Traffic Alert Optimization for Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems

Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) is currently mandated on all large aircraft to reduce collision risk. TCAS provides both traffic alerts (TAs) and resolution advisories (RAs). TAs facilitate visual acquisition of approaching aircraft and prepare pilots to respond to vertical maneuver guidance provided by RAs. Recent research has investigated dynamic programming methods for optimizing the system logic that determines when to issue an RA and its associated vertical rate. This paper focuses on leveraging the results of the RA optimization to produce a TA logic that meets certain performance criteria, including meeting an ideal TA-RA lead time between 10 and 15 seconds and a low rate of TAs without RAs. Simulations based on recorded radar data in the JFK region were used to validate the success of the methodology presented in this paper.