Honeywell and Phoenix Test Runway Safety Tech After Deadly Crash

Honeywell Aerospace and the Phoenix Aviation Department are teaming up to test runway safety technology at three Valley airports. The study aims to expand the use of Surface Alert Technology, or SURF-A, which currently sends pilots alerts when they're within 30 seconds of crashing into another aircraft on the runway.

The partnership comes after a plane collided with a fire truck on the runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport in March, killing two pilots and injuring dozens more. The study will focus on using SURF-A technology in ground vehicles at Sky Harbor, Deer Valley, and Goodyear airports.

A spokesperson for Sky Harbor said the city of Phoenix is investing about $30,000 to test the technology. According to Honeywell Aerospace, the study will begin this month and conclude by the end of the year. Once complete, the company will discuss next steps with the Phoenix Aviation Department to see if SURF-A can become a standard safety feature in the Valley and other airports.

Thea Feyereisen with Honeywell Aerospace said that even after the LaGuardia crash, there were other near misses, especially at night. Feyereisen noted that it takes time for air traffic control to notice, process, and communicate a threat, which can add up to 10 seconds to the response time.