by Marcelo Cabral, Aviation SMS Expert
Canada continues to experience an elevated number of runway incursions annually. Although the collective efforts of our regulator, the air navigation services provider (ANSP), our independent safety investigation agency and industry stakeholders have reduced the number of high-risk occurrences compared to pre-COVID levels, the number of low-risk incursions has remained elevatedFootnote 1. Each incursion is a warning on our aviation system. These events, no matter how minor they may seem, demand our attention and must never be normalizedFootnote 2.
Assume nothing
Data have shown that the single biggest cause leading to incursions is communication and the assumption that it has occurred. In the busy, high-stakes environment of an airport maneuvering area, assuming understanding is a risk no one can afford. Independent of the type of aircraft you operate, deliberate and purposeful briefings are essentialFootnote 3.
Challenge all instructions and clearances with complete and correct readbacks and question when unclear. Expect the same from your crew, and reinforce it with your ground and air traffic control (ATC) partners. The cost of miscommunication is high. Committing to full, clear readbacks and mutual understanding is one of the most effective ways to avoid errors that can lead to incursions.
Leveraging just culture for early detection
Just culture plays a critical role in how we respond to the runway incursions that occur each year. It examines them openly, without blame, and asks, “What conditions allowed this to happen?” By treating each minor incursion as a learning opportunity, we enhance our ability to identify and address weaknesses.
An open call to collaborate
I encourage you, your chief pilot or your safety management system (SMS) team to reach out directly to the respective airport authorities’ SMS teams. Why? Because runway incursions don’t happen in isolationFootnote 4.
They involve people, procedures, infrastructure and weather. Let’s meet at the local Runway Safety Action Team, bring the data, bring the ideas and collaborate on solutions together.
Break the silence around safety data
Aviation history has some hard lessons about what happens when safety data is not shared, such as the Boeing 737 MAX crashes and other times where a high volume of safety data normalizes an unsafe operation, and the Potomac River mid-air collision with thousands of loss-of-separation occurrences and numerous near-misses.
It is much easier to implement a complex change when you already have an integrated team collaborating on other less complex issues than trying to get buy-in when things are escalating, and you don't have the group ready to focus on the change and willing to listen to all perspective and change processes (and a few minds) to focus on enhancing safety.
Safety isn't just a checklist; it's a conversation: the kind where everyone gets a voice and everyone leaves smarter than they came in.