Definition
A phrase used in air traffic control to describe the relationship between two aircraft whose flight paths cross at a common point, regardless of whether they would arrive at that point at the same time. The intersection refers to the geometry of the routes, not the timing of the aircraft along them.
Plain English
Two aircraft are flying along paths that cross each other somewhere. It does not mean they will be at that crossing point together — only that their routes meet.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA glossary language about aircraft direction and traffic separation, especially when comparing the paths of two aircraft.
Derivation
Tracks' here means the paths the aircraft are flying over the ground. 'Intersect' comes from Latin intersecare, meaning 'to cut between.' Together: the lines drawn by the two aircraft cross each other.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must monitor for potential mid-air conflicts when tracks intersect, ensuring proper separation is maintained.
Analogy
It is like two roads crossing on a map. Cars on those roads may not meet at the same time, but the roads still intersect.
Intuition Check
Do not read “tracks” as railroad tracks or tire marks. In this context, a track is an aircraft’s path over the ground. “Intersect” does not mean the aircraft will collide; it means their paths cross or would cross when viewed from above.
Example Sentence 1
The controller noted that the two aircraft's tracks intersect about ten miles north of the VOR, so vertical separation was applied well before that point.
Example Sentence 2
Even though the altitudes differed, the fact that their tracks intersect meant the aircraft would pass directly overhead.