Event in which an aircraft leaves the runway surface during take-off or landing, either off the side or past the end.
What it is
There are two kinds: a veer-off, when the aircraft departs the side of the runway, and an overrun, when it cannot stop or get airborne before the end. Runway excursions are among the most common categories of accident in commercial aviation, although in most cases everyone on board is unhurt. They usually involve a combination of factors: an unstable approach, a long or fast landing, a wet runway or one contaminated by snow or ice, a tailwind or crosswind, or a problem with the brakes or thrust reversers.
Prevention works both before and after the event. Before: stabilised approach criteria that require a go-around if they are not met, landing distance calculations based on the actual runway condition, which the airport reports in an ICAO-standard format, and onboard systems that warn when the remaining runway is not enough. After: runway end safety areas (RESA) kept clear of obstacles and, at some airports short of space, arrestor beds made of a material that crushes under the wheels and brings the aircraft to a halt.
On Vuelopedia
Vuelopedia’s airport pages show the designation, length and surface of their runways.
Related terms
Cite
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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Runway excursion. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/runway-excursion
MLA
“Runway excursion.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/runway-excursion. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Runway excursion.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/runway-excursion.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Runway excursion. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/runway-excursion (Accessed: 17 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_runway_excursion,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Runway excursion}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-09},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/runway-excursion},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/runway-excursion}},
urldate = {2026-10-17},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/runway-excursion |title=Runway excursion |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}