1

RVSM Implementation in
Malaysia
Istas Fahrurrazi Nusyirwan
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA
and Department of Civil Aviation, Malaysia

10/30/15

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Contents

Overview
ICAO Requirement
Data Collection
Target Level of Safety Analysis for Vertical
Height Keeping capability to satisfy RVSM
Further works

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Introduction
RVSM stands for Reduced Vertical Separation Minima.
This is a collaborative work between UTM and the
Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia (DCA Malaysia)
under Air Traffic Management sector.
The project is part of a bigger project to improve the
safety and efficiency of air traffic control over
Malaysian airspace.
This is also in accordance with the requirement set by
the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation)
under air traffic management.
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Malaysian Airspace

source: AIP Malaysia, DCA

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Overview of daily flights in 4 months

1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800

The number of flights per day increases

600
400
200
0

Oct 2012
July 2012
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Flight Category (Jul-Oct 2012)

DOMESTIC
OVERFLY

DOM; 15%
OVF; 31%
INB; 27%

INBOUND

OUB; 27%
OUTBOUND
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Fligh Level Distribution

12.00%

10.00%

8.00%

6.00%

4.00%

2.00%

0.00%
100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

faculty of mechanical engineering,

FLIGHT
universiti
LEVEL teknologi malaysia

550

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Distribution by Aircraft Type

50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%

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Overview
The number of flights increases continually.
The volume of airspace remains the same.
More aircrafts but the volume of the airspace is
the same.
Reduce separation.
Increase risk.
Need a proper statistical analysis to calculate the
risk.
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ICAO Requirements
Initially, the vertical separation of aircraft for
flight level above 290 (29,000 ft) was 2000 ft.
This is due to the reduction of pressure-sensing
accuracy of barometric altimeters at higher
altitudes.
The selection of FL290 was basically based on
the operational ceiling of aircraft at that time, i.e.
around 1960s.
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As newer aircrafts are capable to fly above

FL290, and the limited amount of available
airspace; the need to reduce the vertical
separation arises.
Such decision requires a thorough study in terms
of aircraft capability and the risk associated with
them.
In 1970s, with the growing of air transport and
the increase of fuel cost, an efficient utilisation of
airspace was needed. In particular, the reduction
of vertical separation above FL290.
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A working group was established, the ICAO

Review of the General Concept of Separation
Panel (RGCSP).
In their sixth meeting, the final conclusions were
made.
As mentioned in DOC9574, 1.1.5
These studies employed quantitative methods of risk assessment to
support operational decisions concerning the feasibility of reducing
the VSM. The risk assessment consisted of two elements: first, risk
estimation, which concerns the development and use of methods and
techniques with which the actual level of risk of an activity can be
estimated; and second, risk evaluation, which concerns the level of
risk considered to be the maximum tolerable value for a safe system.
The level of risk that is deemed acceptable was termed the target level
of safety (TLS).
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and in 1.1.8
1.1.8 The derived values for the TLS ranged between 1 10-8 and 1
10-9 fatal accidents per aircraft flight hour. On the basis of these
figures, it was agreed that an assessment TLS of 2.5 10-9 fatal
accidents per aircraft flight hour would be used to assess the
technical feasibility of a 300 m (1 000 ft) VSM above FL 290 and
also to develop aircraft height-keeping capability requirements for
operating in a 300 m (1 000 ft) VSM.

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The Role of Air Navigation Service Provider

To establish procedures.
Aircraft must RVSM certified.
Pilot must receive adequate training.
etc.

To conduct safety assessment.

Must achieve the global system performance
specification

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Global Systerm Performance

As mentioned in 2.2.2 of DOC 9574
The quantitative statements of the global system performance specification
are:
a) a passing frequency equal to 2.5 opposite-direction passings per aircraft
flight hour;
b) a standard deviation of lateral path-keeping error equal to 550 m (0.3 NM);
and
c) a probability that two aircraft will lose procedural vertical separation of
RVSM value, Pz(1000), equal to 1.7 x 10-8

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Data Collection

Terminated Flight Plan

Flight Plan
Large Height Deviation Report
Geometric Height from ADS-B data
Other sources

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Terminated Flight Plan

FROM : 201104030000 TO : 201104032359
NUM ACTIVAT.TIME IDENT. SSR FR F T TYPE RLV PLV DEP DRW OFF-BLO.TIME DEST ARW CTG DUR
DIST <--------- ICAO ROUTE -------->
<--- FIX/ETO ---> XLV UNIT
<--- FIX/ETO ---> XLV UNIT
<--- FIX/ETO ---> XLV UNIT
<--- FIX/ETO ---> XLV UNIT
1 201104030000 AFY8391 6617 IS F G A333 380 380 WADD
151 JB G579 VJR A457
* #JB
201104030000 380 SC2
#VJR 201104030002 380
#GUPTA201104030011 174 SC2
* #ENKOL201104030016 98 SC2
#SAPAT201104030020 50
#KIMAR201104030021 30 ALS
* #WMKK 201104030029
0 ALS
2 201104030000 GIA819
5451 IS F G B738 330 370 WMKK
44 N633
* #WMKK 201104030000
0 ALN
#9VKL 201104030002 48
#SALAX201104030008 235 SC2

--- 201104022159 WMKK 32L INB 030

SC2

#KASRI201104030008 242 SC2

ALS

#NIPAR201104030020

50 ALS

32R 201104030001 WIII --- OUB 008

ALN

#RUMID201104030007 206 SC2

A special code is written to decode this information.

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Flight Plan
YSA0118
FF WMKKRCTP RCKHZTZX VHHHZTZX WSSSFFOX ZJSYZRZX ZGGGZBZX ZBBBZGZX
ZGJDZDZX VHHKZQZX
230010 WMKKYOYX
(FPL-XAX372-IS
-A333/H-SDHIUIYZ/SD
-WMKK0200
-N0469F390 W533 ADNUT G782 VPK L329 DOLOX H771 DAGEG M765
ALDAS/N0472F400 L625 AGVAR/N0470F410 M646 HCN/N0469F400 W4 TNN DCT
-RCTP0427 RCKH VHHH
-EET/WSJC0023 VVTS0100 RPHI0208 RCAA0338 REG/9MXVA SEL/DHBR
OPR/AIRASIA X NAV/RNAV 5 RNP5 10 TCAS/ACARS EQUIPPED DAT/V DOF/120823
RMK/CALLSIGN XANADU)

A special code is written to decode this information.

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Large Height Deviation

A RVSM Large Height Deviation is defined as any
vertical deviation of 90 metres/300 feet or more from
the flight level expected to be occupied by the flight
From time to time, any large height deviation event
must be reported.
The information include (among others)

The aircraft callsign, registration

The altitude, routes etc
Duration of deviation
Reason/Type of deviation
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Geometric Height from ADS-B

Most aircrafts transmit ADS-B signal.
Also known as Mode-S Extended Squitter.
ADS-B signal is translated using Standard given
by ICAO, EuroControl and RTCA.
The geometric height is identified by using
GNSS.
In the standard, the data can be found in Type
Code = 19 of the ADS-B data.
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ADS-B Source
Data from DCAs ADS-B station
located at Kuala Terengganu.
The system could detect ADS-B
signal from 250 nm away.
This means a large part of
Peninsula Malaysia.
The data is captured using
packet monitoring software.
Processed using specially written
software using Python.
And stored in a SQL database.
MATLAB is used to extract the
information
and
do
the
necessary analysis.

Example Only

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Example of ADS-B data source

This is an example of an ADS-B data from one
airframe
8d75009220058375cf8c20c384d908002c01ea16
38122b03840000000000000000d82d2a00641a
8913
Happens to be from,
9M-AHA - Airbus A-320 AXM - AirAsia
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Target Level of Safety Analysis

This is needed to say the implementation of
RVSM in the airspace is safe.
provide confidence that the technical TLS of 2.5
10-9 fatal accidents per aircraft flight hour will be
met when RVSM is implemented and will
continue to be met thereafter;
provide guidance on the efficacy of the RVSM
MASPS and on the effectiveness of altimetry
system modifications; and
provide evidence of ASE stability. Source : ICAO Doc 9574
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Types of Errors

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Reich Collision Risk Model

First Group
Vertical overlap probability
Airspace parameter passing frequency, lateral
overal probability
For crossing and direct routings frequency of
passing events involving horizontal overlap

Second Group
aircraft relative speeds
aircraft dimensions
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Parameter Used for CRM

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The Reich Collision Risk Model

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Region of Acceptable aircraft passign

frequency for same- & opp-direction

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Measuring Vertical Errors

Estimation of Altimetry System Error (ASE)
Estimation of Assigned Altitude Deviation
(AAD)
Measurement of Total Vertical Error (TVE)

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Current Achievement
A one-month ADS-B data has been collected
from 17/10/2012 17/11/2012 at DCA Malaysia,
Kuala Terengganu.
Amount of data collected is around 600 GB.
ADS-B data decoder has been developed using
Python on a Linux system.

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Further Works
To process the raw ADS-B data into useful
information. That may take weeks.
To perform CRM analysis once all data is
available.
To prepare a performance report, to be
submitted to ICAO Asia Pacific.

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