In a previous post, Part 139 Airport Certification, I explained what defines an airport as Part 139 by the Federal Aviation Administration. This post will elaborate on Section 305 of FAR Part 139, which entails pavement management. The condition of taxiways and runways is of the utmost importance to the safety of passengers. For this reason, Airport Operations employees inspect these surfaces several times daily for discrepancies. This is one of the most important aspects of a job in Airport Operations and one that is taken very seriously. Every year, the FAA audits all Part 139 airports to ensure the airport is taking every step possible to maximize safety by staying on top of holes, cracks and other pavement variations.

Section 305 of Part 139 lists specific characteristics defining standards for pavement quality, such as:

• Pavement edges must not exceed 3 inches difference in elevation between abutting pavement sections and shoulders.
• Surfaces must not have any hole deeper than 3 inches or a hole the slope of which from any point in the hole to the nearest edge or lip is 45 degrees or greater, unless, in either case, the entire hole can be covered by a 5-inch diameter circle.
• Pavement shall be free of cracks and variations that may impair the directional control of an aircraft.
• Loose aggregate, FOD, mud, dirt, and other contaminants must be removed as practical as possible.
• The pavement should have sufficient drainage to eliminate excessive ponding of water that may obscure markings.

A Part 139 hole on a runway can be fixed using a substance called cold patch (similar to asphalt), which will temporarily fix the hole until a permanent repair can be made or until the next runway/taxiway rehabilitation.