Staying Straight

Pia Bergqvist

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 11:48 PM ET

Verified

Tom Zwemke

Key Takeaways:

Loss of control is the primary cause of landing accidents, highlighting the critical importance of consistently staying aligned with the runway centerline, especially given the increased risks in high-performance or tailwheel aircraft.
The "low approach" technique, practiced with an instructor, is recommended as a tool to improve a pilot's ability to maintain a straight path during the final phase of flight.
Practicing low approaches involves making constant, small bank and yaw corrections, leveling off about 10 feet above the runway, and using a distant visual reference to ensure perfect alignment with the centerline.
The key to a straight touchdown path is a stable approach and flare, achieved through constant but slight control inputs, advocating for pilots to strive for perfect landings regardless of aircraft type.

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Loss of control has consistently been the leading factor causing landing accidents, according to the annual Nall Report, published by AOPA’s Air Safety Institute. One way to prevent loss of directional control is to learn to consistently stay aligned with the centerline of the runway during the landing phase.

Some tricycle landing gear equipped airplanes are quite forgiving when it comes to imperfect landings, possibly making some pilots complacent. If you land a little bit sideloaded in a training airplane such as Cessna 172 or Piper Cherokee, you may stress the tires and gear slightly, but that will likely be the only repercussion. If you’re in a high-performance airplane, which lands at a faster speed and often has more delicate gear, you could get in trouble if your touchdown is not straight. Land sideloaded in a taliwheel airplane and you could be in for a wild ride called a ground loop.