Traffic alert and Collision

Avoidance System (TCAS)

Definition

z TCAS is an implementation of the

Airborne Collision Avoidance System
mandated by ICAO to be fitted to :
1.all aircraft over 5,700 kg. or
2.authorised to carry more than 19
passengers.
zdesigned to reduce mid-air collisions.
TCAS versions

zCurrently, there are three versions of the

TCAS system in use or in some stage of
development;

{TCAS I,
{TCAS II,
{TCAS III
TCAS I

zTCAS I is the first generation of collision

avoidance technology.
zIt is cheaper but less capable than the
modern TCAS II system, and is mainly
intended for general aviation use.
zTCAS I systems are able to monitor the
traffic situation around a plane (to a range of
about 40 miles) and offer information on the
approximate bearing and altitude of other
aircraft.
TCAS I (cont’)

zIt can also generate collision warnings in the

form of a "Traffic Advisory" (TA).
zThe TA warns the pilot that another aircraft is
in near vicinity, announcing "traffic, traffic",
but does not offer any suggested remedy; it
is up to the pilot to decide what to do, usually
with the assistance of Air Traffic Control.
When a threat has passed, the system
announces "clear of conflict".
TCAS I (cont’)

zthe simplest of the systems, is less

expensive but also less capable than the
others.
zIt was designed primarily for general aviation
use.
zThe TCAS I transmitter sends signals and
interrogates Mode-C transponders.
zThe TCAS I receiver and display indicates
approximate bearing and relative altitude of
all aircraft within the selected range, usually
about forty miles.
 TCAS I (cont’)

z Further, the system uses color coded dots to indicate

which aircraft in the area pose a potential threat.
z This is referred to as a Traffic Advisory (TA).
z When a pilot receives a TA, it is up to him/her to
visually identify the intruder and is allowed to deviate
up to + 300 feet.
z Lateral deviation is not authorized.
z In instrument conditions, the pilot is required to notify
air traffic control for assistance in resolving the
conflict.
TCAS II
z TCAS II is the second and current generation of
TCAS, used in the majority of commercial aviation
aircraft.
z It offers all the benefits of TCAS I, but will also offer
the pilot direct, vocalised instructions to avoid
danger, known as a "Resolution Advisory" (RA).
z The suggestive action may be "corrective",
suggesting the pilot change altitude by announcing,
"descend, descend" or "climb, climb".
z By contrast a "preventive" RA may be issued
which simply warns the pilots not to deviate from
their present altitude, announcing, "monitor vertical
speed".
TCAS II (cont’)

zTCAS II systems coordinate their resolution

advisories before issuing commands to the
pilots, so that if one aircraft is instructed to
descend, the other will typically be told to
climb — maximising the separation between
the two aircrafts.
zAs of 2006, the only implementation that
meets the ACAS II standards set by ICAO is
Version 7.0 of TCAS II, produced by two
avionics manufacturers: Rockwell Collins and
Honeywell.
TCAS II (cont’)
z It is a more comprehensive system than TCAS I.
z This system was required to be installed on all commercial
air carriers operating in the United States by December 31,
1993.
z It offers all of the same benefits but it will also issue a
Resolution Advisory (RA) to the pilot.
z The intruder target is plotted and the system is able to tell
whether the aircraft if climbing, diving, or in straight and
level flight.
z Once this is determined, the system will advise the pilot to
execute an evasive maneuver that will deconflict the aircraft
from the intruder.
z There are two types of RAs, preventive and positive.
Types of RAs

zPreventive RAs instruct the pilot not to

change altitude or heading to avoid a
potential conflict.

zPositive RAs instruct the pilot to climb or

descend at a predetermined rate of 2500
feet per minute to avoid a conflict.
TCAS II (cont’)

zTCAS II is capable of interrogating Mode-C

and Mode-S.
zIn the case of both aircraft having Mode-S
interrogation capability, the TCAS II systems
communicate with one another and issue
deconflicted RAs.
TCAS III

zTCAS III is the "next generation" of collision

avoidance technology which is currently
undergoing active development by aviation
companies such as Honeywell.
zTCAS III incorporates technical upgrades to
the TCAS II system, and will have the
capability to offer traffic advisories and
resolve traffic conflicts using horizontal as
well as vertical manuevring directives to
pilots.
TCAS III (cont’)

zFor instance, in a head-on situation, one

aircraft might be directed, "turn right,
climb" while the other would be directed
"turn right, descend." This would act to
further increase the total separation
between aircraft, in both horizontal and
vertical aspects.
TCAS III. (cont’)

zThis system will be virtually the same as

TCAS II but will allow pilots who receive RAs
to execute lateral deviations to evade
intruders.
zThis will be possible because the directional
antenna on TCAS III will be more accurate
and will have a smaller bearing error.
zThere are also hopes that the new antenna
will cut down on false alarms since it can
more accurately determine an intruder’s
location.
TCAS III (cont’)

zAnother upgrade that is proposed has to do

with the Mode-S data link.
zThrough this link, a system will be capable
of transmitting the aircraft’s GPS position
and velocity vector to other TCAS-equipped
aircraft thus providing much more accurate
information.
TCAS Basic operation

zTCAS involves communication between all

aircraft equipped with an appropriate
transponder.
zEach TCAS-equipped aircraft "interrogates"
all other aircraft in a determined range about
their position (via the 1030 MHz radio
frequency), and all other aircraft reply to
other interrogations (via 1090 MHz). This
interrogation-and-response cycle may occur
several times per second.
TCAS Basic operation (cont’)

z Through this constant back-and-forth

communication, the TCAS system builds a three
dimensional map of aircraft in the airspace,
incorporating their bearing, altitude and velocity.
z Then, by extrapolating current position data to
anticipated future positions, it determines if a
potential collision threat exists.
z It should be noted that TCAS and its variants are
only able to interact with aircraft that have a
correctly operating transponder.
TCAS Block Diagram
Components

zFour aircraft mounted antennae.

zTCAS- Computer Unit.
zMode S Transponder.
zDisplays and controls in the cockpit
TCAS Component Block Diagram
TCAS display-Navigation Display

z The TCAS display

can either be
integrated in the ND
(Navigation Display),
such as in the Airbus
and Boeing family of
aircraft,
TCAS display- Instantaneous Vertical Speed Indicator

z in the IVSI (Instantaneous Vertical Speed

Indicator), which indicates the speed with which
the aircraft is descending or climbing.
TCAS Symbol on display
The Collins TCAS-4000 provides total situational awareness of impending traffic conflicts, including
the display of resolutionary information for immediate threats. The system tracks all Mode C and
Mode S transponders and provides range, relative bearing and altitude information for the 30
aircraft that pose the greatest threat of collision.
Accurate, instantaneous aircraft position reporting is critical for safe operations in the ATC
environment. The TDR-94/94D serves as a modem for data link, performance, navigation and ATC
transactions between the aircraft and Mode S secondary surveillance radar, as well as providing an
interface to TCAS II systems.
The Collins TCAS-94 Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System offers relative bearing and
altitude of nearby aircraft. The system provides both aural and visual warnings in the event TCAS II
predicts a near miss or potential collision. TCAS II depicts aircraft with operating Mode C or Mode S
transponders on one or more instrument panel displays.
What systems are required to run TCAS ?
• IRS
Attitude data, vertical motion data.

• Gear position sensors

As the extended gear disturbs the lower
directional antenna, bearing detection of traffic
flying below the own aircraft must be
inhibited.

• Radio altimeters
TCAS must know the radio height as the alarm
logic varies with the height above ground.
What systems are required to run TCAS ? (cont’)

Air/ground relays
Automatic standby control.

GPWS
GPWS overrides TCAS advisories during a
windshear or ground proximity warning.

AC Bus 3
Electric power supply.
TAU
 Normal Operations
• Aircraft routinely level off at 1,000ft
separation
• TCAS will usually address this situation
without ATC disruption e.g.:
– TAs only
– Preventive RA (level a/c ‘do not descend’)
– Corrective but compatible RAs (climbing
a/c ‘limit climb’ when approaching cleared level
• But : - moderate vertical rate required.
Traffic Alert/Collision Avoidance System
(TCAS)
zFAA launched TCAS program in 1981;
deployed on commercial aircraft in 1993.

zIntended as a backup to air traffic control.

{Entirely air-based; no ground equipment

zTwo variants:
{TCAS I – Required for aircraft w/ ≤30 seats.
{TCAS II – Required for aircraft w/ >30 seats.
 TCAS Alerts
• TCAS provides two levels of alert:
-Traffic Alerts (TAs) - indication of traffic that may
become a threat
-Resolution Advisories (RAs) - issued if a risk of
collision is calculated
• RAs provide pilot with advice on how to adjust his
flight-path (vertical plane only) to avoid collision
• When both aircraft are TCAS equipped, RAs are
coordinated
TCAS Advisories

zTCAS monitors all transponder-equipped

aircraft within four nautical miles.

zTraffic Advisories – TCAS I & II

{Alert pilot of potential for conflict within 40 sec.

zResolution Advisories – TCAS II Only

{Alert pilot of potential for conflict within 20 sec.
{Provide vertical guidance to escape conflicts.
 What is a TA ?

TA is a so-called Traffic Advisory. TAs are given to the pilot in form of

the word TRAFFIC displayed in yellow on the ND, and the aural voice
annunciation "traffic, traffic". This is not the highest alert level. Its
purpose is first to call attention to a possible conflict.

If bearing information is available, the intruder can be identified on the ND

by a yellow, solid circle. Otherwise, the circle is removed and lateral
distance and relative altitude with vertical motion arrow (if motion is
detected) is displayed in yellow.
 What is an RA ?

RA means Resolution Advisory, the highest alert level. Its

purpose is to resolve a conflict by providing the pilot with aural and
visual pitch commands. The pilot has to disengage the autopilot
immediately as the escape maneuver has to be flown manually.
Flight director commands as well as ATC advisories have to be
ignored. The pitch command of an RA has always the highest
priority.

If bearing information is available, the intruder can be identified on

the ND by a red, solid square. Otherwise, the square is removed
and lateral distance and relative altitude with vertical motion arrow
(if motion is detected) is displayed in red numbers under the word
TRAFFIC.
Example Conflict Scenario
MAINTAIN VERTICAL SPEED…CROSSING
TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC

INCREASE CLIMB
CLIMB, CLIMB

TRAFFIC,
DESCEND,
TRAFFIC DESCEND Intruder
(TCAS II Equipped)
MAINTAIN VERTICAL SPEED
Conflict

Ownship
(TCAS II Equipped) INCREASEDESCEND
DESCENDCROSSING DESCEND
CLEAR OF CONFLICT

CLEAR OF CONFLICT
Aircrafts without TCAS

Kah BoooooM !!!!!!!!

OH SHIT

OH FCUK
Maintaining Aircraft Separation

zAir Traffic Control (ATC)

{Monitors all aircraft in a given service area.
{Resolves traffic conflicts well in advance.

zTCAS
{Activates when conflict is imminent (<1 min).

zVisual Identification
{Ineffective when visibility is poor.
TCAS Dependability Properties

zSafety
{Resolution advisories must not bring the aircraft
into greater harm.
{TCAS must not create conflicts where none
would have existed otherwise.

zReliability
{TCAS must be able to endure an entire flight
without requiring service (10-18 hours).
Safety—Bad Guidance

zIntruder-Terrain
zService Ceiling
zMultiple Intruders Service Ceiling
Safety—False Advisories

zTCAS might detect a false conflict if…

{…it receives bad transponder data.
{…it receives bad local flight data.

zIf TCAS issues a false RA, a conflict might

occur if the RA is followed.
{Limited time for ATC to detect & intervene
{How does the pilot know who to follow?
 Summary

zTCAS helps prevent midair collisions by

supplementing air traffic control.

zTCAS is an imperfect solution.

{Bad guidance
{False conflicts

zAircraft have been saved both from

following and disobeying TCAS RAs.
 Summary (cont’)

zThere are two levels of TCAS systems:

zTCAS I was developed to accommodate the
general aviation (GA) community and the
regional airlines.
zThis system issues ‘Traffic Advisories’ (TAs)
to assist pilots in visual acquisition of intruder
aircraft.
zTCAS I is mandated on aircraft with 10 to 30
seats, although TCAS II may be installed
instead.
Summary (cont’)

zTCAS II is a more sophisticated system

which provides the information of TCAS I,
and also analyzes the projected flight path of
approaching aircraft and issues ‘Resolution
Advisories’ (RAs) to the pilot to resolve
potential mid-air collisions.
zTCAS II is required internationally in aircraft
with more than 30 seats or weighing more
than 15,000 kg.
Summary (cont’)

zTCAS-I generates traffic advisories only.

zTCAS-II generates traffic advisories,and
resolution (collision avoidance) advisories
in the vertical plane.
zTCAS I is intended for use by smaller
commuter aircraft holding 10 to 30
passenger seats, and general aviation
aircraft.
Summary (cont’)

zTCAS II requires a Mode S transponder,

which is interrogated by other TCAS II
equipment and replies to that equipment.
zTCAS does not respond to aircraft which
are not transponder equipped or aircraft
with a transponder failure.
Conclusion
Glossary

zCPA: Closest point of approach as computed

from a threats range and range rate.
zINTRUDER: A target that has satisfied the
traffic detection criteria.
zPROXIMITY TARGET: Any target that is less
than 6 nmi in range and within ±1,200 feet
vertically, but that does not meet the intruder
or threat criteria.
Glossary

zRA: Resolution advisory. An indication given

by TCAS II to a flight crew that a vertical
maneuver should, or in some cases should
not, be performed to attain or maintain safe
separation from a threat.
zTA: Traffic Advisory. An indication given by
TCAS to the pilot when an aircraft has
entered, or is projected to enter, the
protected volume around the own aircraft.
Glossary
z TARGET: An aircraft that is being tracked by a TCAS-
equipped aircraft.
z TAU : To adjust warning times according to the aircraft
speed. By measuring distance and closing rate to target.
z THREAT: An intruder that has satisfied the threat detection
criteria and thus requires an RA to be issued.
z TRANSPONDER, MODE C: ATC transponder that replies
with both identification and altitude data. If the transponder
does not have an interface with an encoding altimeter
source, only the altitude bracket pulses are transmitted and
no altitude data are provided.
z TRANSPONDER, MODE S: ATC transponder that replies
to an interrogation containing its own, unique 24-bit
selective address, and typically with altitude data.