Patent ID: 8332083

Claim:
A method for calculating a safe extraction path from a terrain-challenged airport using an airborne computer system, comprising the steps of: a) defining at least one containment zone for a circling climb departure path relative to a reference location; b) receiving aircraft performance data from an on-board flight management system; c) receiving air mass parameters from on-board aircraft sensors; d) calculating the maximum allowable climb altitude (MACA) utilizing said at least one containment zone, said received aircraft performance data, and said received air mass parameters; and, e) comparing said MACA to at least one selected safe departure altitude (SDA) to calculate the lowest possible descent altitude that can be achieved while ensuring that at least one safe extraction path exists, wherein steps a)-e) are computed on a just-in-time basis during an approach and prior to a published decision point to allow the approach to be continued beyond the published decision point.