Based in the UK, Josh is a keen writer with a degree in Military History. Having worked previously as a financial journalist, he has covered the aviation industry extensively, reporting on airlines’ results and monthly passenger statistics in the aftermath of the pandemic, alongside the likes of regulation around sustainable fuels, and the prospects for hydrogen-powered commercial flight. He joins Simple Flying with a lifelong love of all things aviation.
It is not uncommon to land at the end of a flight and be surprised by how aggressively the pilot forcefully put your aircraft down on the runway. A flight may be almost perfect from boarding to descent, but a hard landing can still make many passengers nervous. Indeed, every frequent flyer will have at least one anecdote about the feeling of being thrown down and jostled about in the final moments of their journey.
Fear not, though, as most of the time an uncomfortable arrival will have been very deliberately carried out and attributed to one or more of a host of factors. Runway length, for instance, may mean that such a positive landing, as it is known across the industry, is necessary. Other reasons can stretch to the likes of the aircraft characteristics themselves, weather conditions, and constraints at airports, which means a firm landing would be no accident.
Short Runways
The most obvious reason behind a hard landing is a short runway at the destination, as mentioned above. Here, positive landings, being those where a pilot has decisively put an aircraft down rather than attempting a perfect, soft touchdown, are often carried out to ensure safety.
Where short runways exist, so does the need to get weight-on-wheels as fast as possible so an aircraft’s automatic speed-reduction systems can properly kick in. Naturally, once the likes of brakes and spoilers are properly engaged, with the landing gear in as much contact with the runway as possible, the risks of running off diminish.
Ryanair and easyJet can often be spotted at secondary, regional airports given efforts to keep costs to a minimum. This often means having to make do with shorter runways, though, with the former’s fleet of Boeing 737s typically needing 5,000 to 7,000 feet for safe landings and easyJet’s Airbus A320s requiring slightly less. Among the shortest runways currently in use by the duo is at Skiathos International Airport (JSI) in Greece, at approximately 5,341 feet. Needless to say, the margins in this case are fine, and so a pilot heading for the Greek island might not be blamed for a hard landing.
Aircraft Type
Aircraft type is the next major factor when it comes to whether a landing might be hard or not. Within this, weight plays a very obvious role, but design is also key. The 737, as used by Ryanair, offers a prime example of an aircraft where a hard landing might actually be favored. In this case, the 737’s low fuselage and stiff landing gear make it more prone to tail strikes during soft landings, where pilots might try to flare too much. Alternatively, the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 have massive inertia and their landing gear are engineered to absorb shocks that passengers might otherwise perceive as a hard landing on smaller aircraft.
As India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation wrote to airline chief executives in 2010: “Pilots need to be made aware that achieving a particular ‘g’ value on touchdown is no measure of a good landing. Landings should be judged not by how soft the landing has been, but if it has been made at the correct speed and touchdown zone […] The airplane manufacturers lay down limits of ‘g’ values for landing and operators need to guard against imposing lower values.”
Of course, some caution and common sense need to be exercised. There is little point in making a positive landing in perfect conditions on a runway with ample room, say. However, the point stands that manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus account for varying airport dimensions and so design their aircraft for adequate versatility accordingly.
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Posts 5 By Antonio Di Trapani As A Safety Precaution
A contaminated runway will more often than not call for a positive landing. Whether it be water, snow, slush, or ice – the most common natural contaminants – on a runway, the solution can usually be found in simply making contact with the ground fast so the aircraft can begin working to slow itself.
Airbus provides a Runway Condition Assessment Matrix for pilots to determine expected landing performance around runways that have been covered by such contaminants. These range from perfectly normal in dry weather to effectively non-existent braking in cases of wet ice, for example.
Runway Surface Conditions and Landing Performance, from Airbus:
Runway Condition
ESF/PIREP
Observations on Deceleration & Directional Control
Level/Code
Max Crosswind
Dry
–
–
DRY / 6
38 kt
Damp
Wet (≤ 3 mm / 1/8″)
Slush (≤ 3 mm)
Dry snow (≤ 3 mm)
Wet snow
Frost
Good
Braking deceleration is normal for the wheel braking effort applied.
Directional control is normal.
GOOD / 5
29 kt – 38 kt
Compacted Snow (≤ -15°C)
Good to medium
Braking deceleration and controllability are between good and medium.
GOOD TO MEDIUM / 4
29kt
Dry Snow (> 3 mm up to 100 mm)
Wet Snow (> 3 mm up to 30 mm)
Compacted Snow (> -15°C)
Slippery when wet
Medium
Braking deceleration is noticeably reduced.
Directional control may be reduced.
MEDIUM / 3
25 kt
Water (> 3 mm up to 12.7 mm / 1/2″)
Slush (> 3 mm up to 12.7 mm)
Medium to poor
Braking deceleration and controllability are between medium and poor.
Hydroplaning possible.
MEDIUM TO POOR / 2
20 kt
Ice (cold & dry)
Poor
Braking deceleration is significantly reduced.
Directional control may be significantly reduced.
POOR / 1
15 kt
Wet Ice / Water on Compacted Snow / Snow over Ice
Nil
Braking deceleration is minimal to non-existent.
Directional control may be uncertain.
–
–
*ESF: Estimated Surface Friction. PIREP: Pilot Report of Braking Action
For landings on contaminated runways, Airbus lays out tips for pilots. As one might expect, these follow the weight-on-wheels philosophy and some are as follows: “Perform early and firm touchdown […] as runway behind you is no use, firm to ensure no delay in ground spoiler extension, brake physical onset, and reverse extension by sluggish wheel spin-up and or delayed flight to ground transition of the gear squat switches. Decelerate as much as you can as soon as you can: aerodynamic drag and reverse thrust are most effective at high speed, then moderate braking only at low taxi speed after a safe stop on the runway is assured. Do not delay lowering the nose wheel onto the runway, [as] it increases weight on braked wheels and may activate aircraft systems, such as auto-brake.”
Other Constraints At Airports
Reasons behind a hard landing can boil down to factors like noise constraints or terrain. London City Airport (LCY) offers the perfect example of an airport where such constrictions must be taken into account. Flying into the heart of England’s capital requires a steeper 5.5-degree approach, against the standard three degrees. As such, firmer contact with the runway is just part and parcel of flying into the city airport.
That is not all, though, with airport elevation among a host of other factors that need to be considered prior to landing. Air density falls at greater altitudes, so the higher an airport is relative to sea level, the less pilots can bank on drag to slow their aircraft. In the absence of a longer landing strip to account for the higher true airspeed a plane must fly in such instances, heavier braking is required, again meaning getting weight-on-wheels as soon as possible is key.
Runway surface itself is a factor, though it is mainly more to do with weather conditions, as touched on above in the case of commercial flying, much like wind and weight. Aside from this, accounting for any slopes on the runway itself is also important, especially if there are any facing downward in the direction of landing.
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Posts By Josh Lamb Brake-To-Vacate
There is an elephant in the room when it comes to hard landings. While these are often carried out for safety purposes, pressure on pilots to stick to quick turnaround schedules can also play a part.
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Known as brake-to-vacate, Airbus boasts an advanced flight control system whereby a pilot can pick out a specific runway exit before even touching the ground. The practice of landing aggressively to exit a runway as soon as possible is common, though, and makes for a key way of saving time on the ground.
Realistically, many of us will have watched the terminal shoot by upon landing and then sat for what seems like an eternity before the aircraft finally makes its way to the gate for disembarking. Ryanair, for instance, with its infamous 25-minute turnaround pledge, again offers a standout example of an airline that takes advantage of the brake-to-vacate-esque practice.
Almost Countless Reasons To Blame For A Hard Landing
At the end of the day, getting wheels on the ground as fast as possible offers a solution to several issues pilots might encounter on approach. Whether that be a need to cut down time on the ground, accounting for slippery conditions on the landing surface itself, or because of a short runway.
A positive landing provides an answer in most cases, so if in doubt, rest assured, a hard touchdown is actually most likely the safest way for a pilot to deliver passengers to their destination.
Quiz 5 Questions Why That Hard Landing Felt So Rough (And Why It’s Probably Safe) Your Top Score — Attempts — Start Quiz 0 0 Report Error
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