Facts, stats and incidents

2020 reported infringements

January February March April May  June July August
CTA (includes airways) 23 9 19 4 20 20 54 27
TMA 9 9 14 3 3 8 27 15
CTR 9 6 22 2 20 16 32 26
ATZ 2 4 7 1 1 9 11 3
Restricted/Prohibited/Danger Areas 2 2 2 0 4 2 3 5
Temporary Restricted/Prohibited/Danger Areas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TMZ 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3
RMZ 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 3
CAS-T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Total reported airspace infringements 45 31 64 10 48 57 131 83

 

2019 reported infringements by month

January February March   April May   June July August September October November December
CTA (includes airways) 29 23 24 40 63 39 59 65 34 28 6 12
TMA 13 21 26 21 31 39 37 41 28 18 11 8
CTR 9 21 14 34 35 30 36 39 29 17 13 12
ATZ 5 4 5 9 12 12 18 13 6 10 2 4
Restricted/Prohibited/Danger Areas 2 0 7 3 6 8 8 3 1 11 2 3
Temporary Restricted/Prohibited/Danger Areas 1 0 0 1 0 3 3 2 0 2 0 1
TMZ 3 4 5 5 7 5 5 6 4 0 1 1
RMZ 1 3 2 4 5 10 10 10 2 0 0 1
Total reported airspace infringements 63 76 83 119 159 146 179 179 104 86 35 42

 

Reported infringements summary: 2017, 2018, 2019

Year 2017 2018 2019
Total reported infringements 1162 1358 1271
CTA (includes Airways) 812 * 706 ** 411
CTR * included in 2017 CTA figure 285 289
TMA * included in 2017 CTA figure ** included in 2018 CTA figure 294
ATZ 97 130 100
Restricted/Prohibited/Danger Areas 81 *** 87 *** 54
Temporary Restricted/Prohibited/ Danger Areas *** included in 2017 Restricted/Prohibited/Danger Areas figure *** included in 2017 Restricted/Prohibited/Danger Areas figure 13
TMZ 57 76 46
RMZ 115 74 48

 

Airspace infringements: 2017 and 2018 statistics compared

ICG meeting data

Each month the CAA will publish statistical data of infringement Mandatory Occurrence Reports (MORs) processed under CAP1404 by the CAA’s Infringement Coordination Group (ICG).  The IGC is a cross-organisational Regulatory Group comprising members of the CAA and one member of the Military Aviation Authority (MAA); details of composition can be found in CAP1404.

The MORs processed do not correspond numerically to those reported in the same month due to the time taken to collate MOR, Pilot and supporting supplementary reports.  MORs are read by the ICG when one or more of the following exist:

  • Loss of separation
  • Safety Intervention Measures implemented such as (but not exclusive to) avoiding action, radar vectors, cessation of departures, holding etc
  • Repeat Infringement by pilot-in-command

August 2020 ICG decisions

Course of action  Number   Summary
Closed with no further action   9
  • Review established no AI occurred / Transponder error
Advisory letter   40
Online tutorial and test   5
Practical training   6
Airspace Infringement Awareness Course (AIAC)   9
  • Repeat infringing pilot (3)
  • Multiple infringements in one flight (3)
  • Single infringement inc Safety impact/other (3)
Provisional suspensions   0
Ongoing investigations   1
  • Awaiting regulatory interview
Licence revocation   0

 

July 2020 ICG decisions

Course of action  Number   Summary
Closed with no further action   3
  • Review established no AI occurred
Advisory letter   44
Online tutorial and test   1
Practical training   0
Airspace Infringement Awareness Course (AIAC)   5
  • Repeat infringing pilot (2)
  • Multiple infringements in one flight (1)
  • Failed online test (1)
  • Single infringement inc Safety impact/other (1)
Provisional suspensions   2
  • Repeat infringing pilot with multiple infringements (1)
  • Infringement with additional safety issues (1)
Ongoing investigations   1
Licence revocation   0

June 2020 ICG decisions

Course of action  Number   Summary
Closed with no further action   1
  • Student
Advisory letter   26
Online tutorial and test   1
Practical training   2
  • VFR flight training inc TEM, Planning, Decision Making
Airspace Infringement Awareness Course (AIAC)   7
  • Repeat infringing pilot (2)
  • Loss of separation (2)
  • Single infringement inc Safety impact/other (3)
Provisional suspensions   3
  • Repeat infringing pilot having previously completed re-training (1)
  • Multiple Infringements in one flight and other safety matters (1)
  • Multiple Infringements in two flights (1)
Ongoing investigations   2
Licence revocation   1

 

May 2020 ICG decisions

Course of action  Number   Summary
Closed with no further action   2
  • Student (2)
Advisory letter   8
Online tutorial and test   0
Practical training   1
  • VFR flight training
Airspace Infringement Awareness Course (AIAC)   6
  • Repeat infringing pilot (1)
  • Multiple Infringements in one flight (1)
  • Escalatory measure having failed on-line test (3)
  • Escalatory measure having refused to complete on-line tutorial/test (1)
Provisional suspensions   0
Ongoing investigations   0
Licence revocation   0

April 2020 ICG decisions

Course of action  Number   Summary
Closed with no further action   4
  • Student (1)
  • No evidence of airspace being infringed/ other (3)
Advisory letter   20
Online tutorial and test   4
Practical training   0
Airspace Infringement Awareness Course (AIAC)   8
  • Repeat infringing pilot and loss of separation (1)
  • Repeat infringing pilot (2)
  • Single infringement inc Safety impact/other (4)
  • Escalatory measure having failed on-line test (1)
Provisional suspensions   3
  • Loss of separation and other safety aspects (1)
  • Third airspace infringement including safety implementation measures (1)
  • Failure to complete prescribed training (1)
Ongoing investigations   0
Licence revocation   0

 

March 2020 ICG decisions

Course of action  Number   Summary
Closed with no further action   4
  • Student (1)
  • No evidence of airspace being infringed/ other (3)
Advisory letter   27
Online tutorial and test   3
Practical training   0
Airspace Infringement Awareness Course (AIAC)   8
  • Safety Intervention Measures (1)
  • Multiple separate infringements inc Safety impact/other (4)
  • Single infringement inc Safety impact/other (2)
  • Escalatory measure having failed on-line test (1)
Provisional suspensions   3
  • Repeat Infringer/other safety aspects (1)
  • Provisional Suspension of
    FI Certificate due to multiple  infringements (2)
Ongoing investigations   0
Licence revocation   0

 

February 2020 ICG decisions

Course of action  Number   Summary
Closed with no further action   8
  • Student (3)
  • Transponder unserviceability confirmed by licenced engineer, no AI (1)
  • No evidence of airspace being infringed/ Other factors (4)
Advisory letter   34
Online tutorial and test   5
Practical training   1
Airspace Infringement Awareness Course (AIAC)   11
  • Loss of Separation (1)
  • Safety Intervention Measures (6)
  • Multiple separate infringements inc Safety impact/other (1)
  • Single infringement inc Safety impact/other (3)
Provisional suspensions   3
  • Major AI with multiple factors (1)
  • Pilot declined to undertake training (2)
Ongoing investigations   1
Licence revocation   0

 

 

January 2020 ICG decisions

Course of action  Number   Summary
Closed with no further action   11
  • Student (4)
  • Transponder unserviceability confirmed by licenced engineer, no AI (4)
  • Insufficient evidence of airspace being infringed (2)
  • Other factors (1)
Advisory letter   35
Online tutorial and test   3
Practical training   3
  • Planning/Threat and Error Management requiring 1-1 training
Airspace Infringement Awareness Course (AIAC)   8
  • Loss of Separation (1)
  • Safety Intervention Measures require to maintain safety (6)
  • Safety impact/other (1)
Provisional suspensions   0
Ongoing investigations   0
Licence revocation   0

 

Summary of ICG decisions made in 2019

Course of action January February March   April May   June July August September October November December
Closed with no further action 1 2 3 0 7 5 1 9 6 5 3 5
Warning letter (*) 4 12 4 4 7 19 60 74 56 56 51 22
On-line test 2 4 3 1 0 1 1 14 6 8 1 1
Flight training (**) 1 1 2 1 2 0 1
Airspace Infringement Awareness Course (AIAC) 17 10 13 15 23 18 15 22 11 22 12 5
Provisional suspensions 2 3 2 1 3 6 5 4 0 4 2 2
Ongoing investigations 6 3 5 2 2 4 13 8 3 8 1 2
Licence revocation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

(*) from 1 June 2019, all other pilots subject of airspace infringement MORs are contacted by the CAA to notify them of their airspace infringement and a pilot report requested. Once the investigation is complete, and if an airspace infringement is confirmed, the pilot will be sent a warning letter to close the occurrence.

(**) listed as a separate course of action from June

Causal factor analysis of airspace infringements

Annual reports are produced by a sub-group of the CAA’s Airspace Infringement Working Group, made up of three experienced General Aviation pilots.

Read the full report: Causal Factor Analysis of Airspace Infringements 2018

Read the full report: Causal Factor Analysis of Airspace Infringements 2017

Airspace infringement series: A controller’s story

A series of controller’s stories from NATS

Mark Davenport, an air traffic controller at Swanwick centre, talks about his experience with airspace infringements. Airspace Infringement Series: A controller’s story… (20 May 2019)

Brian Ringrose is an air traffic controller at Swanwick centre. He talks about his experience looking after airspace around Gatwick. Airspace infringement series: A controller’s story (12 April 2019)

Amanda Rhodes is an air traffic controller at Swanwick Centre.  She talks about her experience looking after airspace around Luton Airport. Airspace Infringement Series: A controller’s story (22 March 2019)

Radar replays

Infringement reports

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Hot-spot narratives and Local Airspace Infringement Teams

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Facts, statistics and incidents

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