Airplane positioning using airborne collision avoidance system data

Abstract

Mid-air collision is an important problem of modern air transport system. Development of Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) is grounded on safety criteria in order to support air traffic capacity and equipment. In research, we study the possibility and performance of airplane positioning by data accumulated in ACAS. ACAS surveillance equipment supports accurate range and poor angular measurements of airspace user’s data. An approach is based on a fusion of surveillance data with airplanes locations obtained from decoded Automatic Depended Surveillance-Broadcast messages. Performance of positioning approach is considered in more detail. An error of positioning in the horizontal plane is estimated in relation with uncertainty of airspace users’ location. Numerical demonstration with a live air traffic data indicates poor positioning accuracy in comparison with primary positioning system on-board of airplane and accuracy dependence from geometry and capacity of air traffic.