Runway Excursion, Airport Closure Spur New Wet-Runway Safety Bulletin

Aviation authorities on July 18 issued a runway safety bulletin calling for more conservative landing performance calculations on wet surfaces and more precise braking action reporting. The guidance targets the critical link between accurate runway condition codes and an aircraft's ability to stop within available runway length during heavy rainfall events.

The bulletin follows a July 17 runway excursion involving a regional jet that forced the temporary closure of a primary runway at a major commercial airport, triggering network-wide delays. The incident remains under review, but the new guidance aligns with longstanding NTSB pressure on the FAA to refine the Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM). The NTSB has previously warned that RCAM-based landing distance calculations may underestimate stopping requirements as rainfall intensity increases and braking friction declines with rising water depth.

Industry experts say the bulletin directs flight crews to apply a more conservative bias when interpreting runway condition codes — a trend accelerated by a series of high-profile runway incidents, including a fatal collision at LaGuardia in March 2026 that has kept runway safety under intense national scrutiny. Operators are encouraged to review updated regional jet performance data and consult the affected airport's surface condition reporting protocols for compliance guidance.