Air transport safety is an issue of great concern due to the small window of opportunity that aviators have to correct their mistakes. Runway incursions are among air transport incidents that may occur. A runway incursion is any occurrence at an airport involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that creates a collision hazard or results in a loss of separation with an aircraft taking off, landing, or intending to land (FAA 2002a). Planning, clear communications, and enhanced situational awareness during airport surface operations reduce the potential for surface incidents thus reducing loss of human life or damages to property.
Different errors may occur related to taxiing while the aircraft is either preparing to takeoff or land on the runway. Execution errors are those in which the clearance is correctly communicated, pilots identify the correct intersection and direction of the turn, but they err in carrying out the maneuver. Examples of this include following the wrong taxi line at a multiway inter section or taking a hard right turn instead of a soft right turn. These errors may be attributed to confusing environmental cues such as signage or center line markings (Reason, 1990).
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In the example given, a runway incursion incurred with the Cessna 182 crossing the runway at the wrong time creating a potential collision that was avoided by the Dash 8 pilot. A number of steps would have been taken to avoid the situation in the first place. The pilot of the Dash 8 was required to ensure both the inside and outside environment of the plane is safe for takeoff which he probably did. Without laying any liability on the Dash 8 pilot, maybe a more critical check of the runway ahead would have shown the Cessna 182 approaching his runway before he initiated takeoff. However he however was cognizant enough of his surroundings to spot the Cessna-182 by the time he was reaching V1 and was able to make an informed decision based on the speed at which the C182 was moving off his path. The pilot of the Cessna 182 was a victim of an execution error. He clearly heard the communication to “taxi and hold short” twice but still erred in doing that. The main reason for this error would be gotten once the explanation from the pilot is received but common reasons are attributed to confusing signage or centerline markings.
A similar incident , this time during landing, occurred at Barcelona Airport and was reported in the Mail Online on the 8 th of July 2014. It was reported that a Boeing 767, flown by Russian airline UTair, was just about to touch down when a “ seemingly oblivious ” Aerolineas Argentineas Airbus A340 taxis in front of the incoming jet forcing the Boeing 767 to pull up sharply and avoid collision. The pilots then performed a 'go-around' emergency procedure, and safely landed their craft, with 260 tourists onboard, on their second attempt. In this case, just like the one above, the pilot of the Airbus A340 was instructed to cross the runway after the Boeing 767 had landed and he repeated the instructions indicating he had clearly heard the communication but still went ahead and crossed the runway without any clear reason ( Stewart, 2014) . These incidents highlight the importance of the various air operators working closely together and having well harmonized procedures. It is also important that these procedures are well understood and practiced by all individuals involved and that they all understand how their role interacts with or affects other parties.
The FAA in its Airplane Flying Handbook 2016 (FAA 2016) lays out a raft of procedures that can be followed to avoid runway incursions or taxiing incidents and most of them relate to human error. More emphasis is now put on the pilot’s awareness of his external environment to avoid errors arising from other people’s mistakes. The NTSB issues safety recommendations following investigations of transport accidents and safety completion studies. The recommendations usually cover a specific issue in the investigation and how to correct the situation. The Liberty University School of Aviation (LUSOA) has also prioritized safety for their aviation students allowing them to report any safety incidents without being reprimanded. The students are able to submit a NASA Safety Report on the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) website operated by NASA that captures and "captures confidential reports, analyzes the resulting aviation safety data, and disseminates vital information to the aviation community".
Safety in the aviation industry is of paramount importance. A small mistake while in the air may mean tremendous loss of life meaning not all people live to rectify their mistakes. Avoidance of mistakes is therefore preferred and is the main agenda of all air transport related agencies and individuals.
References
Federal Aviation Administration (2016): Airplane Flying handbook (FAA-H-8083-3B). Accessed at https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_handbook/media/airplane_flying_handbook.pdf
Federal Aviation Administration (2002b). Runway safety blueprint 2002–2004. Washington, DC: Author
National Transport and Safety Board guidelines. Accessed at: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.recsearch/RecTabs.aspx
Reason J., (1990). Human error. New York: Cambridge University Press
Stewart W., (2014). Russian pilots who managed to pull up and avoid catastrophic crash at Barcelona airport say Argentinians at the controls of jet ignored order not to taxi across runway. Mail Online . Retrieved from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2684268/Russian-pilots-managed-pull-avoid-catastrophic-crash-Barcelona-airport-say-Argentinians-controls-jet-ignored-order-not-taxi-runway.html#ixzz4hneyBrWF
