Chances are you’ve heard of a “chop and drop” landing. Maybe you’ve even done it yourself.
In the NASA report below, it’s what caused a runway overrun. Here’s what happened…
An Unstable Approach and a Sudden Surge in Airspeed
The following report was submitted by a CFI to the NASA ASRS reporting database…
I was the CFI during a BFR. The student, who is a private pilot, was the pilot flying (PF). Winds (located 5 miles away) were reported to be blowing at 310 degrees and at 17 knots, with gusts up to 27 knots. The PF stated that he intended to use flaps 20 and a speed higher than normal for the approach and landing.
The aircraft cleared the trees at the end of the runway, then the PF cut the power and pitched the aircraft down towards the runway. The airspeed increased, and when he attempted to flare the aircraft, it started to float down the runway. He finally touched down a little past the halfway point of the runway with the brakes applied.
The aircraft was skidding. Moments later, a gust of wind lifted the right wing, thereby reducing the braking force. I looked ahead to consider a failed takeoff and saw power lines and a tree that I believed we would hit if a go-around were initiated. We went off the end of the runway, through a ditch, and came to a stop on a road at the end of the runway. There was damage to the aircraft’s nose wheel, propeller, and left wing tip. Both of us were unharmed.
What Went Wrong?
As the pilot flew over the trees at the end of the runway, they cut the power and pitched down. They likely thought (or hoped) that their airspeed wouldn’t increase further because the power was reduced to idle. However, since they were using fewer flaps, there was less drag to control their steep descent.
In this landing, the pilot was already carrying more airspeed due to the gusting headwind. As they pitched down after crossing the obstacle, the airspeed increased even more, resulting in excessive floating and the runway overrun.
The Solution? Fly a Constant Descent Angle
If there is an obstacle at the approach end of the runway, you should fly a steeper-than-normal approach at a constant rate. By flying at a slightly steeper angle, you can safely clear the obstacle and not use up too much runway before touchdown. The steeper your glide path, the more runway you have available for touchdown. And by flying at a constant rate descent instead of a “chop and drop” approach after clearing an obstacle, you will maintain stable airspeed all the way to the runway.
Regarding airspeed, in gusty conditions, flying at a slightly faster approach speed is a good idea. In most cases, adding half the gust factor to your final approach speed is the recommended procedure. In this case, with winds at 17 knots and gusts up to 27 knots, adding 5 knots to the final approach speed would have been appropriate. Although we don’t know how fast the pilot flew final, it is possible that they added more than 5 knots to their final approach speed, exacerbating the float/overrun situation.
However, flying a steeper approach also has its drawbacks. Since you are flying at a steeper descent angle and have a higher-than-normal descent rate, judging the flare becomes more difficult. You will need to pitch up more during the flare to arrest the descent rate for a smooth touchdown.
Timing the flare in a short-field landing really comes down to practice. Flaring too late will result in a hard landing; flaring too early can cause an early stall and a large sink rate. Neither scenario is ideal, and the best way to avoid either is through practice (Read more on short-field landing and flare technique here).
Finally, choosing a go-around point on a short-field approach is crucial. As the CFI mentioned in the report, floating too far down the runway eliminated their option for a safe go-around. Had they initiated a go-around earlier, for example, once they crossed the first third of the runway, it is likely that the overrun could have been completely avoided.
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