The FAA is Initiating Some Runway Incursion Initiatives

The FAA has a goal to reduce runway incursions.  The following information conveys the seriousness with which the FAA is approaching this goal. You are a critical asset to the FAA to accomplish this goal.  A runway incursion poses the risk of tremendous loss of life and property, just as a mid-air collision would, and thereby demands the use of our highly professional designated examiners and CFIs.

Initiatives:

• Our initiatives begin with including in all the Practical Test Standards a required Runway Incursion Avoidance TASK.  The first of the PTS to do so is the CFI PTS, followed by the Private and Commercial PTS.  The remainder of the PTSs will follow in due course.
• To support the certification process, we initiated updating all the pilot certificate written examinations to include detailed Runway Safety material relative to airport signage, runway markings, ATC instructions, and pilot procedures to avoid a runway incursion.
• To support this effort to train, test, and check pilots, detailed Runway Safety and Runway Incursion Avoidance informational material and procedures are being added to the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and the Airplane Flying Handbook.  These two initiatives provide you with the tools to train a pilot to ensure that they possess the knowledge and proficiency in the area of runway safety, and specific knowledge and skill to avoid a runway incursion.
• We continue our initiative with rewriting FAA guidance in the conduct of remedial training for runway incursion cases.  The skills and expertise of a DPE will be employed for category A and B runway incursions, and a CFI associated with the FAASTeam will present runway incursion remedial training to category C and D runway incursions as appropriate.  To assist you in this activity, we have developed a standardized National Baseline Runway Safety/Runway Incursion Lesson Plan.  This lesson plan will be the basis upon which a remedial training program will be developed by a FAASTeam Program Manager in collaboration with the Regional Office of Runway Safety.  Again, we look to you to spread the important message to pilots that they must possess complete knowledge and understanding of the meaning of airport signage, runway marking, ATC instructions, and that they employ recommended pilot procedures to avoid a runway incursion.
• It is recognized that a runway incursion, just as a mid-air collision, poses a tremendous risk of a horrific loss of life and property.  To provide procedures to enable pilots to avoid causing a runway incursion, two Advisory Circulars, AC-91-73, Single Pilot Procedures During Taxi Operations, and AC 120-74, Flight Crew Procedures During Taxi Operations, are being updated to provide pilots with the latest runway incursion avoidance procedures which every pilot must know and use.

Your passion for aviation safety and excellence in airmanship will make the difference, and we will all protect the public’s trust that the United States possesses the world’s safest aviation industry.

Thank you,
Office of Runway Safety and the Flight Standards Division

More information can be found at: http://www.faa.gov/airports/runway_safety/