FAA: Serious Runway Incursions Drop by 50% in FY 2010

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the number of "serious runway incursions" dropped by 50% to six in fiscal year (FY) 2010 when compared to FY 2009. Furthermore, from FY 2000 through FY 2010, Category A and B runway incursions have decreased by more than 90%.
The FAA categorizes runway incursions into A, B, C, D as follows:

• Category A - A serious incident in which a collision was narrowly avoided.
• Category B - An incident in which separation decreases and there is a significant potential for collision, which may result in a time critical corrective/evasive response to avoid a collision.
• Category C - An incident characterized by ample time and/or distance to avoid a collision.
• Category D - An incident that meets the definition of runway incursion such as incorrect presence of a single vehicle/person/aircraft on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft but with no immediate safety consequences.