What this relates to
A vehicle fails to comply with the instructions or traffic rules on the apron or taxiway. This leads to an unintended collision near the ground or on the ground with an aircraft that is taxiing or being towed. It can also have to do with equipment or vehicles being incorrectly parked or located on the apron and obstruct a taxiing aircraft.
Example
A driver travels in his vehicle over the apron. An aircraft arrives on the taxiway to his right, but the driver infringes on the aircraft's right of way due to his uncertainty on how to proceed. The aircraft is forced to brake strongly to avoid a collision. Everybody on board the aircraft is seated at this point in time: no harm done. The aircraft continues on its way to the gate where the passengers can disembark.
Commentary on the 2023 figures
This category recorded 589 reports in 2023 – an increase of 66% compared to 2022. The number of incidents relative to the number of flight movements also increased: 5.0 incidents per 10,000 aircraft movements in 2023, compared to 3.1 in 2022. In spite of the increase, the number of serious incidents – abrupt evasive action by pilots – was less than 0.5% in 2023. And there were no collisions between a taxiing aircraft and incorrectly operated equipment or vehicles. Most evasive actions involve abrupt and hard braking. The danger: passengers who have undone their seatbelts or are standing can fall and injure themselves.
More than 99% of all reports in 2023 related to incidents at Swiss airports; 1% happened abroad and were reported by Swiss operators.
The most frequent cause was the incorrect positioning of equipment or vehicles on the apron or taxiway, which forces the pilot to stop and wait until the way is clear. This is the reason why the severity of these incidents is very low. In contrast, if a vehicle violates the traffic rules forcing the pilot to take evasive action, the severity level is higher.
Last modification 01.05.2024
