Reference: Airplane Flying Handbook Page 8-21

Learning Objective (Index)

• Learning Objective (Index)
• Key Points
• What
• Why
• How
• Determine Landing Performance - Limitations
• Approach
• Configuration
• Stabilized Approach
• Coordinated Flight
• Touchdown
• After Landing Taxi
• Common Errors
• ACS Standards
• Private ACS
• Commercial ACS

Key Points

• Extend the Approach in Ground Effect
• Transfer Weight from Wings to Wheels
• Maintain Back Pressure

What

• Landing on fields that are rough or have soft surfaces, such as snow, sand, mud, or tall grass

Why

• It’s important to learn how to land on soft field runways in order to ensure a safe landing.
• By learning to safely land an airplane on different surfaces, the pilot has many more airport available landing fields.
• In the case of an emergency landing this maneuver will be very important in making a safe landing.

How

Determine Landing Performance - Limitations

Approach

Configuration

Stabilized Approach

Coordinated Flight

Touchdown

After Landing Taxi

Common Errors

1. Excessive descent rate on final approach.
2. Excessive airspeed on final approach.
3. Unstable approach.
4. Round out too high above the runway surface.
5. Poor power management during round out and touchdown.
6. Hard touchdown.
7. Inadequate control of the airplane weight transfer from wings to wheels after touchdown.
8. Allowing the nose-wheel to “fall” to the runway after touchdown rather than controlling its descent.

ACS Standards

Private ACS

• Complete the appropriate checklist.
• Make radio calls as appropriate.
• Ensure the aircraft is aligned with the correct/assigned runway.
• Scan the landing runway and adjoining area for traffic and obstructions.
• Consider the wind conditions, landing surface, obstructions, and select a suitable touchdown point.
• Establish the recommended approach and landing configuration and airspeed, and adjust pitch attitude and power as required to maintain a stabilized approach.
• Maintain manufacturer’s recommended approach airspeed, or in its absence, not more than 1.3 VSO, +10/-5 knots, or as recommended for the aircraft type and gust velocity.
• Maintain crosswind correction and directional control throughout the approach and landing.
• Make smooth, timely, and correct control inputs during the round out and touchdown and, for tricycle gear airplanes, keep the nose wheel off the surface until loss of elevator effectiveness.
• Touch down with minimum sink rate, no side drift, and with the airplane’s longitudinal axis aligned with the center of the runway.
• Maintain elevator as recommended by manufacturer during rollout and exit the “soft” area at a speed that would preclude sinking into the surface.
• Execute a timely go-around if the approach cannot be made within the tolerances specified above or for any other condition that may result in an unsafe approach or landing.
• Maintain proper position of the flight controls and sufficient speed to taxi on the soft surface.

Commercial ACS

• Maintain manufacturer’s recommended approach airspeed, or in its absence, not more than 1.3 VSO, +/-5 knots, or as recommended for the aircraft type and gust velocity.