If 1,700 is a huge percentage of runway uses (obviously it isn't but grant it, say at a single airport), then it's mandatory it be investigated because it's so huge.

If 1,700 is a minuscule fraction of all runway uses (as it likely is) then investigating it should be a proportionally minuscule amount of the budget.

▲

throw0101d 2 hours ago | parent [-]

There are five categories of incursion, with the top one being where a collision occurs:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runway_incursion#Definition

* https://www.faa.gov/airports/runway_safety/resources/runway_...

All incursions (in the US) are tracked:

* https://www.faa.gov/airports/runway_safety/statistics

Given there are ~45,000 flights per days in the US (and so aircraft and vehicles would move hither and fro around an airport for each flight), 1700 feels like a small number.

▲

bombcar 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Exactly - it's a small number and should be investigated, because if we reduce the number of all incursions, we reduce the number of collisions (and fatalities).

▲

throw0101d 2 hours ago | parent [-]

They are classified as operation/ATC error, pilot error, and vehicle/pedestrian error.

Human can misspeak or mishear instructions, but if they were communicated and understood correctly (a read back was correct), but the pilot had a 'brain fart' and went forward instead of stopping, how do we eliminate brain farts?

▲

bombcar 2 hours ago | parent [-]

That's a big part of the story of aviation; the way things are communicated has changed because of brain farts, the way things are lined up, etc.

See 5-2-5 for an example:

https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html...

NOTE- Previous reviews of air traffic events, involving LUAW instructions, revealed that a significant number of pilots read back LUAW instructions correctly and departed without a takeoff clearance. LUAW instructions are not to be confused with a departure clearance; the outcome could be catastrophic, especially during intersecting runway operations.

The older term was "hold short runway X" and that was too close to "hold runway X" - the first meant do NOT enter the runway, the second meant enter and line up but do NOT takeoff.

	▲	lisper an hour ago \| parent [-]
		The old version of “line up and wait” was “taxi into position and hold”. “Hold short of runway” is still in use but means something different.