Federal Aviation Administration data uncovers 291 high-risk runway ‘hot spots’ at airports across the United States, where runway incursions, near-collisions, and taxiing errors pose significant dangers. These marked areas on pilot charts highlight locations with a history of confusion and elevated collision risks, challenging even seasoned crews.
A recent fatal incident at New York’s LaGuardia Airport underscores these threats. An Air Canada Express regional jet collided with a Port Authority fire truck on Runway 4, causing severe cockpit damage and multiple fatalities.
California Leads with 80+ Hot Spots
California airports claim the highest number, with 34 facilities featuring over 80 hot spots. Major hubs like Los Angeles International, San Francisco International, and San Diego International suffer from complex layouts that fuel pilot confusion. At LAX, aircraft frequently exit one runway and approach another in quick succession, leading to incidents such as a September 2024 American Airlines jet aborting takeoff to avoid a crossing cargo plane.
San Francisco averages three incursions per 100,000 flights since 2010, peaking in 2023. Smaller sites, including Watsonville Municipal Airport, saw a deadly 2022 midair collision that killed three as planes approached to land.
Northeast’s Dense Traffic Challenges
Newark Liberty, Reagan National, JFK, LaGuardia, Philadelphia, and Boston grapple with disorienting taxiways and heavy traffic. LaGuardia pilots navigate intersecting runways amid high volume. In May 2025, a passenger jet aborted takeoff there after spotting another aircraft just 0.27 miles away on the same runway. Newark reported 2025-2026 close calls, including radar blackouts and emergency incursions.
Southwest Confusion Points
Phoenix Sky Harbor sees pilots mistaking taxiways for runways. In 2025, United Airlines Flight 1724 and Delta Air Lines Flight 1070 nearly collided midair near the airport, with 400 passengers aboard, separated by just 425 feet. Albuquerque International Sunport features converging taxiways, while Salt Lake City International reports misjudged distances, like a 2024 incident with planes 530 feet apart due to communication errors. Las Vegas’s Harry Reid International flags wrong-runway alignments.
Midwest Congestion Risks
Denver International, Chicago O’Hare, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Kansas City, Des Moines, and St. Louis Lambert face tight spacing and rapid crossings. Randy Klatt, flight safety officer for The Foundation for Aviation Safety, notes: “No airport is designed to be more unsafe, but they can’t all be neatly laid out on 50 square miles.” He adds: “Most large US airports are surrounded by development and have little room to expand. As traffic increases at older, crowded airports, the potential for safety issues naturally rises.”
Southeast and Beyond
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, the world’s busiest, endures tight runways. In August 2025, Delta Flight DL295 clipped a parked Endeavor Air CRJ-900 during pushback, severing its tail and damaging an Airbus A350 wing. Florida airports report wrong alignments.
Alaska’s Anchorage battles low visibility, while Hawaii’s Honolulu saw three close calls in early 2023, including a United flight crossing a runway as a Cessna landed. Pacific Northwest sites like Seattle-Tacoma and Portland note unauthorized entries.
These active hot spots signal ongoing nationwide risks, urging pilots and officials to address persistent safety gaps.
