Runway incursions

C Gattman wrote:
On Sep 9, 3:03 pm, "Steven P. McNicoll"
wrote:
C Gattman wrote:

At a towered airport, walking onto an active taxiway is considered
a runway incursion.

No it isn't. A runway incursion is

Mr. McNicoll, I was standing next to an FAA official guest from the
Seattle FSDO after he had just given a CFI seminar on teaching runway
incursion avoidance when this happened. I'm quoting official FAA
sources, firsthand. Your sourceless contradiction of this puts
readers of this forum who fly at risk by providing faulty and bad
information, so I am compelled to respond. I'm trying to tell you that
I witnessed the FAA Runway Safety official call the tower and then
turn to tell me that ATC had reported TWO runway incursions: One for
a pedestrian on the taxiway, and another for an airplane that roamed
back onto Alpha without clearance.

So, if you have something in an official context that you'd like to
share, do so. According to airlinesafety.com, "The FAA defines a
runway incursion as Any occurrence at an airport involving an
aircraft, vehicle, person, or object on the ground that creates a
collision hazard or results in loss of separation with an aircraft
taking off, intending to take off, landing, or intending to land."

Strictly speaking, an incursion onto a taxiway is a taxiway incursion.
But, straight from the horse's mouth, the result is the same. There
are only three sources to which they assign blame and unless it's
ATC's fault or you're a pedestrian, the weight of the investigation
falls on the pilot of the aircraft.

I strongly encourage you to discuss this with your local FSDO
directly. If you walk, drive or operate your aircraft on a taxiway at
a towered airport, without clearance, your opinion of the what a
runway incursion is won't prevent them from taking action against
you.

-chris
Commercial Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor
Troutdale, Oregon


Mr. Gattman, I did not offer an opinion.


FAA Notice N JO 7050.2
Effective October 1, 2007, the FAA Administrator approved the use of the
following ICAO definition of runway incursion:

"Any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an
aircraft, vehicle or person on the protected area of a surface designated
for the landing and take-off of aircraft"

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/m...N%207050.2.pdf

I strongly encourage you to discuss this with your FAA official guest from
the Seattle FSDO that gave that CFI seminar and bring him up to speed.