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AviationForced Landing Technique
Twenty flashcards on emergency landings from the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook: terrain, configuration, fuel, flaps and the turn back.
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20 cards
- What is a forced landing?
- An immediate landing, on or off an airport, because flight cannot continue, such as after an engine failure.
- What is a precautionary landing?
- A planned landing when flight is still possible but unwise: worsening weather, being lost, low fuel or engine trouble building up.
- What is ditching?
- A forced or precautionary landing on water.
- Which three mental traps can slow a pilot in an emergency?
- Not accepting the emergency, undue fear of getting hurt, and the wish to save the airplane.
- What two things largely prevent crash injuries?
- Keeping the cabin intact by letting wings, gear and belly absorb the stop, and strapping in so bodies do not strike the interior.
- Why does touchdown speed matter so much?
- Doubling the groundspeed quadruples the destructive energy.
- At a uniform 9G stop, how much distance is needed at 50 and at 100 mph?
- About 9.4 feet at 50 mph and about 37.6 feet at 100 mph.
- What sink rate on a hard surface can injure occupants?
- A flat touchdown well above 500 feet per minute.
- What governs the choice of an emergency landing site?
- The route chosen in preflight planning, height above the ground and any excess airspeed.
- How many times should a pilot change the landing plan?
- As a general rule, no more than once.
- Why use flaps on final, and why with care?
- They improve slow-speed handling and lower stall speed, but used too early they cut gliding distance.
- When should the battery master switch go off?
- Only once electrical power is no longer needed for vital systems; switching off before touchdown lowers fire risk.
- What about the engine and fuel before touchdown?
- It is generally better to switch them off just before touchdown; a cooled engine cuts the fire hazard.
- Which three factors shape the approach to a chosen field?
- Wind direction and speed, the field's size and slope, and obstacles on final.
- Which is less hazardous: hitting an obstacle at the end of the slide or before touchdown?
- At the end of the ground roll or slide; striking it at flying speed is far worse.
- How should an airplane be set up for a tree landing?
- Normal landing configuration, full flaps and gear down, into the wind, nose-high, at minimum speed but not below stall.
- Why avoid tall trees with thin tops?
- They allow a long free fall: from 75 feet the impact is about 40 knots, or about 4,000 feet per minute.
- How is a low-wing airplane configured for ditching?
- No more than intermediate flaps, and retractable gear up unless the AFM/POH says otherwise.
- After an engine failure on climb-out, what is usually the lowest-risk choice?
- Land straight ahead or with a slight turn, under control and as slowly as possible.
- In the FAA turn-back example from 300 feet AGL, where does the airplane end up?
- After 4 seconds of reaction, 225 degrees of turn and about 1,000 feet per minute of descent, it is 1,016 feet below the runway.
Official sources
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 18: Emergency Procedures
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