Frequently, when transferring large files using AirDrop, it will suddenly fail mid-transfer. Looking into the macOS logs reveals the fault:
error 19:45:25.701432-0700 sharingd SDAirDropFileZipper: bomCopierFatalErrorPtr - cpio read error: bad file format
error 19:45:25.701517-0700 sharingd SDAirDropCompressor: CFWriteStreamWrite returned -1
default 19:45:25.701533-0700 sharingd Zipper Update: Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=5 "Input/output error" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=cpio read error: bad file format}
default 19:45:25.706094-0700 sharingd Closing output stream
default 19:45:25.707901-0700 sharingd Invalidating XPC helper for macOS downloads directory
error 19:45:25.708039-0700 sharingd Decompression failed Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=5 "Input/output error" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=cpio read error: bad file format}