Definition
An approach operation in which aircraft are conducting instrument approaches to two converging runways at the same airport, where the final approach courses meet at an angle, and where required separation between the aircraft is maintained by air traffic control. Because the approaches are dependent, the spacing of one aircraft is tied to the spacing of the other; controllers sequence and separate the traffic so that the converging paths do not produce a conflict.
Plain English
Two aircraft are landing at the same airport on runways whose approach paths come together at an angle. Because the paths converge, controllers cannot treat the two streams of traffic as independent — they have to time and space the aircraft so the two arrivals stay safely apart.
Context Anchor
Seen in ATC procedures and pilot/controller discussions at airports with multiple runways where the arrival paths converge.
Derivation
Converging comes from Latin convergere, meaning to incline together or come toward the same point. Dependent comes from Latin dependere, to hang from. Together they describe approaches whose paths lean toward each other, with the spacing of one approach hanging on the spacing of the other.
Why Pilots Care
These procedures increase airport arrival capacity while preserving safety through coordinated separation instead of independent runway use.
Analogy
It is like two cars entering nearby ramps that curve toward the same area. They can move at the same time, but someone still has to make sure they do not get too close.
Intuition Check
Do not read “simultaneous” as “independent.” In this term, aircraft may be approaching at the same time, but ATC still has to maintain required spacing because the paths converge.
Example Sentence 1
Tower advised us to expect simultaneous converging dependent approaches, with our spacing tied to the traffic landing on the crossing runway.
Example Sentence 2
During the briefing the captain noted the minimum distance required between aircraft on simultaneous converging dependent approaches.