The ASDE-X surface detection system worked as designed.
If you haven't driven a car at a complex airport on manoeuvring areas, you have no idea how easy it is to drive onto restricted areas, or even the wrong taxiway.
Air-side topography is generally flat, the low driving height in a car relative to aircraft cockpit heights, plus the wide taxiways are factors that contribute to runway incursions. Also, ground controllers almost always want the vehicle operator to expedite.
At some airports, it is actually easier to drive on manoeuvring areas at night, because of the colour of air-side lighting delineating intersections, taxiways and runways.
A study of runway incursions will reveal that more pilots than vehicle operators have made wrong turns air-side.
The ho polloi have no idea how common incursions are. As a pilot who has landed at many unfamiliar airports in a high-wing tail-dragger, I truly appreciate the difficulty in taxiing towards the right exit and apron.
Last edited by evansb; 17th Oct 2015 at 18:25.