From 2007 to mid-2015, a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) joint campaign with the aviation industry — focused on pilot training, technology, airport signage and communications — steadily reduced rates of all types of runway incursions at the nation’s airports. FAA summaries since then say that, among many outcomes, the campaign continues to favorably influence the severity, number and rate of the roughly 20 percent of runway incursions tied to operational incidents. These are defined as surface events attributed to air traffic control (ATC) action or inaction.
The similar term operational error refers to a controller’s failure to maintain appropriate separation between aircraft, and from terrain and other obstacles to safe flight. (FAA’s other categories for runway incursion events are pilot deviations and vehicle/pedestrian deviations.)
Overall, this period’s events with highest risk of a collision — called Category A and B runway incursions — …
