Definition 1 of 2
Definition
Any condition, object, aircraft, or environmental factor that creates a meaningful risk of an aircraft striking, or being struck by, something during flight or ground operations. In instructional contexts, it covers both midair collision risks (other aircraft, terrain, obstacles, birds) and ground collision risks (vehicles, equipment, other aircraft on taxiways and ramps).
Plain English
Anything in the air or on the ground that could lead to your aircraft hitting something, or something hitting you.
Context Anchor
Seen in risk management, preflight planning, airport operations, and discussions of environmental risks around the training area.
Derivation
Collision comes from Latin words meaning “to strike together.” Hazard comes through older French from a word linked to chance or risk. Together, the words point to a risk that two things may come together by impact.
Why Pilots Care
Failure to identify and mitigate collision hazards is a leading cause of mid-air collisions and controlled flight into terrain.
Intuition Check
A collision hazard is not only another airplane directly ahead. It can be anything that makes an impact possible, such as a bird, vehicle, tower, wire, or person near the aircraft’s path.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor pointed out that a poorly lit fuel truck on the ramp at night is a real collision hazard during taxi.
Example Sentence 2
Birds near the runway represent a collision hazard that requires immediate evasive action if encountered on takeoff.