Definition
Other aircraft, terrain, obstacles, vehicles, birds, or wake turbulence that pose a risk of striking the airplane during flight or ground operations. In the traffic pattern context, collision hazards most often refer to other aircraft operating at or near the airport, where converging flight paths and limited visibility increase the risk of mid-air or near-miss encounters.
Plain English
Anything you might run into while flying or moving on the ground -- most often, other airplanes near the airport.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in airport traffic pattern discussions, preflight planning, and any situation where a pilot must watch for other aircraft or obstacles near the runway.
Derivation
From Latin collidere, 'to strike together,' and Old French hasard, 'a chance or risk.' A collision hazard is literally 'a risk of striking together' -- which is exactly what pilots are trained to scan for and avoid.
Why Pilots Care
Recognizing and avoiding collision hazards is essential for maintaining safe separation from other traffic and preventing mid-air or ground collisions in the airport environment.
Intuition Check
Do not think of collision hazards only as an actual crash about to happen. In aviation, a collision hazard can be any traffic, object, or situation that raises the risk of hitting something if it is not managed.
Example Sentence 1
Before turning onto the base leg, the pilot scanned for collision hazards on final approach.
Example Sentence 2
Birds near the approach end of the runway are common collision hazards that require immediate evasive action.