Checklist: Reducing Runway Incursions And Excursions In Business Aviation

Runway incursions and excursions are two of the most common incidents befalling business aviation operators. To address this issue, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) held a webinar Nov. 28 to review how these incidents occur and how to prevent them.

Of the more than 54 million takeoffs and landings that occurred in the National Aerospace System (NAS) during FY2023, 1,756 runway incursions and 492 runway excursions took place, the NBAA says.

By an overwhelming amount, general aviation aircraft make up for the majority of these incidents. The root causes of incursions can vary wildly, but NBAA categorizes them in four sections: Operational Incidents (OI), Pilot Deviations (PD), Vehicle or Pedestrian Deviations (V/PD) and Others (OTH).

What Can Pilots Do?

During the NBAA News Hour webinar, Pfizer G650 Captain Ben Kohler shared his strategy for safe operations.

“When I’m approaching the departure end of a runway, I want to eliminate any and all distractions, as many as I possibly can,” Kohler says. “I do that by, number one, being ready. Number two, not rushing. And number three, doing the same thing every time.”

Scott Proudfoot, an FAA runway safety team manager, offered supplemental resources made available to pilots. 

One of those resources, the Arrival Alert Notice, visually highlights potential wrong surfaces , such as parallel or closely aligned runways. While currently available for only 12 airports, 30 more entries are expected to be added in the near future, Proudfoot says.

Additionally, he encourages pilots to use Construction Notice Diagrams when checking NOTAMs for airports.

“If a note is in place for a certain closure, or a restricted area on a surface, you will see this at the top of the NOTAM section, it’ll show you a little yellow and black checkered hash mark with the airport identifier,” Proudfoot says. “And then it says on the airport, see construction graphic. So, when you click on that, you’ll get a picture. And you’ll see what’s actually closed, or what’s restricted in a visual manner, rather than just reading words. It helps for situational awareness purposes.”

Kohler also suggests that pilots should have a healthy balance between tasks and time — prioritizing safety throughout.

“If you have a lot of time, you can get a lot of things done. If you have a lot of tasks that you have to do, then you’re going to need a lot of time,” Kohler said. “And so, you’re either going to have to reduce your tasks or increase your time to make it all work out. So, being aware of where you are, what you have to do, and how much time you have to do it can really help make sure that you’re not rushing.”

NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen stressed the importance of safe operations in business aviation.

“Safety has always been the very foundation of aviation,” Bolen says. “Unless we’re safe, aviation cannot flourish. We need to be safe, and we need to be perceived to be safe, and that’s our constant challenge and something we need to work on on a daily basis.”