Nine Bay Area airports, including SFO and Oakland, are on the FAA’s “hot spot” list notifying pilots about areas on the ground at US airports that could potentially be the sites of collisions or near-misses due to confusing layouts and busy runway crossings.

As the Chronicle reports, the Federal Aviation Administration keeps an ongoing list of over 150 “hot spot” US airports, with the aim of bringing awareness to pilots and drivers on the ground about areas that have a history of collisions or near-misses — or areas that pose a potential risk, according to the FAA. Thirty-four California airports are included on the list, including San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport, and Mineta San Jose International, and six others in the Bay Area.

“We review these hot spots regularly with the FAA, airlines, and ground operators to heighten awareness and develop mitigation strategies,” SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel told the Chronicle.

At SFO, the FAA identified four ground “hot spots” tied to navigation errors and unclear markings, as the Chronicle reports. In one area, pilots taxiing east on Taxiway B have turned onto the wrong path, putting their planes in danger; and in another area of the airport, missed turns have led aircraft to cross active runways, per the Chronicle. Two additional locations involve uncertainty about where to stop before runway crossings, particularly where pavement markings are less visible.

The Chronicle reports that at Oakland International Airport, three areas were flagged for potential confusion on the ground. In one, similarly labeled taxiways intersecting a runway have led to mix-ups. In another, aircraft departing the gate have missed turns and continued toward a runway. A third involves a taxiway segment where the risk of entering a runway without clearance is elevated.

At least three close calls have occurred at SFO in the past year. In June 2025, as SFist reported, an overtired air traffic controller cleared a plane to cross an active runway in error before the pilot caught it. And in May 2025, two planes came within about a mile of each other in flight, as the Chronicle reported. In September, as People magazine reported, a ground collision occurred between two United Airlines planes in an area where air traffic controllers “do not communicate with flights.”

As SFist reported in 2023, runway close calls are becoming a growing problem nationwide. Multiple incidents at SFO drew national attention that year, including three near-misses in a single day where planes came within 30 to 50 feet of each other, and two aborted landings after pilots spotted aircraft still on the runway.

In 2017, as SFist reported, an Air Canada jet almost landed on a taxiway lined with planes full of passengers, coming close to killing over 1,000 people. In that case, the pilot had mistaken Taxiway C for a runway, and an air traffic controller managed to catch the error and tell the pilot to pull up just in time.

According to Yakel, SFO began implementing various improvements in 2024, per the Chronicle.

“Such strategies may be procedural, or they may be consist of physical improvements, such as this taxiway improvement project completed in 2024, or the runway project starting later this month, which includes adjacent taxiway work,” Yakel said.

Yakel said “hot spot” airports are often kept on the list even after improvements are made, ensuring that airport personnel continue to be mindful of the risks.

Image: Russss/Wikimedia

Related: Close Calls on SFO Runways Are Just Tip of the Iceberg In Broader National Trend