AMC1 CAT.OP.MPA.311 Reporting on runway braking action
CAA ORS9 Decision No. 15
GENERAL
Since both the ATC and the aerodrome operator rely on accurate braking action reports, flight crew should use standardised terminology in accordance with ICAO Doc 4444 ‘PANS ATM’. The following Table 1 shows the correlation between the terminology to be used in the AIREP to report the braking action and the RWYCC.
| AIREP (braking action) | Description | RWYCC |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | 6 | |
| GOOD | Braking deceleration is normal for the wheel braking effort applied AND directional control is normal. | 5 |
| GOOD TO MEDIUM | Braking deceleration OR directional control is between good and medium. | 4 |
| MEDIUM | Braking deceleration is noticeably reduced for the wheel braking effort applied OR directional control is noticeably reduced. | 3 |
| MEDIUM TO POOR | Braking deceleration OR directional control is between medium and poor. | 2 |
| POOR | Braking deceleration is significantly reduced for the wheel braking effort applied OR directional control is significantly reduced. | 1 |
| LESS THAN POOR | Braking deceleration is minimal to nonexistent for the wheel braking effort applied OR directional control is uncertain. | 0 |
An AIREP should be transmitted to the ATC, in accordance with one of the following specifications, as applicable:
(a) Good braking action is reported as ‘BRAKING ACTION GOOD’.
(b) Good to medium braking action is reported as ‘BRAKING ACTION GOOD TO MEDIUM’.
(c) Medium braking action is reported as ‘BRAKING ACTION MEDIUM’.
(d) Medium to poor braking action is reported as ‘BRAKING ACTION MEDIUM TO POOR’.
(e) Poor braking action is reported as ‘BRAKING ACTION POOR’.
(f) Less than poor braking action is reported as ‘BRAKING ACTION LESS THAN POOR’.
In some cases, the differences between two consecutive levels of the six braking action categories between ‘Good’ and ‘Less than Poor’ may be too subtle for the flight crew to detect. It is therefore acceptable for the flight crew to report on a more coarse scale of ‘Good’, ‘Medium’ and ‘Poor’.
Whenever requested by ATC, or if the braking action encountered during the landing roll is not as previously reported by the aerodrome operator in the RCR, pilots should provide a braking action report. This is especially important and safety relevant where the experienced braking action is worse than the braking action associated with any RWYCC code currently in effect for the portion of the runway concerned.
When the braking action experienced during landing is better than that reported by the aerodrome operator, it is also relevant to report this information, which may trigger further actions for the aerodrome operator in order to update the RCR.
If an aircraft-generated braking action report is available, it should be transmitted, identifying its origin accordingly. If the flight crew have a reason to modify the aircraft-generated braking action report based on their judgement, the commander should be able to amend such report.
A braking action AIREP of ‘Less than Poor’ leads to a runway closure until the aerodrome operator can improve the runway condition.
An air safety report should be submitted whenever flight safety has been endangered due to low braking action.