TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT: The Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions (GAPPRI)

It's a moment that makes you inhale sharply and hold your breath because it walks the edge of death. It happens faster than reading this sentence and the outcome could've gone either way. A runway incursion means numerous safeguards failed simultaneously.

Even though the percentage of incursions has declined when you contrast it with the growing number of operations, the number of serious incidents (extraordinary close calls) has grown, so the industry is working to realign safety barriers so the inevitable holes in safety don't leak through.

In 2023, there were approximately 54.4 million takeoff and landings in the 29 million square miles of the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). Within that enormous operating environment, there were 1,756 reported runway incursions. The flipside is that operations have grown exponentially so the ratio of runway incursions is down, but only slightly. The high-profile incidents involving business and commercial airliners represent an enormous potential loss of life, and it's making the industry act, not just have more conversations.

Runway Incursions in 2023

The first step is to dig into the root causes and see if there is a trend. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, regarding the runway incursions in 2023:

• Approximately 60% of those incursions were attributable to pilot.
• Approximately 20% were caused by air traffic controller action or inaction.
• The remaining were caused by vehicle or pedestrian deviations (ground operations).
• General aviation (according to ICAO) is involved in as many as 70% of all incursions in some parts of the world.

What those statistics mean is that no matter what the variables are for the cause, human error resulted in a breakdown of standard operating procedures but was also a factor in preventing it from going beyond an incursion into a collision. It's just as important to understand the actions that ultimately responded to the deviation that prevented loss of life as it is to find causes.

Because runway incursion risks include infinite combinations of factors, the only way to address the issues is through a collaborative approach involving all the stakeholders. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has brought 200 stakeholders together to create the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions (GAPPRI). Yes, another acronym, but you'll be seeing this one for a while.

Action Plan

The action plan is broken down into conclusions and recommendations. After analyzing the data, the high-level findings that cause runway incursions are (in summary form):

• Variability in human performance (distractions, miscommunication, misidentification, or misapplication of operational processes)
• Lack of systemwide collision avoidance barriers (there are some, but not standard)
• Degraded runway status awareness (situational awareness technologies)
• Miscommunication and coordination (language barriers and differing communication channels)
• Challenges in surface navigation (signage, markings, and lighting)

The key areas of broad recommendations are:

1. Empowering and equipping aviation personnel (training, raising awareness of mental awareness, fatigue, and decision-making skills)
2. Integration of advanced technologies (real-time sensors that verify location of aircraft/vehicles)
3. Enhanced procedures for runway operations (regular reviews and updates, training)
4. Enhanced communication protocols (standard phraseology, teamwork with ATC)
5. Enhanced aerodrome visual aids (signage, stop-bars, incursion warning systems)
6. Risk mitigation through infrastructure design (future builds and modifications to current design)
7. Enhanced safety management and support for runway safety teams

For every cause and recommendation, at the core of every conclusion and suggestion is better training. According to the GAPPRI outline, "Of the 127 recommendations, several call for enhanced and recurrent training, specifically focusing on scenarios involving runway incursions. A specialized human performance training program tailored to runway safety is likely to be instrumental in understanding and managing external pressures and workload."

Advanced Aircrew Academy's business aviation subject matter experts have already updated our Runway Incursion module to include GAPPRI's recommendations as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Runway Safety team's training guidance. In addition, we reviewed over 500 Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) Reports related to runway incursions by business jet crews to assemble a practical list of prevention techniques. A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) animated presentation of a runway incursion prevented by a flight crew demonstrates best practices for surface operations. A pilot procedures brochure is also available to download in the module.

If you operate Part 135, after customization, this module satisfies your training program Airman Specific Basic Indoctrination curriculum on all-weather surface operations and airport ground operational safety. During the customization process, we tailor our standard module to the guidance in your General Operations Manual (GOM) related to runway safety.

For more information about this or any of our 120+ customizable training topics, email info@aircrewacademy.com or visit our website.

References:

US DOT Runway Incursion

Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions Volume I