Causality of surface movement anomalies at KJFK airport

The FAA/ASIAS Office and the Saab Sensis Corporation developed a system for the automated detection and evaluation of unusual or anomalous movements of aircraft taxiing on the airport surface. These anomalies may be precursors to safety incidents and may also indicate conditions leading to reductions in airport operational efficiency. This paper presents two case studies based on the data produced by the automated anomaly detection and scoring system; the case studies validate the system and explore causes of anomalies. Specifically, the relationship between frequency of anomaly occurrence and surface congestion is explored and a study of the relationship between the rate of occurrence of sudden-stop (SST) anomalies and other factors, including runway configuration and time-of- year, is undertaken. The paper discusses the role of automated anomaly detection in the development of safety management systems and the evaluation of benefits and risks of technology (e.g., moving map display) that may be deployed to mitigate anomaly occurrence and to improve airport operational safety and efficiency.