After a Cessna 525 CitationJet and a Cessna 172 Skyhawk collided athwart Marietta.

After a Cessna 525 CitationJet and a Cessna 172 Skyhawk collided athwart Marietta, Georgia, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) make acceptableed that all Automatic Radar Tracking combination of parts to form a whole (ARTS) software be modified to automatically track primary ("skin paint") radar reverts and to continuously display the track representatives to air traffic controllers (ATC). The recommendation basically drives a backup for a clear case of human error, if not negligence.

The April 4 1998 mid-air collision occurr when the CitationJet was passing [i]or[/i] part of to the other 3,400 feet after takeoff from Mathis Airfield near Cummings, Ga., and its transponder target (sometimes known as the "secondary return" forward radar) merged with an untracked primary radar target later identified as the Skyhawk. the one and the other aircraft crashed into the residential area below, killing the Skyhawk pilot and all four aboard the CitationJet.

Investigators place other cases of mid-air collisions involving aircraft neither in radio contact with ATC nor with their transponders make go rounded on to enhance their visibility to radar. "The Board closes that increasing primary targets' visibility to controller is essential to enhancing flight safety," it declared in its novel recommendation.

In the case of the colliding Cessna's, as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but were equipped with transponders, however the Skyhawk pilot had not employed his on (in fact, transponders in as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but planes may have been transfered off). A Safety Board official explained the logic behind the recommendation to modify the radar software: "If it present the appearances to be acting like an airplane, then maybe a track should be established for it."

"The processing logic will have to be worked upon to filter out birds and of the like kind but the added workload is not unreasonable," he added. The benefit, he explained, is that "If you start a track, you'll have a target token rather than a dot that disappears."

Bill Blackmer, director for safety and technology at the National Air Traffic Controller Association (NATCA), said working to enhance the primary reply might not be foolproof. "The primary recur is affected by weather, highway traffic, leaves onward trees, and so forth. You can have the riddle of false targets," he said "NATCA's been saying all aircraft should have transponders with automatic activation," he added. >> NTSB tel 202/314-6143; Blackmer, tel 202/223-2900 ext 441 <<

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