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On February 27, 1998, the Safety Board stated that it was disappointed with the FAA's response to this safety recommendation and the FAA's continued belief that the design of the current MSAW visual display is adequate. Further, the Safety Board stated that the evidence in the Brandywine, Maryland, accident clearly demonstrated that multiple MSAW visual and aural warning alerts were generated in the operational quarters of the TRACON but that the controller failed to respond to these alerts. The Safety Board believed that the FAA should reconsider its position not to remedy the deficiencies that led to the issuance of this recommendation.

On September 25, 1998, the FAA stated that color displays, now under development for the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS), would provide the increased conspicuity suggested in this safety recommendation. According to the FAA, the STARS early display configuration initial operational capability was scheduled for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in March 1999, and the early display configuration operational readiness demonstration was scheduled for June 1999. The early display configuration was to include the color red for alerts in addition to flashing data blocks. All ARTS data, except for alerts, would be monochrome.

On January 14, 1999, the Safety Board stated that, pending the commissioning of STARS and the FAA's inclusion of the flashing red MSAW display feature in the system's final operational configuration, Safety Recommendation A-97-25 was classified "Open-- Acceptable Response."

On August 13, 1999, the FAA stated that the delivery of STARS had been delayed. The FAA indicated that, on April 26, 1999, it announced a revised plan for the STARS program. According to the revised plan, the STARS early display configuration (which includes existing MSAW capability) is to begin initial operations at Syracuse, New York, and El Paso, Texas, in December 1999 and January 2000, respectively. Also, the FAA stated that, as part of the revised plan, it would procure ARTS color displays (which display the alert data blocks in flashing red) for the largest TRACONs and any new facilities while STARS development continues. The ARTS color displays are scheduled to begin operations at the New York TRACON in August 2000.

The FAA indicated that, when the STARS full-service system is deployed, the MSAW alerts will flash in red. However, the FAA stated that it did not plan to modify the existing MSAW system as requested in this safety recommendation because the existing system provides both aural and visual alarms and is completely adequate when operated according to design.

On November 3, 1999, the Safety Board stated that it was deeply concerned about the significant delay in fielding STARS and that it could not continue to maintain the classification of this recommendation, which was evaluated to be "Open--Acceptable Response" in January 1999, if the implementation of STARS according to its current schedule was the FAA's only means for complying with the recommendation. The Board urged the FAA to expedite the implementation of STARS by significantly accelerating the current schedule. The Board also urged the FAA to reconsider its position on modifying existing MSAW software if the STARS implementation schedule cannot be accelerated.