Blair - Runway incidents do have a huge potential for disaster and they are an issue that demands attention (and get it). NAS will increase this potential with the new CTAFs because with reduced or nil R/T there will probably be a few tractors/cars and work-people getting clobbered on runways by aircraft landing or taking off.
I appreciate that we may be considering Apples and Bananas here but the greatest hazard is (was) Violation of Controlled (restricted) Airspace (VCA). This is the largest ICEBERG by far.
These are, statistically, the most reported incidents and are the most under-reported. What that means is that there are so many of them that they are either not reported due to ATC/pilots having the time or inclination to do so or are not reported because of complacency from an ineffective, historical, response to fix up the problem.
NAS will drastically reduce the incidence of VCA's because it takes out one significant factor - VFR and increases another - E airspace. The result is a cosmetic reduction in the problem of (especially) VFR aircraft straying into airspace that provides protection from other airspace users.
NAS will increase the statistics of air safety because it fiddles, quite effectiveley, with the status of airspace, rules and procedures to change the issue from what is safe or not safe to what is legal or normal. This effect will increase with further stages of NAS with the changes of status of resticted airspace and danger areas.
Heck when this is complete we probably will have solved the VCA problem completely and safety statistics will be accordingly improved.
Y' all be careful out there now!!!!!!!!!!!
Last edited by RTB RFN; 3rd Dec 2003 at 04:18.