PHOENIX — Honeywell Aerospace and the Phoenix Aviation Department are launching a pilot that will put surface-alert collision warnings into airport ground vehicles at three Valley airports — a first worldwide, the partners say.
Surface Alert technology, or SURF-A, already warns pilots with visual and audio cues when they are within about 30 seconds of colliding with another aircraft on a runway. The new study extends that cockpit-style awareness to fire trucks and other vehicles that share the pavement.
The push follows March’s fatal runway collision at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, where a plane struck a fire truck at night, killing two pilots and injuring dozens. Honeywell’s Thea Feyereisen said nighttime ramps can become “a sea of lights,” and that waiting for tower controllers to spot and relay a threat can add seven to 10 seconds.
Sky Harbor officials said the city is investing about $30,000 in the test. Starting this month, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Deer Valley and Goodyear will run SURF-A in selected ground vehicles through year-end before deciding whether to make the system a standard Valley safety feature.
Displays show aircraft both on the ground and nearby in the air. Honeywell argues that giving vehicle operators the same traffic picture pilots already see can cut near-misses in the high-stress environment between gates and active runways.