Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

Citing several recent “notable and high-visibility events,” the FAA is urging air carriers and pilots to review available safety information, practice safety management system (SMS) principles, and examine their operational procedures to understand the risks associated with visual approaches.
In a new Safety Alert for Operators (<a href="https://bit.ly/43RQkPR">SAFO 25001</a>), the FAA said the severity of the events in recent months is concerning. “As the NAS continues to grow in use and complexity, efforts have been ongoing to prevent unsafe operations such as runway incursions, unstable approaches, altitude and route deviations, and runway identification errors,” the agency said. “In light of recent events, the FAA identified the need to ensure all operators and pilots understand and evaluate the risks associated with the acceptance and execution of visual approaches.”
The FAA issues SAFOs to highlight safety issues, usually to warn of a specific issue that has surfaced, such as suspected unapproved parts, GPS disruptions, or equipment anomalies. However, the FAA will issue broader SAFOs, such as 25001; in 2023, it issued an “Aviation Safety Call to Action,” also citing several recent notable and high-visibility events.
In the most recent SAFO, the agency reminds that effective communication between pilots and air traffic controllers is essential to avoid collisions. “ATC supports the pilot-in-command’s (PIC) authority to declare ‘unable’ when a clearance reduces the safety margin.”
Reduced margins could surround vectors, speeds, or altitudes that increase pilot workload, such as unexpected vectors inside normal descent profiles and airspeed restrictions, the FAA said.
Other examples cited by the FAA include:
<ul>
<li>Request&nbsp;to use a runway as a taxiway</li>
<li>Use a shorter runway than expected</li>
<li>Conduct land-and-hold-short operations</li>
<li>Perform circling maneuvers associated with an instrument approach</li>
<li>Maneuver at low altitudes on a visual approach</li>
<li>Land with tailwinds or crosswinds that may increase risk to an unacceptable level</li>
<li>Execute line-up-and-wait clearances</li>
<li>Perform intersection takeoffs</li>
<li>Follow runway exit instructions onto intersecting runways during the landing roll</li>
<li>Make changes to departure, arrival, approach, or runway assignments</li>
<li>Execute a visual approach</li>
</ul>
The FAA recommended that directors of operations, chief pilots, directors of training, check pilots, directors of safety, pilots, and other operational personnel review the SAFO and “take any necessary steps to ensure operations are conducted at the highest level of safety. Utilizing safety management system principles, certificate holders should evaluate changes to procedures or training to ensure PICs understand their authority for safe aircraft operation.”
Further, the agency advised using strategies to mitigate risks associated with complex operations, such as processes to ensure increased vigilance at airports with published VFR routes. The agency also suggested requesting an instrument approach to reduce the likelihood of misalignment with VFR traffic; communicating “unable” if there is not enough time to recalculate landing performance, reconfigure avionics, brief the new approach procedure, or stabilize the approach; and maintaining an active visual scan to avoid potential conflicts.
“Due to radar limitations, volume of traffic, controller workload, or communications frequency congestion, air traffic control may be unable to provide traffic information services,” the agency noted, further recommending: “Pilots should consider requesting information about other aircraft including azimuth in terms of the 12-hour clock, altitude, distance, type and direction of travel, or request radar vectors to avoid traffic conflicts.”
The FAA also reiterated that personnel should be encouraged to participate in voluntary reporting programs, apply SMS principles, evaluate risk mitigations, and review other safety information and SAFOs surrounding instrument and visual approaches and runway safety.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

FAA Safety Alert Warns Air Carriers of Visual Approach Risks

Agency stresses use of ‘unable’ when clearances reduce safety margins

Concerned about high-profile incidents, the FAA is warning air carriers and pilots to examine procedures and remain aware of risks surrounding visual approaches.

FAA SAFO Warns Air Carriers of Visual Approach Risks

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Stuart “Kipp” Lau

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Improper rudder use can lead to loss of control in aircraft

AINsight: Focus on the Rudder and LOC-I Accidents

Matt Thurber

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Acting FAA Administrator Rocheleau highlighted areas that still need work

FAA Sees Results from Targeting Hotspot Airports

Jessica Reed

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Virtual FDR is a cloud-based alternative to traditional “black box” units 

CGI Expands Virtual Flight Data Recorder Initiative

Sarah Rose

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Recent events renew focus on training

Thousands of Pilots Join GA Safety Campaign

Event to highlight safety and compliance

SCAA, Web Manuals To Host San Diego Safety Stand Down

Amy Wilder

Affordable tech aims to reduce midair collision risks

EASA Advances Airborne Collision Prevention for GA

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

More In Safety

AINsight: Focus on the Rudder and LOC-I Accidents

Improper rudder use can lead to loss of control in aircraft

FAA Sees Results from Targeting Hotspot Airports

Acting FAA Administrator Rocheleau highlighted areas that still need work

CGI Expands Virtual Flight Data Recorder Initiative

Virtual FDR is a cloud-based alternative to traditional “black box” units

Thousands of Pilots Join GA Safety Campaign

Recent events renew focus on training

SCAA, Web Manuals To Host San Diego Safety Stand Down

Event to highlight safety and compliance

EASA Advances Airborne Collision Prevention for GA

Affordable tech aims to reduce midair collision risks

Hop-A-Jet’s Ellis Shares Lessons Learned from Crash

Ellis provided insight into the aftermath of the February 2024 event

ACSF Symposium Challenges All To Dig Deeper on Safety

ACSF President Burns’ son Ryan relays lessons learned from football

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN