Safety Tip: Airport Surface Deviations
Notice Number: NOTC2939


Airport Surface Deviations have been on the rise recently and it is up to all of us to be more diligent and to be more professional in our aviation endeavors.

At the bottom of an esteemed co-worker’s e-mails there is the following statement:
 
If you look both ways before crossing a road, then how many ways should you look before crossing a runway?
 
Think about this for a second and then review what you look for, and I mean really “Look For,” prior to entering/crossing a taxiway or runway. You should realize that if you see another aircraft or a vehicle or a piece of equipment near where you are, then maybe you don’t have the proper clearance to proceed.
 
For example, did the Tower tell you to hold short and you missed that or did the Tower tell the other operator to hold short and he missed it? As you look on final approach and see an aircraft out there, ask yourself again, “Do I have clearance to take the active runway?”
 
If you are ever in doubt on any of these, be proactive in looking out for your safety and the safety of others. Contact Ground or Tower and verify your instructions. Be diligent in copying your taxi clearance; verify your take off clearance when you see someone on final.

An ounce of caution can be all it takes to break the accident chain or the error chain. Don’t become a statistic in the FAA files or in the newspaper headlines.