The accident statistics prove it: The base-to-final turn continues to be one of the big killers in general aviation. Most often, troubles arise when a pilot realizes too late that he is overshooting the runway and so tightens the turn while simultaneously hauling back on the yoke. That’s a recipe for a rarely survivable stall-spin accident.
The key to avoiding putting the airplane in a dangerous position when you’re already low and slow is to heed a few simple tips. The first is to know what the wind is doing. If it’s blowing left to right across the runway, it means you’ll have a tailwind on a left base and will have to start your turn to final sooner.
