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Hypothetical: Proper Maneuvering to avoid Runway Incursion

Asked by: 1826 views Airspace, General Aviation

All,

Hypothetical question here. Let's say that we are flying into an untowered airport, communicating intentions and actions on the proper frequency, and enter the pattern correctly (in this case, entering the downwind at the correct altitude). We call and fly base, followed by final. All looks good.

However, a plane at the run-up area taxis out onto the main / active runway we are set up to land on (as if given the "position and hold" command at a towered field). Perhaps our radio/comm is out, perhaps we didn't select the correct frequency, perhaps we missed the switch for Radio 1 and Radio 2. Or, the error could be on their side, and they did not see our aircraft on final.

What is the correct series of actions? Landing is out (risk of collision), and a go-around is out (puts both aircraft in the same area / altitude if they initiate takeoff roll).

Would cleaning up the aircraft a bit, calling out to see if anyone is on either downwind leg, and climbing / turning to rejoin the downwind leg be the best solution? A right or left 360 puts us low and out of the traffic pattern, but buys time for the aircraft that rolled out in front of us to take off. 

Just a chair-flying exercise.

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1 Answers



  1. Skyfox on Jul 13, 2016

    If it was me I\’d clean it up and do a go-around and climb while veering to the right (in the case of a left-hand traffic pattern) to get a little closer to the upwind leg so I could keep an eye on the airplane sitting on the threshold to see what they\’re doing, while calling out on the radio to let anyone else in the pattern know what I\’m doing and find out what that plane is doing on the runway while another aircraft is on final. I\’d also be keeping an eye out so I don\’t climb up into an aircraft on upwind. If there was an apparent problem with communications I\’d try to find out where the problem was. And then I\’d continue my pattern while keeping clear of that aircraft (if it took off) and watching for other aircraft in the pattern.

    My reason for veering towards the upwind leg is because if I went the other way to veer towards the downwind leg, that would put me closer to aircraft going the other direction on downwind.

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