NTSB Wants FAA to Revise Runway Safety Reviews During Heavy Rainfall

WASHINGTON, May 26 (Reuters) – ⁠The ⁠National ⁠Transportation Safety Board on ​Tuesday called on the ‌Federal Aviation Administration ‌to revise ⁠how ⁠it assesses runway conditions during heavy ​rainfall, citing safety risks of airplanes skidding ​off the runway.

The recommendations ⁠follow NTSB ⁠investigations of ⁠11 runway ​overrun accidents and incidents from ​2008 ⁠through 2022 that occurred after landings on wet ⁠runways.

The board cited the 2019 runway overrun ⁠of a Boeing 737 in Jacksonville, Florida due in part to “an extreme loss of braking friction due to heavy rain ⁠and the water depth on the ungrooved runway, which resulted ​in viscous hydroplaning.”

(Reporting by ​David Shepardson)

Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

Leave a Comment