Plain English Meaning

Equipment in the cockpit that watches how close the aircraft is getting to the ground or to high terrain, and warns the pilot before it becomes dangerous.

Full Definition

Onboard avionics that monitor an aircraft's position and altitude relative to the ground and surrounding terrain, and provide aural and visual warnings to the flight crew when an unsafe proximity to terrain or obstacles is detected. The category includes Ground Proximity Warning Systems (GPWS), Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems (EGPWS), and Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (TAWS).

Context Anchor

Seen in , especially when discussing prevention, alerts, and or .