Why runway safety needs top priority
Suddenly another airplane taxis onto the runway, almost right in front of you.
Of course, you immediately go around--in my Cessna 172 it's full throttle, carb heat off, and retract the flaps to 20 degrees. You're already climbing when an excited voice in your headset barks your tail number and tells you, "Go around!" As the adrenaline rush begins to subside, you think, My instructor will be proud of the way I handled that. And you're right--he will be.
But, what happened?
You had a front-row seat to a runway incursion, which happens when somebody--usually a pilot, anywhere from student to airline transport pilot, or an air traffic controller--makes a mistake. They often occur when pilots become distracted or complacent in the cockpit. Limited visibility, poor lighting, bad weather, inadequate paint lines, confusing signs, or a combination of these can contribute. The FAA defines a runway incursion as anything that creates a collision hazard between an aircraft and another aircraft or a vehicle. A step below incursions are transgressions that involve violations of the regulations but did not result in a danger of collision or loss of required separation between aircraft.
The United States is currently experiencing the safest period in aviation history--the December 2007 AOPA Air Safety Foundation Joseph T. Nall Report shows that general aviation accidents continue to trend downward, with the number of accidents per 100,000 flight hours decreasing from 7.19 in 1997 to an all-time low of 6.32 in 2006. Even so, we cannot rest on our laurels.
In September 2007, the FAA released its Runway Safety Report, examining runway incursions at towered airports between fiscal years 2003 and 2006. There were 1,306 runway incursions during the period. Although general aviation's contribution was proportional to its share of total flight operations, no incursion is acceptable.
While the FAA report notes that the rate of incursions has remained relatively constant, the November 2007 Aviation Runway and Ramp Safety report by the Government Accountability Office notes that preliminary FAA data for fiscal year 2007 indicate a disturbing upward trend.
Previous studies have shown that there is no correlation between runway incursions and pilot certificate type. In addition, incursions are not related to flight time or pilot experience. Virtually all runway incursions are inadvertent and unintentional. They can happen to any pilot at any time because of confusion, ignorance, inattention, or complacency.
Clearly, we have a problem. And the "we" refers to the airlines, general aviation, the FAA, the air traffic controllers, and the airports. The number of reported incursions may be low when compared to the total number of operations conducted each year, but the potential for a catastrophic accident makes runway safety an area of special concern for the aviation community.
That's why I went to Capitol Hill on February 13 to testify before the House aviation subcommittee at a hearing on the topic. I called on the FAA to make runway safety a national priority. When the FAA has done so in the past, runway incursions have decreased--only to rise again when the agency shifts its focus and resources to other priorities.
What can you do to help address this situation? Education is critical. Whether you're a student pilot, a flight instructor, or anywhere in between, investigate the many resources available. Start with the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's Web site, with its educational resources available to all pilots, and check the FAA's Runway Safety Web site as well. Don't miss ASF's interactive online Runway Safety course--this free course is so good that the Air Line Pilots Association worked with ASF to produce a version especially for airline pilots.
Throughout this year, AOPA and ASF will work to expand runway safety awareness, with outreach to pilots through AOPA's magazines, printed and electronic newsletters, and safety seminars.
Meanwhile, AOPA recommends that the FAA examine the feasibility of requiring a specific air traffic control clearance to cross each runway as recommended by the NTSB, and identify "hot spots"--areas where there have been a high concentration of incursions--on National Aeronautical Charting Office charts as soon as possible. Those steps, and others, would help to once again make runway safety a national priority.
Working together, the aviation community can make a significant reduction in runway incursions, but each of us must do our part.
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