The Federal Aviation Administration indicated Friday that it is moving toward requiring that planes be equipped with technology designed to prevent close calls around airports.
The FAA asked an internal advisory panel to make recommendations on how to require systems that would alert pilots if they are lined up to land on the wrong runway or a taxiway, or when the runway they have chosen is too short.
Many new airline jets are equipped with some of this technology, but older ones are not, and neither are many private planes.
The FAA said the move is part of its effort to eliminate “serious close calls.” The National Transportation Safety Board has started investigations into seven such incidents since January.
Preliminary reports about close calls this year point to pilot error in some cases and air controller mistakes in others. The NTSB said Thursday that a blocked radio transmission caused a close call in June at San Diego International Airport between Southwest and SkyWest planes.
