US safety board urges runway safety protocols during heavy rainfall

The NTSB is urging the FAA to overhaul how runway conditions are assessed during heavy rain after investigations linked multiple runway overruns to poor braking on wet surfaces. The safety recommendations stem from 11 incidents between 2008 and 2022, including a 2019 Boeing 737 overrun in Jacksonville, Florida.

REUTERS

27 May 2026 at 02:35:56

US safety board urges runway safety protocols during heavy rainfall

FILE PHOTO: Aerial view of the Miami Air International Boeing 737-800 that overran the runway at NAS Jacksonville and came to rest in the St Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S., May 4, 2019.

NTSB/Handout/Reuters

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Tuesday urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to revise its method of assessing runway conditions during heavy rainfall, warning that current standards could increase the risk of airplanes skidding off runways.

The recommendation follows investigations into 11 runway overrun accidents and incidents between 2008 and 2022 involving aircraft that landed on wet runways.

According to the NTSB, one of the incidents reviewed was the 2019 runway overrun involving a Boeing 737 in Jacksonville, Florida. Investigators said the accident was partly caused by a severe loss of braking friction due to heavy rain and standing water on an ungrooved runway, which led to viscous hydroplaning.

The safety board said improvements in runway condition assessments could help reduce similar incidents in the future.

-Reporting by David Shepardson/Reuters