Use caution in runway vicinity Published Jan. 12, 2010 By 1st Lt. Joost Verduyn 81st TRW Public Affiars KEESLER AFB, Ms. -- Walking across the runway or ignoring the flashing lights on Ploesti Drive can have dangerous or even fatal consequences. Individuals participating in this unsafe activity can expect to be picked up by base operations and transferred to security forces for questioning, said Justin Cooper, chief of airfield operations for the 81st Operations Support Flight. Two contractors were fired from their jobs in November for crossing the runway. Mr. Cooper said a C-21 landed within 10 minutes of the contractors' walk. Aircraft can cause damage to vehicles, including chipped paint and blown-out windows caused by jet blasts. If there was an in-flight emergency, a plane could even collide with a car on the runway, causing serious injury or death, according to the airfield operations office. Ignoring the lights also causes a risk to the planes. A car in the path of the plane interferes with the aircraft navigational aid and could obstruct approach lighting systems at night, airfield operations personnel said. Runners using the I-81 track are also required to stop when the Ploesti Drive traffic lights are activated in order to avoid risking personal injury, said airfield operations. Runway accidents have occurred at Keesler in the past. In December 1990, a Marine Corps KC-130 Hercules aircraft came crashing into the water after overrunning the runway. The plane missed by 15 yards a car the end of the runway. Just because a plane isn't in sight doesn't mean the lights can be ignored. If a plane is having an in-flight emergency, the lights will be turned on when the aircraft is as far as 10 miles away from the airfield, said Mr. Cooper. But runway lights don't need to be on for the runway to be open, Mr. Cooper said. Aircraft could still be flying while the pilot uses night vision goggles. The runway could also still be open even if it is a weekend, a holiday or a compressed work schedule Friday, Mr. Cooper noted.