Medium Term Conflict Detection (MTCD)

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Article Information
Category:	Loss of Separation
Content source:	SKYbrary
Content control:	EUROCONTROL

Medium Term Conflict Detection (MTCD)

Contents 1 Description 2 Purpose 3 MTCD Concept Of Use 4 Field Trials 5 Field Trials Outcome 6 Further Reading

Description

Medium-Term Conflict Detection (MTCD) is a flight data processing system added functionality designed to warn the controller of potential conflict between flights in his area of responsibility in a time horizon extending up to 20 minutes ahead.

MTCD is an integrated system of predictive tools performing the following functions:

• Calculation of aircraft trajectories,
• Monitoring of an aircraft’s progress against the trajectory,
• Detection of conflicting trajectories and,
• Presentation of this information to the controllers up to 20 minutes ahead.

Purpose

The aim of MTCD is to facilitate a move from the current largely reactive form of air traffic control to more pro-active control, thereby balancing more evenly the workload of tactical and planning tasks, enhancing sector team efficiency and providing an even safer and better service to airspace users. By maximising the opportunity of pro-actively solving problems during sector planning, it is hoped to reduce tactical workload.

MTCD Concept Of Use

The basis upon which MTCD determines whether two aircraft are on conflicting paths is their trajectory. The trajectory is calculated initially from the flight plan data using aircraft performance parameters and meteorological information. This is then refined by monitoring the actual performance of the aircraft.

The sector controller (usually the Planner in the sector team) is initially notified of the conflict via a dedicated display window, showing the time of conflict and predicted minimum separation. Further information on the conflict can be provided by the "Vertical Assistance Window" that depicts the vertical profile of the conflicting flights, plus any context aircraft that may influence how the conflict is resolved.

The Planner has the option to solve the conflict himself by co-ordination or to transfer it to the tactical controller.

Field Trials

Operational requirements for MTCD were produced by EUROCONTROL in 1998. MTCD real-time simulations were conducted at the EUROCONTROL Experimental Centre in Bretigny in 1999 and 2000. The simulations were followed by operational trials undertaken at various European ATS Units. The field trials aimed to contribute to the MTCD validation work, to evaluate controller roles, tasks and working methods and achieve further operational refinement of this conflict prediction tool.

Field Trials Outcome

The observation and findings from the various field trials and experience from operational evaluations led to the conclusion that further work on the refinment and validation of the tool is needed before operational implementation in the various operational environments.

Medium-Term Conflict Detection (MTCD) is a natural extension of the Short Term Conflict Alert (STCA) concept. However, one important distinction needs to be made - while STCA is safety net function and its objective is solely to improve safety of ATC service provision, MTCD is a controller tool.

Further Reading

• EUROCONTROL MTCD Field Trials