Date: 202009
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: small aircraft
Operator: FBO
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: VFR
Mission: Training
Flight phase: Taxi; Takeoff / Launch
Reporter organization: Personal
Reporter function: Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial
Human factors: Confusion
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown; Ground Incursion Runway
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Taxi
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: At ZZZ; my student and I were taxing to runway XX when we observed a man standing past the runway threshold marker off of [the] taxiway. He was standing in the grass just off of the runway and another [aircraft] was doing touch and goes. I alerted the landing Aircraft Y that the man was there and that it would be a runway incursion if he chose to land. He did not respond and continued to come down to land. He got off on the taxiway next to the man and taxied behind us. Aircraft Z started taxing and we asked if the man was still on runway XX as it was out of our visual range. Aircraft Z confirmed that he was still standing on the runway so we continued to wait. After a few minutes passed we got a call over the radio from the FBO at the airport that the man had entered Aircraft Z and he was no longer on the runway. Much to our surprised after we got going on runway XX the man was still present on the runway but he was crouching next the runway by the taxiway sign which is still past the runway threshold. We continued on our flight.


Second narrative: On taxiing for takeoff; my instructor and I noticed several people seemingly wandering out toward the runway environment. We waved them to go back toward the hanger area. As we continued taxiing; we saw another male standing alone at the edge of runway XX/XY. He was beyond the taxiway hold markings and physically standing on the runway where it meets the taxiway. We notified the FBO that there were people on the active runway; and warned the incoming landing aircraft of the imminent probability of an incursion. The pilot did not acknowledge our transmission and continued to land; pass by the person standing in the runway edge and taxied up behind us. We had completed run-up; while my instructor was on the radio notifying the FBO again of this additional person on the runway. We held our position in the run-up area for runway XX; and another taxiing plane confirmed that the individual was still on [the] taxiway; and still on the runway side of the hold markings. A few moments later; the plane that had landed with the person on the runway finally came over the radio and stated the individual was his instructor; and he was just soloing. We informed him to please reach out to him and have him move off the runway. No response. During this time; the individual was beyond visual range; so we waited to take the runway until the FBO resolved the issue. After a couple more minutes; the FBO radioed that he was now gone; and had gotten into Aircraft Z probably; but was gone from the area. We took the runway; and made our takeoff run. Just after takeoff; we observed the man crouched behind the taxiway identification sign; still in the active runway area. We radioed back to the FBO to notify them that he was in fact; still on the runway environment. We were not in close enough proximity or on a path to collide with him; so we took no evasive action; and processed with our climb out and continued our flight as scheduled.


Synopsis: Flight instructor and student reported a man standing near the active runway environment.