Collision Avoidance

The Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System, or TCAS can be seen in an aircraft cockpit. A collision avoidance system is made of hardware and also software that provide another set of eyes, or electronic eyes, to assist the pilots. A pilot is trained to fly a plane; however it is impossible for him or her to be aware of every possible danger without help.

These instruments provide a safety feature that the pilot or pilots can count on. Its main function is that it can show the pilot that an aircraft is near, up to a certain amount of miles away, such as 40 miles away, for example. The instruments have the capability to sound an alarm when an aircraft may be in danger of being too near. This type of system provides a backup to those who are working in air traffic control room. These devices are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration or FAA and have now been mandated by the FAA.

Collision avoidance systems are now a standard for aircraft used in the United States. The devices have worked because there have been no airline mid-air collisions since 1990 in the United States. It is now a necessary tool for a pilot to stay safe, to keep a crew safe and to keep the passengers on board planes safe.

This was not the case before 1990. For example in 1986, there was a collision that involved an Aeromexico DC-9 and a small Piper aircraft. All of the people on the planes, both the DC-9 and the small plane, plus 15 people on the ground were killed. Because of this accident, the FAA made it a law that all aircrafts operating in US airspace with more than 10 passenger seats had to have collision avoidance systems in place.