Terminal Doppler Weather Radar/Low-Level Wind Shear Alert System Integration Algorithm Specification. Version 1.1

There will be a number of airports that receive both a Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) windshear detection system and a phase III Low Level Wind Shear Alert System (LLWAS). At those airports, the two systems will need to be combined into a single windshear detection system. This report specifies the algorithm to be used to integrate the two subsystems. The algorithm takes in the alphanumeric runway alert messages generated by each subsystem and joins them into integrated alert messages. The design goals of this windshear detection system are 1) to maintain the probability of detection for hazardous events while reducing the number of false alerts and microburst overwarnings and 2) to increase the accuracy of the loss/gain estimates. The first design goal is accomplished by issuing an integrated alert for an operational runway whenever either subsystem issues a “strong” alert for that runway; by canceling a “weak” windshear alert on an operational runway if only one subsystem is making the declaration; and by reducing a “weak” microburst alert on an operational runway to a “strong” windshear alert if only one subsystem is making the declaration. The second design goal is accomplished by using the average of the two loss/gain values, when appropriate.