Runway Protection Zones (RPZs) Risk Assessment Tool Users’ Guide (2016)

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1 Introduction 1.1 Background In FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5300-13A, “Airport Design,” the FAA advised that land uses within a runway protection zone (RPZ) should be restricted to protect people and prop- erty on the ground. Ideally, the RPZ should be free of objects and activities involving the pres- ence of people. However, some land uses are considered permissible, including certain farming activities, irrigation channels, airport service roads closed to the public, underground facilities that otherwise meet runway safety area (RSA) requirements, and unstaffed navigational aids (AC 150/5300-13A, 2012). In 2012, the FAA released interim guidance on how to deal with new or modified land uses in the RPZ (FAA Memorandum, 2012). According to the interim guidance, the FAA’s Regional Office and Airports District Office personnel are required to consult with the National Airport Planning and Environmental Division, APP-400, whenever an airport project, local develop- ment project, or change in RPZ dimensions would result in buildings and structures or specific land uses being located within the RPZ, including changes in the following: • Recreational uses • Transportation facilities, including parking lots • Fuel storage facilities • Hazardous materials storage • Aboveground utilities The interim guidance also requires Regional Office and Airports District Office staff to work with the airport sponsor to identify and document alternatives to the proposed action to avoid encroachment into the RPZ, minimize the effect on the RPZ, and/or mitigate risks to people or property within the RPZ (FAA Memorandum, 2012). Many airports across the United States have existing development within their RPZs. In many instances, these uses have been in the RPZs for years with no quantitative way to evaluate their effects on the airport or the land use. Many of these land uses have occurred on properties that are not airport-owned. Traditionally, there has been little research conducted or guidance pro- vided to help an airport, developer, or local municipality assess what the effects of development may be, relative to location within the RPZ. This highlights the need for tools and methods to help assess the risks associated with existing RPZs. As prescribed in the advisory circular, the configuration of an RPZ for any given runway end is dependent on the approach speed and wingspan of the most demanding aircraft type(s), as well as the lowest visibility minimums prescribed for the runway. Airfield design standards are dictated by the critical aircraft from the traffic mix that operate at the airport. These standards can vary among airports, as well as for each runway at a single airport. Given the diverse range C H A P T E R 1 þÿRunway Protection Zones (RPZs) Risk Assessment Tool Users  Guide Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

1 Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background 2 1.2 Objective 3 1.3 How to Use This Guidebook 4 1.4 Definitions 6 Chapter 2 Risk Assessment and Safety Risk Management (SRM) 6 2.1 SRM Concepts 7 2.2 Applying SRM 10 2.3 Acceptable Level of Risk 12 Chapter 3 Gathering Software Tool Input Data 12 3.1 Airport Data 13 3.2 Airport Movements; Normal Operation Data (NOD) File 15 3.3 Weather Data Input File 18 3.4 Land Use and Population Data 21 Chapter 4 Getting Started with RPZ_RAT 21 4.1 Installing the Software Tool 21 4.2 Operating the Software Tool 23 4.3 Entering Runway Data 26 4.4 Generating RPZ Crash Likelihood Contours 27 4.5 Entering Land Uses and Conducting Risk Analysis 29 4.6 Useful Software Tool Features 32 Chapter 5 Understanding Analysis Results 32 5.1 Crash Likelihood Contours 32 5.2 Excel Output File 37 Chapter 6 Case Study Airport 37 6.1 Case Study Purpose 37 6.2 Case Study Airport Description 39 6.3 Preparing Input Files for RPZ_RAT 43 6.4 Existing Land Uses within RPZs 48 6.5 Interpretation of RPZ_RAT Results 55 6.6 Potential Benefits of Analysis Findings 56 Chapter 7 RPZ Risk Mitigation Strategies 56 7.1 Securing Control of the RPZ 58 7.2 Management of RPZ upon Securing Control 58 7.3 Factors Influencing Mitigation Measure Selection 61 Chapter 8 Airport Safety Management System (SMS) and RPZ Risk 64 References 65 Appendix A Uniform Building Code C O N T E N T S þÿRunway Protection Zones (RPZs) Risk Assessment Tool Users  Guide Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Although runway protection zones (RPZs) are supposed to be clear of structures and people, it is still common for activities to occur within an RPZ for many reasons, and these reasons can be beyond the control of the airport operator. This Users’ Guide (ACRP Research Report 168) and risk assessment tool have been developed under ACRP Project 04-18 to help airport operators conduct risk assessments in RPZs. The tool can be used to assess the risk of an aircraft accident within an RPZ and, based on the output, assess the risk to people and property, based on land use and population density. The tool (as well as a PDF version of the Users’ Guide), which will be beneficial to airport planners and operations, can be found at http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/174951.aspx. The FAA has identified critical safety areas that airport operators need to maintain to spe- cific standards so as to protect aircraft, passengers, people, and property. The runway safety area (RSA) is designed to protect aircraft using the runway, while the runway protection zone (RPZ) is designed to enhance the protection of people and property on the ground. Airport operators need to understand the risks of activities that occur within RPZs so that mitigation strategies can be developed. Applied Research Associates (ARA), as part of ACRP Project 04-18, was selected to develop a tool to assess the risk of an aircraft accident within the RPZ, and, based on that output, assess the risk to people and property, considering the population density and land use. The tool relies on a wealth of airport-specific data to assess the risk. When information is not available, the tool makes it possible to obtain estimates using simplifying assump- tions. This Users’ Guide also provides direction on where information can be obtained so as to make the tool immediately useful. The tool can be used to run scenarios for planning around an RPZ or if changes are being considered (e.g., a change in the threshold, extending a runway, removing a hazard, and planning for a new runway). Ideally, the Users’ Guide should be read before starting to use the tool. For background on the development of the tool, see the Contractor’s Final Report on the TRB website (www.trb.org/acrp). F O R E W O R D By Marci A. Greenberger Staff Officer Transportation Research Board þÿRunway Protection Zones (RPZs) Risk Assessment Tool Users  Guide Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research reported herein was performed under ACRP Project 04-18 by Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA), Ricondo & Associates (R&A), Mead & Hunt, Dr. Ali Mosleh (of UCLA), and Landry Consultants. ARA was the prime contractor for this study. Dr. Jim Hall, P.E., Principal Engineer at ARA, was the Principal Investigator and Mr. Hamid Shirazi, P.E., Principal Engineer at ARA, was the Project Manager. The research team included Ms. Beattie Williams, Mr. Stephen Moser, and Ms. Dorothy Boswell of ARA. Mr. Mark Johnson, Ms. Colleen Quinn, Mr. Patrick Hickman, and Mr. David Ramacorti of R&A; Mr. Marshall Hardy, Mr. Rich Speir, Mr. Endri Mustafa, and Ms. Robin Jones of ARA; Ms. Stephanie Ward and Ms. Morgan Turner of Mead & Hunt; Ms. Joanne Landry; and Dr. Ali Mosleh collaborated in develop- ing this research and the project report and the users’ guide. CRP STAFF FOR ACRP RESEARCH REPORT 168 Christopher J. Hedges, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Michael R. Salamone, ACRP Manager Marci A. Greenberger, Senior Program Officer Jeffrey Oser, Program Coordinator Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications Hilary Freer, Senior Editor ACRP PROJECT 04-18 PANEL Field of Safety David Bannard, Foley & Lardner LLP, Boston, MA (Chair) Paul Esposito, STAR Consultants, Inc., Arnold, MD Jennifer M. Fuller, North Carolina DOT, Raleigh, NC Dawn Mehler, Plantation, FL Roger Studenski, Jacksonville Aviation Authority, Jacksonville, FL Steve Debban, FAA Liaison Jorge E. Panteli, FAA Liaison Richard Marchi, RFMarchi Aviation Consulting, Inc. Liaison Stephen F. Maher, TRB Liaison þÿRunway Protection Zones (RPZs) Risk Assessment Tool Users  Guide Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, non- governmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president. The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president. The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine. Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.national-academies.org. The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major programs of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to increase the benefits that transportation contributes to society by providing leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. The Board’s varied committees, task forces, and panels annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org. þÿRunway Protection Zones (RPZs) Risk Assessment Tool Users  Guide Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.