NTSB Wants Visibility Limits on Position and Hold

The NTSB has asked the FAA to “explicitly prohibit” position and hold clearances at the intersections of active runways during low-visibility conditions and at night. While the recommendation is intended for all airports that have such a runway configuration, the Safety Board’s request stems from a loosely related incident on Jan. 25, 2002, at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska. A China Airlines Airbus A340 was cleared for a rolling takeoff on Runway 32 while it was taxiing southbound on Romeo and approaching the Runway 32/6L intersection. As cleared, the jet turned right on to Kilo, but failed to make another right on to Runway 32. Instead, the jet successfully departed westbound from taxiway Kilo, which provided a paved distance of just 6,800 feet–almost 1,000 feet short of the 7,746-foot calculated takeoff distance.