 resulted in closure distances between aircraft small enough to merit detailed analysis. The smallest horizontal distance involved 30 degree blunders across the 3000-foot separation with four of these also simulating a complete loss of communications. The overall simulation results demonstrated the controller's ability to maintain an orderly flow of traffic to both the triple parallel and converging runway configurations. When repeatedly challenged by the unlikely combination of 30 degree NORDO blunders, 94 percent of were managed without incident. The decision on runway separation distances for new construction or runways in Atlanta should not be based solely on the results of this simulation. Additional relevant data is now available which could affect the results, including navigation data from Chicago O'Hare, and automation and radar data being collected at Memphis, Tenn, and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA216680
Entities
People
- Ephraim Shochet
- Lee E. Paul
- Lloyd Hitchock
- Richard D. Algeo
Organizations
- Federal Aviation Administration