Emergency landing
 

I've heard this often discussed - whether or not making an energency landing on a road would be a good idea or not. I'd be interested in hearing opinions from our forum members; and especially if CFIs are addressing the pros and cons of such a decision.

Plane hit by 3 cars after Calif. freeway landing - Yahoo! News

USMCFLYR

I teach what to do based on the prevailing circumstances and try to get the student to think about the entire issue, not just memorize a procedure but actually think about the fact you can lose your engine anytime and anywhere when you are flying an airplane. The geography in the US varies so much I would say that the main criteria to consider is whether you have any options besides roads and airstrips at all. Landing on a busy highway is usually fairly low in the matrix of options, but if you have rocks and water on all sides, then maybe it's worth a try. In day VFR it's best to land in a field beside the highway, if there is one, because there are power lines and cars on the road itself. If the highway is one that is not very busy and it looks to be clear of power lines as some rural divided highways do, then go ahead and have that. Night is a whole other ball game, I would never land on a road at night because you stand a much better chance of wrapping the airplane up in the power lines. I would opt for dirt near a lighted area in that case.

One of the things I see is often missed is how to calculate gliding distance. The lift to drag ratio for any airplane can easily be used ot figure out how far you are going to go before hitting dirt. For example, in an airplane that has a 10 to 1 lift-to-drag ratio, and loses an engine at 10k ft. above ground, for every thousand feet of downward travel you get ten times that in forward travel. So, 100k ft. forward travel divided by 6,100 ft per nm gives about 16 miles of glide. This is a quick way to estimate what your options really are.

I absolutely agree that there is not one answer for every situation. In my community we like to answer any question we don't know the answer too with "it depends on the tactical situation" :D


I had a situation once on my pre-solo checkride where I was faced with that decision (simulated thank goodness). I was flying out of Corpus Christi, TX down over the King Ranch area and my IP gave me a Low Altitude Power Loss (LAPL) and I was right next to a long, long, long stretch of deserted highway. I turned to set up myself for the approach to the road. My IP obviously wanted me to go with one of the fields to the east. We knocked it off and set it up again with me this time picking out an open field and completing the approach.

After the flight he told me that he still had reservations about my initial move to the road on the LAPL. I told him that if he passed me and I soloed the next day and had a power loss in the same situation that he should come looking for me on the road (in a respectful manner of course!);) Luckily for me - he passed me and I had an uneventful solo the next day. Ah the memories of Primary Flight Training..........:(

Thanks for the input Cub.
Spot on as usual.

USMCFLYR

Wonder what the lift to glide ratio is for an F-16? That's a single engine bird and it would have to be a fairly low ratio, I am guessing 6 to one. I am sure they are trained to think fast at low altitude in those airplanes when the engine quits. Most other jets you have two engines so it's not as much of a possibility to lose both, although it does happen.

Plenty of former/current F-16 pilots on the forum here. Maybe one will pipe up. There is a classic HUD video/radio calls of the flameout and the successful landing of an F-16 in the midwest (I think) somewhere. Excellent job by the pilot and his wingman.

USMCFLYR

I see roads being an option for only small aircraft. I can't imagine trying to do this in a heavy. But, if you had no other options, it has to be better than landing in trees, rough terrain, or buildings.

This thread reminds me of 405: The Movie

hahah

Years ago, while I was still in the Air Force (non-rated), I took my pop, may he RIP, up for a scenic out of North Myrtle Beach, SC. I started losing power less than 200agl after takeoff in a Warrior II and noticed the oil pressure rapidly dropping to 0. There was nothing in front but tall Pines and a jam packed parking lot at the Barefoot Traders.

I have always been taught that you land straight ahead, but that was death and dismemberment. I did have partial power when I initiated the turn back to the field, but the prop seized maybe 20 deg into the turn. I continued a 180, to line up to ditch in the Intracoastal, radioed, and started getting set up. That's when I noticed a small square opening in the woods at the back of the golf course adjacent the airport. I figured I could just make it and get slowed enough to minimize injuries. I got her around almost 270 deg and came in just over the trees, got her down and pointed into a clear spot I had not seen from the air. We managed to stop without hitting anything or bending metal.

My point is that I agree - every situation will be unique - and you had better "do that pilot sh*t" and be fortunate enough to fly the airplane right and make the decisions that, with luck, get you down safely.

Oh, and firetrucks are really bad for golf courses. :D

Sometimes a road is all you got. The cars need to move....

Usually they won't...they are not scanning the sky.

Roads are flytraps...they look good from a distance, but often have fences, lightpoles, powerlines, or other obstructions which will guarantee a cartwheel or worse.

Fields are best. If you are in a totally built up area, another option might be the flat roof of a large warehouse or shopping center, it will probably hold the weigh of an ASEL...just aim between the AC units.

Interesting input about landing on the roof of a warehouse... I never really thought of that. Up north here, we always discuss the option of landing on a frozen lake in the wintertime, can't get much flatter than that.

Southern Airways tried putting a Nine on a road, worked pretty good till they hit the gas station.

This is a pretty good article on it.

Can I Land On That?

Pretty good guess. The classic answer is 1 NM per 1,000 ft AGL (or 6:1 as you guessed). A completely clean jet is actually a little closer to 8.5:1, but it's best to err to the conservative for some non-jettisonable stores, etc cuz landing in a field is not really an option (the 16 is F-16 is not derived from any 4x4 capabilities).

So.........you're going to land on a road.
Do you land WITH traffic or AGAINST traffic (let's assume it is light to light-moderate)? In the article posted above the video shows one successful emergency landing while flying with the flow of traffic. Who has opinions on this? Please share!

USMCFLYR

Taca 110
 

TACA pilots deadsticked a 737 onto a batture (narrow grass strip alongside a levee, not the levee itself) near MSY. Boeing test pilots flew it out.

TACA Flight 110 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here are pictures; the photographer was a different "Tom":

Taca 737 On New Orleans Levee (pic) — Civil Aviation Forum | Airliners.net

Definitely WITH traffic. Nothing like a textbook power-off approach and touchdown just in time to be killed in a head-on collision with a car. In all seriousness, IF I had the choice, I would probably land with traffic. We all know that its never our choice when something like this happens. I always teach my students the rules of three: Aviate, navigate, communicate, and trim, Trim, TRIM!

Great points. So you would rather have to maneuver around the traffic that might not see you coming from behind than HOPE that the cars see you coming and can get out of your way. I would tend to agree. the article above also speaks to getting the call out and maybe having the police/LE block off traffic for a particular section of road. I remember an occassion from many years ago when that exact circumstance happened and the small GA had enough altitude and time for the LE to get into position.

USMCLFYR

Never thought about calling ahead to try and block the road. Not a bad idea if your up high enough I suppose.

You DEFINITELY don't want to go head on...most cars will crush you like a beer can. If you hit a vintage VW bug, it will be an even match.

Land with the traffic, with luck you can fit in behind the folks in front of you, and the people behind you will hit the brakes. If you do hit a car, you will have less relative velocity.

Speaking of this.

My friend was practicing emergency procedures for his PPL checkride. He chose the only suitable landing spot which was a road. But standing right in the middle of the road was a big ol' moose.:D

I did my ppl in socal so there are a lot of freeways. My instructor taught me to look for other options first as discussed in previous posts, but if the freeway is the only option, make the 'final' approach with flaps up (with the flow of traffic). In a 152/172 this allows you to glide closer to the speed of the flow of traffic, if it is light to moderate traffic. Then just 'merge' in (or down).

One thing I do, thanks to my instructor, is always look for a place to put the plane down if I have to. I do this from the moment I take off to the moment I land. It is akin to the 'what if game' which is a good habit to have whenever you are doing something that has inherent risk in it.

As simple as: Walking across the street, what if that car doesn't stop? what is my out/plan.

what if that driver slams the brakes/serves etc?...what is my out/plan

what if the oil pressure in my 152 goes to 0, and the engine takes a vacation? ...what is my out/plan.

I think another factor is the type of vehicle that is on the road. A car can maneuver a lot faster than a semi. Fortunately everyone walked away from this emergency landing.

ksl.com - Small plane makes emergency landing on I-80

The interesting thing about the area near Wendover Utah is the area is surrounded by the salt flats.

As i recall sometimes the limiting factor is the hydrazine generator providing power? No gliding say 40 miles from 40,000 as the flight controls would quit operating before touchdown.

I always taught to avoid Highways/Interstates unless it's the only option. Just as mentioned above, planes are designed to take vertical impacts from landings, but you put them head-on or rear-ended, they are going to be destroyed with you being a crash dummy. You can land most single engine 4-seaters in a very small footprint if you practice power off landings often.

As far as theories for landing on a busy road, I think setting an approach speeed is very important, use an upwind leg to determine wind, so then if you can make a "pattern" you know what airspeed to use. Flying slower than the pace of traffic if at all possible when you get below 500'. You do this, people catching up to you will see you(hopefully) and then slow down, vs coming up on top of someone that would have no idea. Making yourself visible to the traffic by doing a high/long final over top so folks start noticing you. Wagging the wings very obviously(maybe to the onlooker you would probably be percieved as out of control). Using your landing lights, just about anything you can to increase your visibility to others.

There's probably 100+ ideas, just hope no one has to ever use them!

You are correct sir. Book says 8nm straight-in flameout approach would use 45% of your hydrazine (40% if you were able to crank the JFS). So depending on winds, 20ish miles is about the limit. I suppose if you had lots of altitude and needed to go 25nm, you could dump the nose, go faster (albiet less efficiently) and put er down....yeee hah, hang on!!

have to mention my story in southern california and i'll try to make it short. a student and i took off and while on departure heard another pilot radioing in info pertaining to his emergency. the tower and pilot were very claim and the tower wished 'good luck' on the last transmission. anyways, the instructor and student in the distress a/c put it down on a golf course. he could of put it down on a interstate right by the golf course but decided not to. when i got back from my flight, asked my maintenance friend what happened. he along with the faa(i think) went over to the golf course to inspect the aircraft. the mx guy said the a/c had no damage and stated the a/c was flyable. the instructor that put it there also did the take off from the golf course. the guy does a really good job putting her down safely but damages beyond repair on takeoff. was told he pulled up to hard on takeoff and did a tail strike that bent the frame.