Direction générale de l'aviation civile (DGAC)

Service technique de l'aviation civile

Technical Information

Aircraft operational performances, at landing or take-off, are strongly dependant on runway surface conditions.

Bad weather conditions may severely degrade runway surface condition. For obvious safety reasons, when such events appear, methods and means must be implemented to characterize runway surface condition and to provide pilots with relevant information.

This characterization consists in identifying nature of contaminant, in measuring or assessing depth and coverage of contamination, and in quantifying the friction. This document provides guidance to assist airport operators in developing and implementing procedures relative to the monitoring of runway surface conditions under adverse weather conditions.

It synthesizes:

  • ICAO definitions, wordings and recommendations,
  • methods and means to comply with its recommendations,
  • relevant information to be reported to flight crews.

It details:

  • criteria to start runway surface condition assessment,
  • parameters to be evaluated and relevant information to be reported to flight crews,
  • condition of use for friction measuring devices,
  • a summary in the form of a simple to use table reminding the information to report and a template for reporting information.

French version

Editor STAC
ISBN/ISSN
Publication year 2014
Format A4
Pages number 67
Price printed version Free