Definition
A veer-off or overrun from the runway surface during takeoff or landing.
Why it matters
Excursions remain a recurring accident category and can escalate through terrain, obstacles, fire, or evacuation hazards beyond the runway.
Questions that turn reading into a defensible review
A strong review separates the event description, possible precursors, recorded evidence, approved criteria, and the final safety decision.
What exactly is being examined?
A veer-off or overrun from the runway surface during takeoff or landing.
Which conditions could build the exposure?
Unstable approach or long/fast touchdown; Contaminated runway, tailwind, or poor braking.
What evidence would strengthen the picture?
Threshold speed/height, touchdown point, spoiler/reverse/brake timing Lateral deviation and deceleration by runway condition
What must remain authoritative?
Current approved aircraft data, operator procedures, investigation findings, and the source document’s own scope control any operational conclusion.
Timeline, aircraft state, relationships, and recurrence
Radio altitude, Calibrated airspeed, Roll angle, Ground spoiler position, Thrust reverser status, Brake pressure can contribute to a synchronized event picture when their mappings, units, sampling, and flight-phase logic are validated.
Cause, intent, compliance, and technical disposition
An FDM alert or pattern is not by itself a causal finding, judgement of individual performance, regulatory conclusion, or aircraft maintenance and airworthiness determination.
Reports, approved criteria, context, and authoritative evidence
Combine the recorded picture with applicable procedures, crew and operational reports, weather or airport information, technical evidence, and the linked official publications and investigation sources.
Excursion barrier chain
Planning, approach, touchdown, deceleration, and runway-end defenses form successive barriers.
Common causes and precursors
- →
Unstable approach or long/fast touchdown
- →
Contaminated runway, tailwind, or poor braking
- →
Late or degraded spoilers, reverse, braking, or directional control
Operational risks
- R1
Collision and structural damage
- R2
Fire and evacuation
- R3
Injury beyond the runway end or side
Guidance themes
These are cross-source themes for orientation. Apply only the current, approved material for the aircraft and operation.
- Use current landing-performance assessment
- Respect stabilized and touchdown-zone criteria
- Interpret runway condition using approved methods
Safety actions to consider
Link FDM findings to airport and dispatch data
Review landing margins and go-around decisions
Coordinate operators, airports, and air traffic services
Parameters that help explain the event
A useful event picture comes from signal relationships—not a single exceedance or a generic threshold.
Radio altitude
Radio altitude provides the low-height reference needed to align approach gates, flare, touchdown, warning, and go-around events.
Open parameter guide ↗ktCalibrated airspeed
Speed relative to the applicable target and configuration is central to energy management, approach stability, runway performance, and stall margin.
Open parameter guide ↗degRoll angle
Near the runway, roll angle affects wingtip or engine clearance, crosswind alignment, touchdown sequence, and lateral control margins.
Open parameter guide ↗deg or discreteGround spoiler position
Timely deployment supports braking effectiveness; partial, asymmetric, late, or retracted states can change landing performance.
Open parameter guide ↗discrete or %Thrust reverser status
Reverser selection and deployment timing help explain deceleration performance, asymmetry, and crew response after touchdown.
Open parameter guide ↗psi, bar, or %Brake pressure
Brake application timing and symmetry help evaluate stopping action, system response, and directional control.
Open parameter guide ↗Recommended monitoring questions
Threshold speed/height, touchdown point, spoiler/reverse/brake timing
Lateral deviation and deceleration by runway condition
Cases that add context
ASIP provides a concise learning index. The investigation authority report remains the definitive source.
Editor-reviewed starting points
These records include a deeper ASIP editorial review. Continue to the full evidence index below for direct matches and broader manufacturer, regulator, and investigation reading.
AC 91-79B — Aircraft Landing Performance and Runway Excursion Mitigation
This FAA circular brings together landing-performance planning, time-of-arrival assessment, RCAM information, and operational practices for reducing runway-excursion risk.
Official sourceIATA Annual Safety Report — 2024
IATA's 61st annual report provides an interactive, method-defined view of commercial aviation accident performance and contributing-factor classifications.
Official sourceStatistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents, 1959–2024
Boeing's 56th annual statistical summary organizes commercial-jet accident data using stated definitions and the CAST/ICAO occurrence taxonomy.
Official sourceTitle or indexed metadata explicitly matches this topic.
Related collection material for adjacent systems, phases, and defenses.
Manufacturer, regulator, investigation, and safety-organization sources.
Where the reading comes from
69 source records
Official links · no copied report files69 source records match the current evidence filters.
Annual Safety Review 2025
EASA's review uses occurrence and accident information to describe performance across aviation domains and to support the European safety-risk-management process.
Open official sourceStatistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents, 1959–2024
Boeing's 56th annual statistical summary organizes commercial-jet accident data using stated definitions and the CAST/ICAO occurrence taxonomy.
Open official sourceIATA Annual Safety Report — 2024
IATA's 61st annual report provides an interactive, method-defined view of commercial aviation accident performance and contributing-factor classifications.
Open official sourceAC 91-79B — Aircraft Landing Performance and Runway Excursion Mitigation
This FAA circular brings together landing-performance planning, time-of-arrival assessment, RCAM information, and operational practices for reducing runway-excursion risk.
Open official sourceSAFO 18009 — SAFO 18009, Risk of Runway Number Transposition Leading to a possible "Runway Overrun" During Takeoff at San Francisco International Airport ( SFO )
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for approach and landing and takeoff. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 08003 — Guidance Material for Contaminated Runway Landing Operations
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for approach and landing and runway safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceA320 – Runway overrun
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for approach and landing and runway safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceFurther Preventing Runway Overrun
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for approach and landing and runway safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceIs it a Loss of Braking?
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for runway safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceLateral runway excursions upon landing
Official Airbus Safety First material indexed for approach and landing and runway safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceNTSB Safety Alert SA-033 — Landing at the Wrong Airport
Official U.S. National Transportation Safety Board material indexed for approach and landing. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 23001 — Potential Damage to Nose Landing Gear (NLG) by Improper Towing Procedures of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Regional Jet (MHIRJ) (formerly Bombardier) CL-600-2B19, CL-600-2C10 and CL-600-2D24 Airplanes
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for approach and landing and ground operations. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 22001 — SAFO 22001, Recommended Procedures for Operators of Boeing DC-9/MD-80 Series and B717 Model Airplanes When Wind/Ground Gusts Meet or Exceed Criteria Specified in the Applicable Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM)
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for weather and maintenance. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 21004 — SAFO 21004, Air Traffic Control (ATC) Notification and Pilot Awareness When Conducting an Instrument Landing System (ILS) Autoland Procedure
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for approach and landing and human factors. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 17011 — SAFO 17011, Runway Status Lights ( RWSL )
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for approach and landing and runway safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 17012 — SAFO 17012, High Collision Risk During Runway Crossing
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for approach and landing and runway safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 16008 — SAFO 16008, Reducing the Risk of Runway Excursions During Takeoff
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for approach and landing and takeoff. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 16009 — SAFO 16009, Runway Assessment and Condition Reporting, Effective October 1, 2016
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for approach and landing and runway safety. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceLessons learned
1Stopping margin is consumed before touchdown
2Multiple modest deviations can combine into an overrun