Analysis of Meteorological Conditions and ATC vectoring effects on Atypical Approaches
During arrival operations, aircraft are sequenced and vectored by air traffic control (ATC) to intercept the final approach and establish stabilized approach conditions prior to landing. Flight crews are required to control indicated airspeed, vertical flight path, lateral track and landing configuration in accordance with stabilized approach criteria and operational procedures. An approach that does not meet these criteria or operational requirements is considered atypical.
Atypical approaches are categorized as non-stabilized approaches (NSA), where aircraft parameters such as airspeed, descent rate, or landing configuration fall outside prescribed limits, and non-compliant approaches (NCA), where operational procedures or requirements are not met. These approaches are operationally significant, as they may reduce approach stability and pose a risk to safety. Previous studies identified and quantified atypical approaches at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. However, the influence of meteorological conditions and ATC vectoring on the occurrence of atypical approaches has not yet been fully assessed. This thesis analyses historical surveillance, meteorological, and vectoring data for arrivals to runways 18R and 18C at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, with the objective of identifying the underlying causes of atypical approaches.