How do pilots and air traffic controllers avoid collisions with other airplanes?

Question

What sort of system and rules do they use? Where is the system most likely to break down?

Answer 1

The others have more-or-less answered the question, so I'll just throw in one last little piece.  Here are the rules:

http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/a...

Answer 2

If we are at the same altitude they keep us a certain distance in trail based on the category of aircraft we are following. Typically its something like 3 to 5 miles. We're all flying the say arrival and departure procedures so we are all flying along the same "trail". You don't just turn and start heading toward your destination when you take off. Once we get up higher there is much less traffic and we can often go direct but we often still must fly although the routes (Jet ways) depending on traffic. Its a lot like driving down the freeway. Everyone is flying the same way on the section of freeway and everyone is going the same direction. You turn and change airways at the intersections, just like changing freeways.

Answer 3

The basic method of traffic separation is visual separation, which every pilot uses all the time when visibility permits.  When flying under instrument flight rules, pilots rely on the instructions of air traffic control operators who use radar and time based procedures to keep aircraft separate.

Air traffic procedures include using predetermined altitudes and standard routes, even in visual conditions, and on individual aircraft following flight plans in instrument conditions.

The system rarely breaks down.  Both controllers and pilots do occasionally make mistakes, but the system is set up to minimize the risks of serious results from most kinds of errors.

Mid air collisions in the air traffic control environment are extremely rare.

For much more information, try an internet search on "air traffic control."

Answer 4

The most effective way is to assign different altitudes, but when aircraft operate at the same altitude ATC uses radar in combination with transponders aboard the aircraft in order to track aircraft.

Navigation is greatly simplified by assigning standard departure and approach routes, which can be found in a collection of approach plates and also in most flight management systems.

The most common problems are human error, usually ATC, since it is pretty hard to s***w up the very basic things we (pilots) have to follow. I havent seen many pilot errors before, but I have seen many many ATC errors.

Answer 5

Pilots and Air Traffic Controls work together alot to help avoid situations such as a mid air collison today technology has come along way TCAS traffic collsion avoidence system if it is a equipped will give each pilot a radar block and a warning to climb if he get to close but the aircraft have to have mode charlie (altitude encoding transponder) most of the time I belive the system breaks down is pilot error not following instructions especially runway incurrsions those are very deadly but the real answer to how pilots and air traffic controller avoid collsions is paying attention to what is going on the correct term is situational awarness hope this helps

Answer 6

All aircraft are equiped with an identification system, when a radar sweeps the aircraft the transponder replies back with altitude who they are and other pertinent data. This system can also identify a hi-jacked airplane if the code has been entered as well Airforce One for example. But what it gives the air traffic controller is that a 767 is flying at 30000 feet heading into a given flight area, as they leave this controllers area of responsibility hey pass them on to another controller.