How to Make an Emergency Landing
"This is niner, twelve, niner to tower. The pilot's unconscious, and the
copilot is dead. How do I land this plane?!" Hey, it could happen.
Would you know what to do to land a commercial airliner? Just
remember, it's only the lives of yourself, the passengers and crew
and those people on the ground that are at risk.
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Instructions
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1
Remain calm. Don't do anything for a few seconds to get your bearings. As long as the plane is in steady flight, everything is OK for the time being.
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2
Put your hands on the control yoke (the stick), right in front of you. It's simple--pull back to ascend, push forward to descend. Ascending sounds safe, but if you do so too aggressively, the engine will stall, a technical flying term that means "die." Keep the stick centered.
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3
Locate the attitude indicator (usually on the console in front of you), which shows an image of a plane relative to a straight line (an artificial horizon). Nudge the yoke until the plane is level.
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4
Locate the airspeed indicator, also in front of you. You must maintain airspeed in order to remain flying. Place a hand on the throttles, the largest levers in the center console. If the airspeed is dropping, nudge the levels forward for more power. Increase power until speed is stable in level flight.
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5
Put on the radio headset, which will already be tuned to an active frequency. If the frequency dial is obvious, switch to 121.5 megahertz, the emergency frequency. The transmit button is on the yoke. Don't worry about radio protocol; just state your situation.
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6
Wait for a reply and then follow instructions. The air controller may ask you to switch radio frequencies.
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7
Look at the compass in front of you. You will be given a course to follow, for example, "Turn left (using the yoke) until the compass reads 175 degrees." Expect several course changes to line you up with an airfield.
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8
Deploy the landing gear. Get confirmation from the ground that it's in place.
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9
Decrease airspeed to the minimum instructed by ground control.
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10
Extend the flaps fully once you're lined up with the landing strip.
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11
Use the yoke to maintain a level or slightly nose-up position, and allow the plane to settle onto the ground. Don't aim down into the ground. Hang on tight when you touch down.
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12
Apply the brakes fully once all wheels are down. Wait until the plane comes to a full and complete stop.
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13
Get a drink. Then read 409 Rent a Car in the United States.
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Tips & Warnings
There are numerous types of commercial airplanes. Your helpers on the ground will probably know what you're flying, but look around the cockpit for clues. If nothing else, get a safety card from one of the passenger seats and read it from there.
See 491 Learn to Fly.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (aopa.org) offers its Pinchhitter Course to anyone who spends a lot of time in a plane. This is a course for nonpilots who would like to know how to handle an emergency. It's popular among spouses of pilots.
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Comments
View all 13 Comments-
waxman
Feb 25, 2009
Steps 8, 9, and 10 are steps 1 ,2 and 3 to a messy end. You must be aware of the landing gear operating speeds so there's no damage when the gear is lowered. Flaps must be extended (in accordance with flap operating speeds) as the aircraft slows, otherwise the WINGS will stall. At low altitudes stalling is a fast way to a BAD ending. One's best bet is to let the controllers help with the autopilot, they will surely have someone on the ground who'll be able to talk you through the steps, perhaps even an autoland. -
waxman
Feb 25, 2009
Steps 8, 9, and 10 are steps 1 ,2 and 3 to a messy end. You must be aware of the landing gear operating speeds so there's no damage when the gear is lowered. Flaps must be extended (in accordance with flap operating speeds) as the aircraft slows, otherwise the WINGS will stall. At low altitudes stalling is a fast way to a BAD ending. One's best bet is to let the controllers help with the autopilot, they will surely have someone on the ground who'll be able to talk you through the steps, perhaps even an autoland.
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wateon
Jun 25, 2008
let's assume that this scenario would most likely only happen in a small plane like a Cessna. In an airliner type plane like a Boeing 737, the autopilot panel above the gauges would be your best interface to control the aircraft. This panel will have little windows with a series of numbers next to dials that you can rotate to adjust altitude, vertical speed, airspeed and heading. Attempting to disengage the autopilot to fly the aircraft "hands on" (assuming you have no experience) would most likely result in the unthinkable.
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thesilentforest
Apr 07, 2008
Contrary to popular belief, a stall in an aircraft does NOT mean the engine will die. In aviation, a stall is what happens when the plane is climbing so steeply that the engine power isn't enough to make it go forward. After all, a plane is not a rocket, and therefore can't go straight up. When the plane stalls, it's a technical term meaning "the wings are no longer generating lift". When this happens, you will need to lower the nose so the plane can go forward again. The return of air passing over the wings will restore lift so you can regain control of the plane.
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thesilentforest
Apr 07, 2008
Contrary to popular belief, a stall in an aircraft does NOT mean the engine will die. In aviation, a stall is what happens when the plane is climbing so steeply that the engine power isn't enough to make it go forward. After all, a plane is not a rocket, and therefore can't go straight up. When the plane stalls, it's a technical term meaning "the wings are no longer generating lift". When this happens, you will need to lower the nose so the plane can go forward again. The return of air passing over the wings will restore lift so you can regain control of the plane.
