Definition
An onboard avionics system that uses aircraft position, altitude, and a database of terrain and obstacles to predict potential collisions with the ground or obstructions, providing the flight crew with visual and aural alerts and warnings in time to take corrective action.
Plain English
A cockpit system that knows where the ground and obstacles are, watches where the aircraft is heading, and warns the pilot — with sounds and screen alerts — if the aircraft is getting too close to terrain.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument flying, approach procedures, avionics descriptions, and safety discussions about avoiding controlled flight into terrain.
Derivation
"Terrain" comes from Latin terra, meaning ground or earth. "Awareness" and "warning" describe the system's two roles: it keeps the crew aware of nearby terrain and warns them when a collision is likely. The name reflects an evolution from earlier ground-proximity systems toward predictive, position-based alerting.
Why Pilots Care
Reduces the risk of controlled flight into terrain accidents, especially during low-visibility or night operations.
Grounding Statement
If the aircraft is descending toward rising ground that the pilot cannot see, TAWS can warn before the situation becomes critical.
Intuition Check
TAWS is not a navigation system and it does not fly the aircraft. It is a warning system that alerts the pilot when terrain or obstacles may be unsafe.
Example Sentence 1
During the approach briefing, the captain confirmed that TAWS was operational and reviewed the response if a "PULL UP" warning occurred.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots cross-check the TAWS display during approaches in mountainous terrain.