NTSB wants FAA to revise runway safety reviews during heavy rainfall

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."