Definition
An accident involving an aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the movement area of an airport — the runways, taxiways, and other surfaces used for the surface operation of aircraft. It includes collisions on the ground and other damaging events occurring during taxi, takeoff roll, landing rollout, or while being towed or pushed.
Plain English
A crash or collision that happens while an aircraft is on the ground at an airport, rather than in the air.
Context Anchor
Seen in airport surface safety discussions, especially when studying taxi operations, runway crossings, and ground movement near other aircraft or vehicles.
Why Pilots Care
Understanding the term helps pilots recognize the high-risk nature of ground operations and the need for strict adherence to movement procedures to prevent collisions.
Grounding Statement
Picture an aircraft taxiing from the ramp to the runway and striking a service vehicle or another aircraft on the way.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as any small mistake made while moving on the ground. In this FAA safety context, a surface movement accident means an actual harmful event on the airport surface, usually involving collision, injury, death, or damage.
Example Sentence 1
The wingtip strike during pushback was logged as a surface movement accident and required an inspection before the aircraft could be released for flight.
Example Sentence 2
A surface movement accident on the ramp prompted new vehicle escort requirements at the airport.