ILS-Y Approach Reportedly Poses Risks to Landing Aircraft

US Representative Debbie Dingell recently sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration, pointing out safety concerns with the existing Instrument Landing System Yankee (ILS-Y) approach to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW). She cited the potential for signal interruption with the system’s current placement on the ground.

DTW’s ILS-Y is a close parallel approach that can set aircraft up for landing on three runways using two offset localizers. This antenna system transmits a signal to aircraft for lateral guidance to the runway. However, DTW’s two offset localizers were poorly placed, allowing them to be easily disrupted by taxiing aircraft or weather. This is especially dangerous if multiple aircraft are positioned on the approach simultaneously.

The ILS-Y was first called out for being unsafe in 2015, leading to a temporary shutdown. DTW officials also used the lowered air traffic during the pandemic as an opportunity to avoid the ILS-Y approach. DTW resumed operating the ILS-Y approach on June 1, 2021, under new procedures that hoped to keep heavy aircraft out of the ILS-Y critical area when aircraft are on the approach.

Representative Dingell’s letter grilled the FAA for answers to why the ILS-Y is still used, what steps the agency is taking to address the signal interference, and what alternate solutions are being evaluated.

“The safety of pilots, passengers, and airport personnel should remain the FAA’s highest priority,” the letter stated. “The continued reports of safety risks and inconsistent mitigations raise significant concerns about the FAA’s approach to resolving these issues. I urge the FAA to conduct a comprehensive review of this procedure and provide a detailed update on the steps being taken to ensure safety at DTW.”

Less than a week earlier, the US Office of Special Counsel (OSC) also pointed out the risky landing practice at Detroit Metro. Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger noted that “the approach at issue may create a danger for landing aircraft and the flying public.”

FMI: https://debbiedingell.house.gov