AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2014 - 88

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TECHNIQUE

rise. If enough inertia is present, it's possible to end up with the aircraft inverted on
the runway, although a bent wing tip is the
usual termination. Because of the higher
speed and more rapid sequence of events,
the landing tip-over can have more serious
consequences than the taxiing faux pas.
If you know the airplane has a weak spot
toward its front quarter, you will not ask it
to make a taxiing turn at high speed, particularly with a following wind, and you'll
certainly avoid a crabbed touchdown. In
the ground-handling instance, plan for the
turn by slowing down well in advance, idling
the engine, and braking to a slower pace
than you were using on the straightaway.
If planned correctly, you shouldn't need to
apply brake during the turn.
During the landing approach, note any
tendency to drift off the runway centerline
and initiate correction on final-not during the flare. Your goal is never to allow the
aircraft to land with its nose out of alignment with the runway, or to be drifting
laterally across the runway. Remove the
threat with the throttle, which you should
have under your hand at all times. Going
around is always a wise choice, using what
you've learned to improve your chances on
the next attempt. If runway length is not a
factor, use partial power to avoid landing
until you regain proper alignment.
To prevent the crabbed touchdown and
tipping tendency, regain a position over the
centerline of the runway, then use coordinated controls to turn the aircraft into
alignment. At this point, the wings are
banked and must be leveled, or even rolled
into a slight bank toward the wind to offset crosswind drift. As you do this, you'll
need to hold opposite rudder to prevent the
airplane from turning back into a crabbed
position. It's important not to overcontrol;
remember, the goal is a touchdown aligned
with the runway, without drifting laterally.
Be aware of the tricycle-gear airplane's weakness in its forward quarter.
There's plenty of control available to avoid
such a mishap, so long as you use it
properly.
AOPA
Leroy Cook is the author of 101 Things to
Do With Your Pilot's License and a contributor to Flight Training magazine.

88 | AOPA PILOT June 2014

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2014