FAA INSTITUTES NEW REPORTING TERMINOLOGY

October 26, 2016

According to the FAA, effective October 1, 2016, at 0900 UTC, airports in the United States will begin using new reporting terminology to describe contaminated runways in both Field Condition Notices to Airmen (FICON NOTAMs) and on Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) radio messages.  This revised reporting terminology is associated with the Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment (TALPA) initiative under which Mu (friction) values will NOT be provided to pilots or operators.  Alternatively, a three-digit Runway Condition Code (RwyCC) will be assigned to paved runways when their surfaces are more than 25% covered by: water to include “wet” (which is damp or 1/8 inch depth or less of water), frost, snow, slush, and/or ice.   Similar to Mu values, a RwyCC will be assigned to each runway third (i.e. touchdown, midpoint, and rollout).  To help carriers interpret a RwyCC’s meaning, a Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM) has been developed, which is available at:  https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/talpa/

If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6622) or Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6665).

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