Which of the following is NOT a listed type of runway incursion/surface incident?

• A. Operational Errors
• B. Pilot Deviations
• C. Vehicle/Pedestrian deviations
• D. Communication Failures

Answer: (D)

The way these categories are defined is by who is responsible for the incursion, not by the underlying failure that led to it. Pilot deviation means the flight crew acted in a way that violated clearance or procedures and ended up on or crossing the runway without proper authorization. Operational error covers mistakes by air traffic control or the way a clearance or instruction was applied, resulting in an incursion. Vehicle/pedestrian deviation refers to ground vehicles or people on the runway without clearance.

Communication failures, while they can contribute to miscoordination and timing issues that lead to an incursion, are not themselves a type of runway incursion. They describe how the problem happened, not who caused it. So the option describing communication failures isn’t a listed type of runway incursion/surface incident.