CHAPTE R T WO Aircraft Noise 62

Recommended Method for

Computing Noise Contours
Around Airports – Recent
Updates to ICAO Doc 9911
By Darren Rhodes (UK CAA) and Eric R. Boeker (US DOT)

INTRODUCTION The international guidance that led up to the creation

Doc 9911 can be traced back to the document, “Procedure
In 2018, the second edition of ICAO Doc 9911 “Recommended for the Calculation of Airplane Noise in the Vicinity of
Method for Computing Noise Contours around Airports” was Airports” (SAE-AIR-1845), which was first published by
published1. Doc 9911 provides guidance and methodologies SAE International in 19864. This represented the first
for modelling noise that emanates from aircraft in the internationally agreed text on a common method for the
vicinity of airports, as well as providing guidance on the calculation of aircraft noise in the vicinity of civil airports.
aircraft performance needed to appropriately model that
noise. It provides guidance for full Doc 9911 harmonization Much has changed since that time. In the mid-1980s, most
and implementation in computer models used to undertake States where aircraft noise was a serious problem, had
ICAO policy assessments and in models used in ICAO developed their own national noise calculation methods,
contracting States for environmental analyses. usually linked to nationally developed noise indicators.
There were no international standard calculation methods,
This article presents background on the efforts leading up and there was no common method for the provision of
to the publication of the second edition of Doc 9911, the supporting data collected from aircraft manufacturers.
technical updates included in that document, and some Without high quality standardized reference data,
potential upcoming updates to the guidance document. harmonized calculation methods had obviously limited
application.

GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS LEADING The original foundation document SAE-AIR-1845 was, by

UP TO DOC 9911 modern standards, a simple method. It was known as a
‘closest point of approach’ method, and it solely related
The second edition of ICAO Doc 9911 “Recommended noise level at a single point on the ground to the state of
Method for Computing Noise Contours around Airports” the aircraft at the closest point of approach to that point.
was completed at the end of CAEP/10 and published in The first edition of Doc 9911 comprehensively enhanced
2018. This marked the end of a multi-year effort to update this aspect so that the method took into account all flight
the first edition of Doc 9911, published in 20082, which in path segments and thus fully reflected situations where the
turn was an update to ICAO Circular 205 (“Recommended maximum noise level may be associated with a segment
Method for Computing Noise Contours Around Airports”), other than the segment nearest to the observer point on
published in 19883. the ground (See Figure 1). This can occur, when the noise
emission is higher for flight path segments that are more
distant from the observer. In such cases, the higher noise

Recommended Method for Computing Noise Contours Around Airports – Recent Updates to ICAO Doc 9911
 CHAPTE R T WO Aircraft Noise 63

emission offsets the additional attenuation associated ICAO AIRCRAFT NOISE AND
with the flight path segment which is further from the PERFORMANCE (ANP) DATABASE
observer than the closest segments.
The first edition of Doc 9911 was written around a common
A secondary advance in Doc 9911 over the SAE-AIR-1845 data specification which describes the fundamental aircraft
method is improved modelling of the lateral effects of performance and noise characteristics of an aircraft. Unlike
sound. Lateral attenuation is the process by which sound ground-based transportation noise sources, aircraft noise is
is attenuated or reduced to the side of the aircraft relative highly dependent on the performance of the aircraft since
to directly beneath it. Previously, lateral attenuation was this, along with how an aircraft is operated, dictates the
calculated as a function of lateral distance and elevation height and position of an aircraft, which are so strongly
angle only. This was derived empirically from a large pool of related to the noise level calculated (or measured) on
data based on 1980’s vintage aircraft, predominantly with the ground.
tail-mounted engines such the Boeing 727 and Douglas
DC-9. This lateral attenuation model remains reliable for The data specification has led to the development of a
aircraft with tail-mounted engines in non-turning flight harmonized data request form that is provided to aircraft
but the latest SAE-AIR-56625 method now recognizes that manufacturers. In 2000, data for some of the most common
part of this ‘attenuation’ is in fact a lateral directionality aircraft types operating had not been provided to the
associated with engine installation effects. This is described international noise modelling community. By 2010, most
in an aircraft frame of reference so that aircraft banking of the major data gaps had been addressed. The ICAO
during turns - previously irrelevant - now has to be taken endorsed ANP database is hosted by EUROCONTROL6
into account. Although lateral directivity might be sensitive and maintained in collaboration with the US DOT and
to various features of engine installation, at present only European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) providing
two lateral directivity functions are employed: for aircraft independent access to the data.
with tail-mounted and wing-mounted engines respectively.

IMPROVEMENTS IN DOC 9911

SECOND EDITION

FIGURE 1: Change from closest point of approach to a This latest version of Doc 9911 represents the current
segmentation method state of the science for environmental analyses of aircraft
noise in the vicinity of civil airports. Its methodologies
and guidance have been leveraged by multiple entities
for the development of aircraft noise and performance
models. The second edition of Doc 9911 reflects a number
of technical updates to the noise and performance
modelling methodology developed since the release of
the first edition in 2008, as well as editorial updates and
additional clarification identified during code development
efforts to implement Doc 9911 in computer software. The
majority of the guidance found in Doc 9911 second edition
is harmonized with similar guidance found in European
Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) Doc 29 “Report on
Standard Method of Computing Noise Contours around
Civil Airports” fourth edition.7

Recommended Method for Computing Noise Contours Around Airports – Recent Updates to ICAO Doc 9911
 CHAPTE R T WO Aircraft Noise 64

Several technical amendments went into the second impedance adjustment takes into account temperature,
edition of Doc 9911, in order to improve or expand its atmospheric pressure, and altitude, indirectly through this
methodology. First, an aircraft substitution method and adjustment to the noise levels. Therefore, Doc 9911 was
guidance based on similar guidance found in ECAC Doc supplemented with this acoustic impedance adjustment.
29 third edition Vol. 18 was added and expanded, which
allows for a standardized method for modelling aircraft Also during the development of the second edition of
not directly represented in the ICAO Aircraft Noise and Doc 9911, SAE published “Method to Calculate Behind
Performance (ANP) Database. Start of Takeoff Roll Noise Level Adjustments” (SAE-
AIR-6297)11, which includes two methods to calculate noise
Second, a change in the aircraft source height in the level adjustments at various angles behind an airplane
methodology was made. Previously a source height of (directivity) at the start of takeoff roll (SOTR); one for
0.0 m (0.0 ft.) was assumed in the guidance. While this modern commercial jet aircraft and another for modern
may have been acceptable for modelling when the aircraft turboprop aircraft. These directivity curves were based
is in flight, it is somewhat unrealistic when the aircraft is on empirical data (collected in 2004), and replaced the
on the ground during takeoff and landing. Therefore, a method described in SAE-AIR-1845A, which used empirical
recommended minimum height for modelling an aircraft data from a much older fleet (circa 1980). This adjustment
noise source is 1.0 m (3.3 ft.) above the aerodrome level was included in the second edition of Doc 9911 along with
or local topography was added to the guidance. updates to the finite segment correction for ground roll
and guidance on their implementation.
Third, in an effort to improve aircraft performance
modelling guidance, updates were made to the aircraft Two ANP data submittal forms were included in the Doc
flight segmentation methodology, including the method 9911 update: “ANP Database Submittal Form” and “ANP
for sub-segmenting flight tracks with arcs, initial climb Database Submittal Form for Propeller-Driven, Fixed-
segments, final approach segments, and ground roll tracks. Wing Aircraft”. These forms promote and standardize
Additional supplemental guidance for determining power the submission of new data for inclusion in the ICAO ANP
and velocity across a segment was also provided, along database to be used as aircraft source inputs for by Doc
with supplemental guidance for determining equivalent 9911 compliant models.
flight path geometry for the lateral attenuation adjustment.
Finally, several example studies were added to the second
During the development of the second edition of Doc 9911, edition of Doc 9911. These case studies provide input and
SAE published “Application of Pure-Tone Atmospheric output results for verification of software implementation
Absorption Losses to One-Third Octave-Band Data” (SAE- and confirmation of the Doc 9911 methods.
ARP-5534)9. This guidance document was intended as
a replacement for “Standard Values of Atmospheric
Absorption as a Function of Temperature and Humidity” FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
(SAE-ARP-866A)10. Since several guidance documents
and regulations continue to reference SAE-ARP-866A, During the development of the second edition of Doc
Doc 9911 was updated to include both SAE-ARP-866A and 9911, several potential updates to the guidance and
SAE-ARP-5534 methods for modelling the atmospheric methodology were identified in order to: expand the
absorption of sound for non-standard atmospheric capabilities, improve accuracy, and provide clearer guidance
conditions, as well as the corresponding example calculation for software implementation. From that list, the following
in the document’s appendices. potential updates are being considered for a third edition
of Doc 9911 to be developed during the CAEP/12 cycle
Several Doc 9911 compliant models utilize an acoustic (through 2021). Those potential updates could include
impedance adjustment, to correct the reference-day noise (and are not limited to):
data for off-reference, non-sea level conditions. The acoustic

Recommended Method for Computing Noise Contours Around Airports – Recent Updates to ICAO Doc 9911
 CHAPTE R T WO Aircraft Noise 65

• Adding a helicopter noise calculation methodology. or include: departure and approach aircraft
• Adding a line-of-sight blockage calculation performance modelling, reduced power takeoff
methodology to account for terrain features modelling, calculation of bank-angle on flight path
shielding the propagation path between source and geometry, guidance for modelling airports that
receiver. have intersecting runways, and guidance on the
• Guidance on modelling population growth for level of detail required to better define arrival and
forecasting noise. departure flight profiles.
• Modelling the effects on noise level of variable
aircraft configurations and speeds which may Future updates beyond the third edition of Doc 9911could
become increasingly important as airframe noise include expanded source noise models. These models
becomes a greater component of total aircraft could cover: low frequency noise, improved propeller driven
noise. aircraft source models, taxi and reverse thrust noise, and
• Developing a ranking/rating method for accounting on-route aircraft noise sources. The third edition could
for the effects of certain modelling aspects on the also cover new aircraft types (i.e., supersonic, commercial
results. space vehicles, and unmanned aerial vehicles), as well
• Reviewing and updating the Doc 9911 performance as additional environmental effects (i.e., variable ground
modelling methodology (Doc 9911 Second impedance).
Edition, Appendix C), in order to improve and/

REFERENCES

1. ICAO Doc 9911, “Recommended Method for Computing Noise 7. ECAC Doc 29, “Report on Standard Method of Computing Noise
Contours around Airports”, Second edition, 2018. Contours around Civil Airports”, Fourth Edition, 2016.
2. ICAO Doc 9911, “Recommended Method for Computing Noise 8. ECAC Doc 29, “Report on Standard Method of Computing Noise
Contours around Airports”, First edition, 2008. Contours around Civil Airports”, Third Edition, 2005.
3. ICAO Circular 205, “Recommended Method for Computing 9. SAE-ARP-5534, “Application of Pure-Tone Atmospheric
Noise Contours Around Airports”, 1988. Absorption Losses to One-Third Octave-Band Data”, 2013.
4. SAE-AIR-1845, “Procedure for the Calculation of Airplane Noise 10. SAE-ARP-866A, “Standard Values of Atmospheric Absorption as
in the Vicinity of Airports”, 1986. a Function of Temperature and Humidity”, 1975.
5. SAE-AIR-5662, “Method for Predicting Lateral Attenuation of 11. SAE-AIR-6297, “Method to Calculate Behind Start of Takeoff Roll
Airplane Noise”, 2012. Noise Level Adjustments”, 2017.
6. ICAO ANP Database v2.1, http://www.aircraftnoise​model.org/,
2016.

Recommended Method for Computing Noise Contours Around Airports – Recent Updates to ICAO Doc 9911