Definition
Any unauthorized presence of an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the protected surface of a runway used for the takeoff and landing of aircraft. A runway incursion creates a collision hazard or compromises the required separation between an aircraft taking off, landing, or intending to do so, and any other aircraft, vehicle, or person on that runway.
Plain English
Someone or something is on the runway when they shouldn't be, putting an arriving or departing aircraft at risk.
Context Anchor
You will encounter this term in ground operations, especially while taxiing, crossing runways, reading runway signs and markings, or following tower instructions.
Derivation
Incursion comes from the Latin incursio, meaning 'a running into' or 'attack.' In aviation, the word keeps that sense of an unwanted entry — something or someone running into a space where they don't belong.
Why Pilots Care
Runway incursions can lead to collisions between aircraft or with ground vehicles, making strict clearance procedures essential for safe operations.
Grounding Statement
If a runway needs to be clear for takeoff or landing and something enters that space without being there correctly, that is a runway incursion.
Intuition Check
A runway incursion does not have to mean a crash or even a near miss. It means the wrong presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on or near a runway area that should be clear.
Example Sentence 1
The tower issued a go-around when a fuel truck caused a runway incursion on the active runway.
Example Sentence 2
Ground crew coordinated with the tower before crossing the taxiway to prevent any runway incursion during the busy morning operations.