Always Look for a Place to Land

Here's how to identify emergency landing areas before you need them.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at 11:05 AM ET

Verified

One of the first things pilots learn is to always look for emergency landing areas. [Courtesy: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

Pilots must constantly and proactively identify potential emergency landing sites, emphasizing that this is a critical safety practice, not an indication of engine unreliability.
Ideal emergency landing options range from actual runways (public or private) to specific agricultural fields, dry lake beds, and empty parking lots, each requiring careful assessment for hazards like ditches, fences, or obstructions.
Roads are generally considered a last resort due due to numerous unseen dangers such as power lines, signs, parked cars, and moving traffic, with pilots advised to avoid them and heavily populated areas if other options exist.

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“Where would you land if the engine quit right now?”

This is a question every pilot needs to ask themself, and frequently. That’s not because the aircraft engine is unreliable—and I have to stress this because there have been learners who panic when a CFI asks this—but because aircraft, unlike cars, don’t have the luxury of simply pulling over when there is an uncommanded loss of engine power.