Definition
Any unauthorized presence of an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the protected surface of a runway designated for the takeoff or landing of aircraft. A runway incursion creates a collision hazard or otherwise reduces the required separation between an aircraft and another aircraft, vehicle, or person on or near the runway.
Plain English
Someone or something is on a runway when they shouldn't be. That could be another aircraft, a ground vehicle, a person on foot, or even an object — and their presence puts them in the way of aircraft taking off or landing.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in airport diagram use, taxi planning, ground control instructions, and safety discussions about moving around an airport.
Derivation
From Latin incursio, meaning 'a running into' or 'an attack.' In aviation, the word keeps that sense of something entering where it doesn't belong — a runway being 'run into' by an unauthorized aircraft, vehicle, or person.
Why Pilots Care
Runway incursions remain a leading cause of ground accidents and near-misses; recognizing and preventing them is essential for safe airport operations.
Intuition Check
A runway incursion does not have to mean a collision happened. It means someone or something was incorrectly on or near the runway, creating a safety risk.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot reviewed the airport diagram before taxi to reduce the risk of a runway incursion at the unfamiliar field.
Example Sentence 2
Airport diagrams help pilots identify hot spots where runway incursions have occurred in the past.