Story ID: 
Safety Alert Addresses TALPA Procedures
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: A n FAA safety alert provides information to FAR Part 25 airplane operators on the safety benefits of using a takeoff and landing performance assessment.
Word Count: 221
A newly released FAA Safety Alerts for Pilots (SAFO) provides information and guidelines to FAR Part 25 airplane operators on the safety benefits of using a takeoff and landing performance assessment (TALPA). The alert highlights TALPA Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) recommendations released in October 2016. During its study, the ARC discovered that “significant gaps in information needed to determine if a safe landing can be made.” The ARC produced consistent terminology and runway assessment criteria, and recommended using “non-dry, non-wet performance data for takeoff and time-of-arrival landing calculations.”

As a result of the ARCs findings, eight FAA Advisory Circulars (AC) were revised or developed to support the implementation of TALPA, including AC 25-32, “Data for Time-of-arrival Landing Performance Assessments.” In addition, the SAFO discusses TALPA in terms of estimated landing distances at time of arrival, the assessment of pilot braking action reports based on the size of the aircraft reporting, runway surface conditions, landing or takeoff distance available, and airplane ground-deceleration devices.

Currently, the FAA does not plan to provide small aircraft manufacturers with advisory information similar to AC 25-32. In the absence of guidance to manufacturers of Part 23 aircraft, operational landing distance data can be based on the recommendations of AC 25-32 provided by the airframe manufacturer or a performance data provider, according to the agency.