RuAviation

The Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia (Rosaviatsiya) held its scheduled preventive meeting focused on reducing the likelihood of aircraft runway excursions during takeoff and landing. Representatives from Russian airlines and regional Rosaviatsiya offices participated in the discussion. The session emphasized the combination of external conditions, technical factors, and pilot techniques that contribute to the risk of such incidents.

“Winter operations present known challenges for aircraft handling. These risks can be mitigated through preventive measures embedded in a robust flight safety management system,” said Rosaviatsiya Deputy Head Sergey Stramous.

According to ICAO’s international classification, runway excursions include both overruns and veer-offs that occur during landing or takeoff. ICAO data indicate that a significant portion of these events occurs in winter, when runway performance is affected by snow, ice, or slush.

Longitudinal excursions are influenced by late touchdown, approach speed exceeding the calculated value, and reduced braking effectiveness on low-friction surfaces. Lateral excursions are primarily caused by crosswind components exceeding limits, insufficient rudder damping at low speeds, and uneven runway conditions across its width. Regional Rosaviatsiya offices were tasked with coordinating with airport operators to maintain runways in regulatory-compliant condition.

Airline representatives presented case studies during the meeting, allowing participants to identify common precursors to unstable approaches and typical errors in configuration selection and longitudinal control during the transition to stabilized approach.

Civil aviation methodology links landing distance to runway condition. On wet snow or slush, stopping distances can increase by 1.5 to 2 times compared with dry runway calculations.

International practice utilizes the Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM), which enables crews to correlate observed runway conditions with calculated performance data. The meeting highlighted cases where actual touchdown trajectories deviated from planned ones, emphasizing the importance of precise adherence to stabilized approach parameters.

Crew training remains a key preventive measure against runway excursions. Operators integrate flight data analysis parameters to monitor touchdown points, approach speed exceedances, directional control, and reverse thrust usage. Training programs cover factors affecting excursion risk, including aircraft configuration, landing distance, and crosswind components.

International guidelines recommend that crews initiate a go-around if stabilized approach criteria are not met. In response to recurring events at a single airport, airlines implement additional crew training and coordinate with the airport to adjust landing procedures under challenging conditions.

The meeting also screened the training film No Landing is Routine, produced by Boeing and Embraer under the ICAO European Regional Flight Safety Expert Group (IE-REST). The film analyzes the factors most commonly contributing to runway excursions and provides operational recommendations. It is available in Russian and English and is intended for use in crew training and recurrent qualification programs.

Notes:

Runway Excursion refers to the unintentional departure of an aircraft from the runway, either longitudinally (overrun) or laterally (veer-off). It encompasses the full range of deviations from the runway centerline and is a key operational safety risk per ICAO.

RCAM (Runway Condition Assessment Matrix) is an internationally applied matrix assigning a runway condition code (0–6) based on contamination type, depth, and expected friction level. It is used for calculating takeoff and landing distances and for go/no-go landing decisions.