What are the best practices for monitoring runway incursions and excursions?

Runway incursions refer to situations where an unauthorized aircraft, vehicle, or person enters the protected area of an active runway. These incidents can pose a significant risk to safety, as they increase the likelihood of collisions or other accidents

Monitoring runway incursion or excursions is the responsibility of the tower controller or ground controller. Technology, has made it much easier now a days. Video cameras installed at critical points or blind corners, ads b installation on vehicles plying on movement areas etc

A majority of runway excursions happen towards the edge of the runway (not at the end). Making sure anything placed there is frangable and even de-lethalizing structures such as manholes by building underground ramps around them to minimize the possibility of shearing landing gear. At the end of the runway a EMAS or equivalent is very effective. Incursions can often be a result of pilots being unaccustomed to variations in geometry or signage. Active stop bars help. Painting mandatory hold signs onto the pavement is effective and is an FAA requirement but not an ICAO or TP312 (Canada) requirement and should be to standardize internationally. ASDE and other tech to warn controllers is also a good idea.

Loss of situational awareness by pilot, vehicle operator or ATCT is the main cause of accidents on airports. Intensive and reoccurring hands-on training is required to stay ahead of complacency and changing airfield conditions, especially during construction and maintenance activities on active airports.

Runway incursion is any inadvertently presence of two aircraft or an aircraft and a vehicle within the aerodrome runway strip. If we are monitoring the occurrence of runway incursions it is because it had already happened. Better saying, it’s too late. The airport system should be designed to prevent the occurrence of hot spots in runways and taxiways intersections. It is also important to have the airport ramp crew and air traffic controllers highly trained and specially careful in the LVP. Runway excursion happens mainly due to an aircraft unstabilized approach, runway contamination or maintenance issues. ATC has nothing to do with RE, although they could authorize a risky downwind landing for any reason or whatever.

Agreed, data on hotspots are a great indicator or system failures that go beyond the human. Are these highlighted on charts and included in briefings? Do airports share this information with airlines? Collaboration is key and airport authorities /ATC should have regular meetings with pilots. I would encourage joint training as well.

Prévention des incursions sur piste, formation adéquate arbre de causalité normes locales et européennes benchmarks avec les autres aéroports mais attention à bien choisir ce que l'on compare ( identique au plus possible)

Listen to voice recorder, make sure his situational awareness was not compromised. Many runway incursions occur because Crew was not paying attention to runways and the many signs and lights that help a person pay attention where discarded. Retrain them.

Set up a robust system for monitoring and reporting runway incidents promptly. Utilize technologies like radar, CCTV, and Runway Incursion Warning Systems (RIWS) for real-time awareness.

With iPads and tech like ForeFlight in the operating environment today, we have tremendous tools to assist in our situational awareness. Use them! Do not be afraid to speak up! If you’re confused or do not understand an ATC instruction, stop the plane, clarify. One technique we use is completing the taxi, takeoff, and departure briefings while still on the ramp BEFORE engine start. You’re not being rushed and it allows both pilots to be more “heads up” and “eyes forward” during taxi operations. If anything needs added to the brief you can cover “additions or changes” prior to lining up on the runway for takeoff. Stick to the basics. Stick to your SOP’s!

Prioritize effective communication between air traffic control, pilots, and ground personnel. Ensure all stakeholders have a clear understanding of runway layouts, signage, and procedures to enhance overall situational awareness

The recommendations to avoid runway incursions are manifold: Adequate communication technique during taxi, Proper knowledge of airport surface markings, lights and signs, Proper preparation of expected taxi out/in routing, and adequate taxi technique and operation.

Runway incursions can be prevented by providing training and development to all the stakeholders be it air traffic controllers or airport operations personnel and to the civil and electrical personnel working in the airport operational area .The training and education should cover topics such as runway incursion and excursion prevention, detection, and response; runway markings, signs, and lighting; runway procedures and phraseology; runway safety culture and teamwork; and runway safety management.

Having clearly defined SOP’s is critical. What may be more critical is ensuring those procedures and standardization across your entire pilot roster are followed. Having safe operating procedures written into your GOM is great on paper but ineffective if not practiced in realtime operations. Encourage, Encourage, Encourage, safe practices and procedures and senior pilots lead by example! Do it how it’s written.

Knowledge is prover, provide training time to time to polish skills and safety management. Trading should be based on the procedures and policies. It should cover all the aspects of runway and its operations.

Conduct regular training programs for ground handling staff, emphasizing runway safety protocols, and raising awareness about potential hazards. Include ongoing education to keep personnel informed about the latest safety standards.

Make compulsory attendance of Airside Safety Awareness Programs for all airside personnel before issue of Aerodrome Entry Permit in the same lines of AVSEC Awareness Course for issue of AEP. There can be a separate module along with AVSEC Awareness Program.

- Clear markings and signage - Surface surveillance systems - Enhanced taxi and runway lighting are some of the ways of measures as mitigation for incursion. - Aircraft performance monitoring - Runway tarmac condition monitoring - Incident and accident investigations are some of the ways of mitigation measures for excursion .

Runway incursions, characterized by unauthorized or incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on a runway or taxiway, can be mitigated through various strategies: -Improved Communication: Implement clear and succinct radio communication protocols among air traffic control (ATC), pilots, and ground vehicles. -Utilization of Predictive Software: Employ software tools capable of forecasting and alerting about potential runway incursions based on aircraft movements. These tools form an essential part of Surface Movement Radar. -Deployment of Barrier Systems and Sensors: Install Microwave Barriers or loop sensors at entry and exit points from taxiways to runways. -Proper signage and markings. All above enhance safety.

In my experience training falls short of the objective. Many training programs are developed without having the proper balance of technical knowledge and hands on experience. Training seems to focus on Pilots. But AMT’s, Construction workers, First Responders and Airport Operations cross Runway’s on a regular basis. When they cross a runway it is no different than a Pilot it has the same potential of danger for landing Aircraft.

Proactively implement measures to mitigate identified risks. This may include modifying taxiway layouts, improving signage, or installing additional safety features. Collaborate with relevant authorities to enforce regulatory measures.

Regularly assess the effectiveness of implemented measures through incident analysis and performance evaluations. Use this feedback to continuously improve safety protocols and adjust mitigation strategies as needed.

Getting Tower and Ground ATC’s to start looking out the big windows provided again will be a good start. Keeping the tower environment sterile of unnecessary distractions and chit chat and more focused on the job at hand.

Runway Incursion and Runway Excursions are generally autonomous of each other and should be mitigated as such. Incursions=clear markings, signage and AGL. Keeping signs clean, grass short & markings fresh aid the operators. Basic principles of design also need to be considered-can ATC clearly see the access points? Is the design simple? Is the radiotelephony a high standard? Excursions=there are 2 main causal elements - flight crew (inc aircraft fault) and poor runway maintenance. Friction classifications & targeted rubber removal needs to be conducted. Overlay work needs to be planned in advance. Ground reporting of the surface needs to be timely & accurate (whether that’s weather or friction values etc).

I agree with Andrew Evans. I started at a unit as the safety manager and during the interview the number of Tower incidents was a concern. During my first visit my initial impression was that ATCOs were too distracted with all the equipment they had. The Aerodrome ATCO had 5 screens to view, no time to look out the window. Management must stop focusing on tools to improve things or for bragging rights. The other issue was updating SOPs whenever there was an issue resulting in a document twice the size of Doc 4444. Clear the clutter, tools are meant to aid and documents to guide - too much of either causes distraction or lack of knowledge.

Keep it simple. Keep it professional. When in doubt, STOP. Clarify communications or misunderstandings with the parking brake on. At the end of the day the inconvenience of you stopped on a taxiway is far better than a runway incursion.

The best way to prevent runway incursions and excursions is the awareness about the consequences of runway incursions and excursions. Teach everyone in the airport about the consequences. Run awareness programs,refresher courses and in-calculate the safety culture in your airport. If traffic density is higher put various surveillance equipment to prevent runway incursions. Put sign boards to incorporate safety culture .