A method comprising: detecting, by one or more processing devices, a ground surface threat to an aircraft, wherein the ground surface threat comprises a vehicle or structure on the ground on a collision trajectory with the aircraft, wherein the aircraft is conducting takeoff, landing or ground operations in which terrain avoidance and traffic advisory alerts are inhibited, and wherein a collision trajectory comprises a trajectory of the ground surface threat relative to a trajectory of the aircraft; determining (117, 225, 426, 602), by the one or more processing devices, whether a sufficient evasive maneuver for the aircraft to avoid the detected ground surface threat is performed via pilot controls of the aircraft within a selected threshold of distance (224, 425) after an alert of the ground surface threat is outputted (221, 222, 223, 302, 422, 423, 424, 502) via one or more cockpit systems (150, 152, 300, 500) of the aircraft; and in response to determining that a sufficient evasive maneuver via the pilot controls is not performed within the selected threshold of distance: determining, by the one or more processing devices, an automated evasive maneuver based on geometry information of an area proximate to the aircraft, wherein the geometry information is stored at a data storage system operatively coupled to the one or more processors; once triggered, indicating, by the one or more processors, that an automated threat avoidance system is entering an automated threat avoidance mode; controlling, by the one or more processing devices, one or more aircraft direction control systems (160, 180, 190) of the aircraft to perform the determined automated evasive maneuver (118, 227, 228, 229, 427, 428, 429, 604) to avoid the ground surface threat, wherein aircraft direction control systems comprise one or more of flight control surfaces, ground wheel steering, engine thrust, and brakes; and in response to determining that a sufficient threat avoidance maneuver is being performed via pilot controls, discontinue automatically performing the automated evasive maneuver. detecting, by one or more processing devices, a ground surface threat to an aircraft, wherein the ground surface threat comprises a vehicle or structure on the ground on a collision trajectory with the aircraft, wherein the aircraft is conducting takeoff, landing or ground operations in which terrain avoidance and traffic advisory alerts are inhibited, and wherein a collision trajectory comprises a trajectory of the ground surface threat relative to a trajectory of the aircraft; wherein the ground surface threat comprises a vehicle or structure on the ground on a collision trajectory with the aircraft, wherein the aircraft is conducting takeoff, landing or ground operations in which terrain avoidance and traffic advisory alerts are inhibited, and wherein a collision trajectory comprises a trajectory of the ground surface threat relative to a trajectory of the aircraft; determining (117, 225, 426, 602), by the one or more processing devices, whether a sufficient evasive maneuver for the aircraft to avoid the detected ground surface threat is performed via pilot controls of the aircraft within a selected threshold of distance (224, 425) after an alert of the ground surface threat is outputted (221, 222, 223, 302, 422, 423, 424, 502) via one or more cockpit systems (150, 152, 300, 500) of the aircraft; and in response to determining that a sufficient evasive maneuver via the pilot controls is not performed within the selected threshold of distance: determining, by the one or more processing devices, an automated evasive maneuver based on geometry information of an area proximate to the aircraft, wherein the geometry information is stored at a data storage system operatively coupled to the one or more processors; once triggered, indicating, by the one or more processors, that an automated threat avoidance system is entering an automated threat avoidance mode; controlling, by the one or more processing devices, one or more aircraft direction control systems (160, 180, 190) of the aircraft to perform the determined automated evasive maneuver (118, 227, 228, 229, 427, 428, 429, 604) to avoid the ground surface threat, wherein aircraft direction control systems comprise one or more of flight control surfaces, ground wheel steering, engine thrust, and brakes; and in response to determining that a sufficient threat avoidance maneuver is being performed via pilot controls, discontinue automatically performing the automated evasive maneuver. determining, by the one or more processing devices, an automated evasive maneuver based on geometry information of an area proximate to the aircraft, wherein the geometry information is stored at a data storage system operatively coupled to the one or more processors; once triggered, indicating, by the one or more processors, that an automated threat avoidance system is entering an automated threat avoidance mode; controlling, by the one or more processing devices, one or more aircraft direction control systems (160, 180, 190) of the aircraft to perform the determined automated evasive maneuver (118, 227, 228, 229, 427, 428, 429, 604) to avoid the ground surface threat, wherein aircraft direction control systems comprise one or more of flight control surfaces, ground wheel steering, engine thrust, and brakes; and in response to determining that a sufficient threat avoidance maneuver is being performed via pilot controls, discontinue automatically performing the automated evasive maneuver.