FAA SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR AIRFIELD CONSTRUCTION BARRICADES

FAA Safety Requirements for Airfield Construction Barricades

Barricades are used to keep aircraft out of closed areas and to keep construction vehicles out of active movement areas. They look the same in both situations. Vehicle operators need to pay close attention when driving through or around barricades to make sure you are not entering an active movement area.

Airport Construction Barricades

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When construction activity is being conducted on a taxiway adjacent to an active runway, barricades are normally installed along the runway holding position marking. Do not drive through the barricades without ATCT clearance in this situation or you will be committing a V/PD Runway Incursion.

Airport Construction Barricades

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Construction vehicles normally drive through barricades to enter and leave construction sites. Sometimes barricades are installed close together to prevent vehicles from inadvertently entering an active portion of the movement area. Do not remove barricades to drive through. You may be entering an active movement area without clearance.

Preventing V/PDs

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Barricades/Red Lights

Barricades are used to mark closed pavement and keep aircraft from entering the closed area. 6

AC 150/5370-2E, Par 3-8 b) states, “With taxiways, place an “X” at the entrance of the closed taxiway.” The use of an “X” provides a good visual reference of closed taxiways to pilots flying over the airport before landing.

Barricades/Red Lights

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A

2A

Use a temporary “X” at the entrance to the runway exit from the runway.

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A1

A

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Installing the Installing the barricades 200’ from barricades 200’ from

runway centerline runway centerline would be more visible would be more visible to pilots compared to to pilots compared to locating them on the locating them on the

holdline.holdline.

Temporary “X”

Barricades/Red Lights

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A

2A

Installing barricades 200’ from the runway centerline would better identify the closed runway exit to pilots during both day and night conditions. However, barricades must be the low mass easily collapsible type if located in the runway safety area.

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A

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200’

Barricades/Red Lights

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The barricades for this construction area are at the entrance to the closed taxiway in the far background. Additional barricades should have also been placed at the construction site in this situation. A pilot could have missed seeing the barricades if they approached the taxiway from the apron. This could also be a potentially dangerous situation for vehicle operators at night.

Example of Problem – Construction

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Example of Problem – Construction

Be sure that the retroreflective stripes on barricades are facing in the right direction. The stripes at this location are facing the closed area. 11

Barricades/Red Lights

Barricades used to mark construction areas or closed pavement must be as low as possible to the ground; low mass; easily collapsible upon contact with an aircraft or any of its components; and weighted or sturdily attached to the surface to prevent displacement from prop wash, jet blast, wing vortex, or other surface wind currents. (AC 150/5370-2E, Par 3-9 b) This particular barricade is designed to be filled with water. 12

Railroad ties are not to be used on runways, which includes the runway safety area. (AC 150/5370-2E, Par 3-9 b)

Example of Problem – Construction

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The use of concrete jersey barricades in the movement areas (adjacent to taxiways) is not acceptable. (AC 150/5370-2E, Par 3-9 b)

Barricades/Red Lights

Non-movement Area

Movement Area

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Barricades/Red Lights

Low profile, low mass barricades must be used to mark the boundary of construction areas that are adjacent to open taxiways. 15

Barricades/Red Lights

Highway type barricades may be too high for use adjacent to movement areas. 16

Barricades/Red Lights

Props on twin engine aircraft could hit taller highway type barricades.

Is there a chance that this barricade could be hit by

a prop?

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Barricades/Red Lights

Some aircraft have engines that are located fairly close to the ground, limiting the height of barricades used to mark construction areas adjacent to movement areas used by these aircraft. The possibility of engine ingestion is also a concern when placing barricades adjacent to taxi routes. 18

The use of a temporary taxiway ending marker to supplement barricades is a good practice and highly recommended to mark closed taxiways. These markers are visible to pilots from a farther distance than the typical low profile type barricades.

Taxiway Ending Marker

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Barricades/Red Lights

Use highly reflective barriers with flashing or steady-burning red lights to barricade taxiways leading to closed runways. Evaluate all operating factors when determining how to mark temporary closures that can last from 10 to 15 minutes to a much longer period of time. However, we strongly recommend that, even for closures of relatively short duration, major taxiway/runway intersections be identified with barricades spaced no greater than 20 feet apart. (AC 150/5370-2E, Par 3-9 b) 20

In accordance with AC 150/5370-2E, Operational Safety on Airports During Construction, Par 3-9a & 3-9b, yellow lights are no longer acceptable for lighting construction areas on movement areas and nonmovement areas. (Became effective October 2004)

Example of Problem – Construction

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Red lights for marking construction areas are required because of a problem with pilots confusing flashing yellow construction lights with in-

pavement Runway Guard Lights.

Barricades/Red Lights

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This photo shows an example of a flashing red light that is visible 360 degrees. These type of red lights are recommended.

Barricades/Red Lights

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If you choose a flat light fixture rather than a 360 degree light, rotate one of the lights 90 degrees as shown in this photo.

Barricades/Red Lights

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Barricades, warning lighting, and reflectors must be adequate to keep aircraft out of construction areas during nighttime and low visibility conditions. Flashing red lights must be maintained operable at night.

Barricades/Red Lights

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Singapore Airlines flight SQ006 to Los Angeles, crashed on takeoff from Taipei's Chang Kai Shek International Airport at 23:18 local time. The weather in the area was rapidly deteriorating due to an approaching typhoon. At 140 knots, the 747 impacted concrete jersey barricades and several pieces construction equipment, causing the aircraft to break into 3 parts and igniting a large post-crash fire. There were 83 fatalities (24 Americans) out of 179 passengers and crew.

Singapore Airlines B-747-400 Construction Related Accident

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Singapore Airlines B-747-400 Construction Related Accident

The flight crew mistakenly attempted takeoff on Runway 5R instead of assigned Runway 5L. Runway 5R was closed for construction at the time of the accident, however, the runway was not barricaded at the takeoff end because that portion of the runway was being used as a taxi route. 27

In some situations, taxiways may need to be temporarily closed or restricted to small aircraft only when adequate wingtip clearance is not available. Barricades also do not meet requirements of the AC.

Taxiway Safety Areas

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THE ENDTHE END

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