Los Angeles International Airport
Runway Incursion Studies
![[Los Angeles International Airport as displayed in our facility]](../images/lax_images3.jpg)
Los Angeles International Airport, as displayed in our facility.
Contents
- Study Objective
- QuickTime Movies
- Customer Benefits
- Customer Comments
- Summary : Phase I Report / Phase II Report
Study Objective
Los Angeles International Airport has the fourth busiest airfield in the nation. Air traffic has grown rapidly over the past ten years. However, the airfield and airspace have the same capacity and configuration they did ten years ago. Runway incursions have also increased over the past five years. Despite numerous changes to pavement markings, operating procedures, taxiway lighting and air traffic control procedures, the number of incursions continues to be of grave concern. The FAA and the City of Los Angeles Department of Airports (the operator of Los Angeles International Airport) has determined that resolving the runway incursion problem requires a more robust analysis of operations at Los Angeles International Airport.
The study in NASA FutureFlight Central evaluated both current and proposed air traffic control techniques, pilot procedures, airfield pavement geometry, and traffic management solutions to reduce runway incursions at LAX. Participants from the FAA, LAX and United Airlines selected six operational alternatives to analyze in the safe environment of our simulator.
The FutureFlight Central tower cab was reconfigured to accurately represent the LAX tower. Air traffic scenarios of peak arrival and peak departure times were prepared for testing in visual and instrument conditions.
QuickTime Movies
 
Movie 1 (361k) -- QuickTime movie showing controllers working in the tower.
Movie 2 (695k) -- QuickTime movie showing a high traffic scene with lots of taxiing aircraft, aircraft on the ramp area, and a departure lifting off.
Transcript of movies
Download QuickTime Player
Customer Benefits
Los Angeles World Airports reduced the risk of unnecessary development costs by trying out runway incursion solutions in virtual reality before investing in expensive construction designs, environmental impact reports, or consulting fees.
Virtual reality provided a completely safe environment to test radical changes to standard operating procedures.
The study results received greater buy-in from major stakeholders: airlines, air traffic controllers and airport managers because FutureFlight Central provided a forum for active participation throughout the project.
![[Photo of LAX team]](../images/lax_team.jpg)
LAX Controllers in NASA FutureFlight Central's Tower Cab. The two controllers pictured in the foreground are wearing "astronaut underwear" so that their stress levels can be measured during the simulation runs of proposed LAX airport changes.
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Customer Comments
"Fantastic system!!…I actually had a heightened awareness state that I normally experience working live traffic."
Anonymous LAX air traffic controller
"Even though aircraft movement might be a little different, the overall effect is very realistic. There is a definite frustration factor --- just like the real thing."
Anonymous LAX air traffic controller
"The NASA simulation was remarkably similar to LAX in real life. While by no means identical or as complex as the LAX airport environment with all its distractions, the NASA simulation did let us judge what would NOT work at LAX. Simply put: If we could not get it to work in the simplified NASA version of LAX airport, then it was clearly not going to work at real LAX. This saved the airport a lot of time (and money) in eliminating those untenable procedures and/or options."
Frank Sweeney, Support Manager, LAX Tower
Summary
Phase I
The baseline simulation showed that FutureFlight Central could replicate the highest sustained traffic rates of a major hub airport. Controllers rated the simulation "about the same as LAX" in terms of workload and overall realism. Aircraft taxi times and runway occupancy times were sufficiently accurate to proceed with Phase II.
Phase II
The runway incursion prevention alternatives found two of the variations as scoring most favorably. Based on a B-16 taxi extension, both alternatives were favored by air traffic controllers for safety and efficiency, and had the least impact on the arrival and departure rate of the airport.
Air traffic controllers go to work in the virtual LAX tower
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