Hudson Presents Obstacles to New Crash-Avoidance Technology The
federal government is slowly rolling out technology meant to
protect airplanes against the kind of collision that occurred
over the Hudson River on Saturday. But as currently set up, the
emerging system would not work well in New York. The technology
gives pilots a screen with a moving map showing their position,
as well as those of other planes in flight. It can show the
distance to other planes, and whether that distance is
increasing or decreasing; it can also show the altitude
difference, and whether that is increasing or decreasing. In
crowded airspace, â€œthe increased situational awareness for the
pilot is invaluable,â€ said David Zwegers, director of flight
safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach,
Fla., which has equipped all 75 of its single- and twin-engine
planes with the screen. The system can warn a pilot if his plane
is on a collision course with another, and give an aural or
visual warning, he said.