The FAA has claimed that runway incursions, an incident when an aircraft or vehi

Question

The FAA has claimed that runway incursions, an incident when an aircraft or vehicle is on a runway when it is not supposed to be, have been decreasing over the past few years. During this period, the FAA has spent millions of dollars on different systems designed to help reduce these incursions, which the administration claims have been successful in mitigating. Read the FAA Runway Safety Report (http://www.faa.gov/airports/runway_safety/publications/media/Runway-Safety-Report-2013-14.pdf), with particular attention to page 24. Using what you have learned in the readings, discuss whether or not you believe the data indicates an actual or significant reduction in incursions. What would you recommend to augment the FAA report from a data analysis standpoint? Why do you believe this addition is relevant?

Explanation / Answer

FAA has claimed that the number of incursions has reduced significantly over the years due to installation of different systems designed to help reduce these incursions. Now let us analyze the report and find out whether the claim is true or not.

Figure 8 of Page 24 of the report gives a graph of Rate of Serious Category A and B Runaway Incursions. A quick glance at the graph makes it clear that number of incursions has decreased from 2008 to 2014 as previously it was 0.426 and now it is 0.283.

But on closer look at finer details it appears that the trend of number of incursions is on the increase on the average from 2010. Number of incursions has decreased significantly from 2008 to 2010 but then again it is on the rise.

This argument is also supported if we concentrate on Figure 9 displaying bar charts for number of runaway incursions for FY2013 and FY2014.

Though number of B inclusions has remained same, number of A inclusions has increased. Also number of D inclusions has decreased though C inclusions has increased.

Now as C and D inclusions are not so important ( due to the fact that they make less or no damaged ), we should consider A and B inclusions mainly. Based on these two years as number of A inclusions has increased, we should say that number of inclusions has not statistically decreased ( i.e. either they are same or increased ).

From Data Analysis standpoint it would be relevant to add some pie chart to give the number of incursions ( A and B mainly ) over the years. This will immediately reveal the picture whether the number of incursions has increased or not.

As pie chart displays information as percentages, so the picture would be more clear and appealing to the reader and the interpretation would be easier compared to bar chart.

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