Downloaded from 24 December 2015DICK HITT1 Avoiding the Landing Accident n Dick Hitt n Safety Program Manager, Operations n (803) 765-5931,

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April 21, 2023 DICK HITT 1

Avoiding the Landing Avoiding the Landing AccidentAccident

Dick Hitt Safety Program Manager, Operations (803) 765-5931, ext. 112 Columbia Flight Standards District Office e-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.faa.gov/fsdo/cae




9/28/00 to 9/28/01 - 70 loss of control accidents According to the AOPA:

– 48% of Wx related accidents, between 1982 and 1993 involved wind!

1/2 of these were caused by pilots losing control in a cross wind landing

Between Sept, 2000 & Sept 2001, 50% of all accidents in this district occurred

DURING THE LANDING!

The antidote to this is knowledge and The antidote to this is knowledge and practice!practice!




Good pilots have crashes.No one intends to crash.

Most crashes come from an unexpected malfunction of the pilot, not the aircraft.

Lets look at, and talk about, landings.Maybe there is something that we can do

to keep this from happening to us!



We should have some well thought out SOP’s

that fit our airplane

– (Standard Operating Procedures) things that we do

AAll of the time!ll of the time! Every time!Every time!

For Example: DOWNWIND– Always enter the traffic pattern at the same altitude and

airspeed (1.5 Vso or the POH recommended a/s)

– Always make the traffic pattern the same size! Always position the airplane so that it is the same distance

from the runway on downwind.

– 1/2 the length of the strut or the wing





– While still on downwind, pick a go-around point! One that will ALLOW YOU TO MAKE A GO-AROUNDALLOW YOU TO MAKE A GO-AROUND

without conflicting with any trees, terrain, poles,etc.

One that you can see easily from the flare

– If you use flaps, use them the same each time.

– Turn to the base leg when your spot of intended landing

is 45 degrees behind you.

– Make a coordinated turn to base




BASE LEG:

– Air speed 1.4 Vso or POH recommendation

– Adjust speed and altitude (add gust factor if necessary)

– KEEP THE PATTERN SMALL !!!KEEP THE PATTERN SMALL !!!

You should be able to land fromYou should be able to land from ANYANY point in a traffic point in a traffic

pattern, in the event of an engine failure !!!pattern, in the event of an engine failure !!!

– MAKE A COORDINATED TURN TO FINAL

– Plan turn to final so as to roll out aligned with the Plan turn to final so as to roll out aligned with the

centerline (centerline (Do not try to correct it with rudder!)Do not try to correct it with rudder!)






















FINAL: (1.3 Vso or POH recommendation)

– Make final flap setting, if required.

– Make final airspeed adjustment (if necessary)

– Make final cross wind adjustment

Crabbing is ok now, but you must start slipping before

you round out!

– Re-evaluate airspeed, altitude, and centerline alignment

REMEMBER! THE APPROACH IS ALWAYS MADE TO

THE GO-AROUND, NOT THE LANDING!!!




OVER THE FENCE:

– If you have the proper airspeed, altitude, centerline If you have the proper airspeed, altitude, centerline

alignment, decent rate, and ground track -- -- then you alignment, decent rate, and ground track -- -- then you

may continue, If not, GO AROUND !!!may continue, If not, GO AROUND !!!

Naval aviators chant - - “line-up, speed, ball,

flaps, hook, gear…”

I would liked each of us to have our own ‘chant’.

– “Centerline, Drift, Airspeed, Altitude…”



ROUND OUT:

– Stop the decent - enter the flare

– Have the longitudinal axis of the airplane aligned with

the centerline

Remember, you are flying to, and planning on, a

go-around.

The landing only comes if everything is just right!





IN THE FLAIR: Are we over the center line? Is our airspeed proper? Where is that Go-Around point that we picked out Where is that Go-Around point that we picked out

on downwind ?on downwind ? Are we drifting? If we are, do something about it!

– FIX IT OR GO AROUND !

If everything looks good, don’t quit flying!If everything looks good, don’t quit flying!




In a properly executed, cross wind landing, the

longitudinal axis of the airplane is aligned with the

centerline of the runway and there is no drift and

no crab.

When do you release that tiny bit of back pressure

to allow the wheels to touch? Or do you want to do

a full stall landing? (Stall speed is much slower,

due to ground effect.)– (How close are you to your go around point?)




After touchdown, the ailerons still control drift

and the rudder prevents weathervaneining.

When you land correctly, in a cross wind, the

controls are already positioned to taxi in the

cross wind, however you have to increase the

control deflection due to reduced air speed.










Lets review what we’ve talked about so far:– SOP’s

1.5, 1.4, & 1.3 Vso, or POH recommendation Stay Coordinated On downwind, pick a go-around point that will work! Always enter the Pattern at the same altitude and airspeed Always fly the same size traffic pattern (One that will allow

you to land in the event of an emergency) Always plan on the miss, not the landing Chant Slip to a landing in a cross wind Don’t sit in an airplane and wait for it to land. Keep Flying! Stay coordinated



What if it Bounces ?What if it Bounces ?

What if it bounces ?– Why would it ?

Airspeed was too fast and we tried to land anyway! The nose wheel hit and skipped and now we are back in the

air again. (porpoising) Our decent rate was too high. We flared too late and flew it into the runway We flared too high and let it drop in.

Mismanaging our airspeed and decent rate Mismanaging our airspeed and decent rate will make us bouncewill make us bounce!!









What if it Bounces ?What if it Bounces ? How do we fix a bounce ?

– Immediately, bite the bullet and go around. Immediately add FULL power

Establish level flight, using SMALL elevator adjustments

– You may be doing slow flight at an altitude of 3 feet

– Always maintaining the runway centerline !

Once you have regained control and airspeed, establish a

climb (Never, Never, Never, try to climb without adequate

airspeed.) (Accelerate first, then climb)

– A short runway demands an Immediate go around at the

first sign of a botched landing

YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO FIDDLE WITH IT !!!YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO FIDDLE WITH IT !!!




IF YOU HAVE ADEQUATE RUNWAY LENGTH REMAINING:

(Where is that Go-around point that I picked when (Where is that Go-around point that I picked when

I was on downwind?)I was on downwind?)– Apply power at the top of the bounce and flare again.

(IF you have adequate air speed - you have to decide!) Make SMALL elevator adjustments.

This usually does not result in a “pretty” landing.



What if it Bounces ?What if it Bounces ?– When an airplane bounces, it is easy to loose directional

control due to lack of airspeed, especially if you have

dropped it in! You may not have enough airspeed to control it in the air,

and it may have bounced off into some crazy direction!

IMMEDIATELY, GO TO MAX POWER AND RECOVER IN IMMEDIATELY, GO TO MAX POWER AND RECOVER IN

GROUND EFFECT.GROUND EFFECT.

– THIS REQUIRES A LOT OF RUDDER AND SMALL ELEVATOR

MOVEMENTS.

– Get a flight Instructor and Practice: Recoveries from bounces Go-arounds from the flare Slips to a landing



THE TRAFFIC PATTERNTHE TRAFFIC PATTERN




WHY DO PEOPLE FLY SUCH BIG PATTERNS ????

POOR INSTRUCTION

POOR PILOT ABILITY

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING

LACK OF COURTESY

THEY’RE IDIOTS!




SOME TRAFFIC PATTERN TIPS: FLY DOWNWIND 1/4 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY A 1/4 MILE FINAL IS PERFECTLY OKAY !!!! A POWER OFF APPROACH IS PROPER

Don’t drag it in with power

REDUCE POWER OPPISITE YOUR SPOTThen try to land on it

Turn base when you are 45º to your spot IN A PROPERLY SIZED (SMALL)PATTERN -

PEOPLE KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FOR YOU !! AND, you can land from any point in the pattern!!!




10. Great way to build up the expense of having to fly.

9. Tired of looking at all of the old “traffic pattern scenery” and looking for something new.

8. Helps build up that ‘hard to get’ cross country time.

7. Gets you ready for flying the Big Iron.

6. Spread the cheer…airplane noise for everybody!

5. Helps you hide from people looking for you (like pilots waiting to take off)

4. Gives you new answers to the question, “Where are we?”

3. Solves the problem of landing with too much gas!

2. If the engine quits, you can practice those off airport landings.




1.Your instructor always did it to build time!!!



What NOT to Do,What NOT to Do,The old ‘Crab & Kick Method’The old ‘Crab & Kick Method’

Now that we have talked about the correct way to land, lets talk about a popular,

but “wrong” way to land.




Some pilots holds a crab all the way down the

final and through the flare– Then, at some time, best determined by guesswork, our

inept pilot kicks in a bunch of rudder, hoping that when

the airplane lands it will be going straight!

Lots of instructors do it!

Lots of pilots do it!

BUT DON’T YOU DO IT!




If you guess wrong, and kick late, you land in a crab

If you guess wrong and kick early, you drift (Off the runway)

If you do get on the runway okay, your controls are not positioned properly for

the cross wind



Remember this guy?Remember this guy?He did the ‘Crab & He did the ‘Crab &

Kick’!Kick’!




They do it because they have never mastered the art of slipping to a landing!

If you are a “Crab and Kick” pilot, take a flight instructor with you the next time you fly!!

LEARN TO LAND IN A SLIP



How to “Tune up” our How to “Tune up” our landingslandings

Even though we have been talking a lot about the

flare -- a good landing is started in the approach

and traffic pattern

Get a CFI or go by yourself and practice

rectangular patterns, so you traffic patterns will

be better

Go to a safe altitude and practice slow flight– Do not allow the altitude to vary.

This will help your flare



How to “Tune up” our How to “Tune up” our landingslandings

Practice some approach-to-Landing stalls– Don’t allow yourself to gain or loose any altitude prior to

the stall

– Then do it a foot above the runway

Overshooting or Undershooting your turn to final– Practice Turns about a point

– Practice S-turns across a road These will help you compensate for a cross wind



SUMMARYSUMMARY

Develop, and use SOP’s Target airspeeds

1.5, 1.4, 1.3 Vso, or POH speeds (with gust factor)

Work at staying on the speed!

Gust factor, if needed

Before entering the traffic pattern -- know what you will do

on each leg of the traffic pattern!

Pick a “Go-Around” point Be aware that a go-around point not only considers the

runway remaining, but also any obstruction such as power

lines and trees.



SUMMARYSUMMARY

Continually evaluate your situation Airspeed, altitude, traffic pattern size decent rate, ball in

the center, other traffic, wind correction, radio, etc.

Chant

Control drift and airspeed

Be watchful for high sink rates

Know that a stable approach leads to a good landing

Fly to the go-around, not to the landing

Never stop flying the airplane



SUMMARYSUMMARY

Remember:

Throttle = altitude

Elevator = airspeed

Changing one requires changing the other

Consequently, changing one parameter requires TWO control

inputs

The landing is not completed until The landing is not completed until

you are in the hangar!you are in the hangar!



SUMMARYSUMMARY

LANDINGS SEND IMPORTANT SAFETY MESSAGES

BECAUSE THE NECESSARY SKILLS AND JUDGEMENTS ARE SO CRITICLE DURING

LANDINGS -- ANY LAPSE THEREOF WILL REVEAL ITSELF IN A BOTCHED LANDING.



Happy Landings !

AS THEY SAY IN THE AS THEY SAY IN THE MOVIES -MOVIES -



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Downloaded from 24 December 2015DICK HITT1 Avoiding the Landing Accident n Dick Hitt n Safety Program Manager, Operations n (803) 765-5931,