Avoiding Hard Landings

Presented by:
Capt. Marc PARISIS

Head of Flight and Cabin Crew Training
Avoiding Hard Landings

Content
Hard Landings definition, detection, classification

AIRBUS S.A.S. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.
April 2007
Avoiding Hard Landings - 15th Performance & Operations conference
Content

April 2007
Definition of Hard Landing : Pilots point of view
Pilots judge subjectively and comparatively the landings

as being:
Soft Normal Firm Hard
Subjectively = modified or affected by personal views,

experience, or background
Comparatively = In a relative manner; by comparison to
something else
Hard landing suspected: when the pilot decide that

a structural examination is necessary
April 2007
Hard Landing information : Maintenances side
Maintenance uses objective data to classify the landings

Recorded vertical acceleration at aircraft CG
Recorded vertical speed using Radio Altimeter data
VERT
ACC Severe
(g) Hard
Landing Limit values will depend of:
aircrafttypes and standards
Hard
Landing Quality of recorded parameters
Normal
Landing
VERT Speed
April 2007
Load Report
LOAD REPORT <15>

April 2007
Classification of the landing by maintenance
After a suspected hard landing:
Classification of the landing using the Load Report
Normal landing = no actions required
Hard landing confirmed = perform inspection
Severe Hard Landing confirmed = AOG contact Airbus

Load Report not available = perform inspection
April 2007
Hard Landing confirmed: Maintenance inspection
Inspection is divided in different phases
Phase 1: general inspection for primary damage and

indication of remote damage (mainly external)
If damage = perform further inspection (phase 2) and

required maintenance actions.
If no damage = end of inspection
No damage = Aircraft can temporarily return to service

Grace period (e.g. 30 days or 100 - 200 cycles)

Waiting for further elaborated analysis of the event by Airbus
Required structural strength is maintained
Risk is only stress corrosion (e.g. gear not achieving full life)
April 2007
Identification of Hard Landing
Pilot:
Subjective judgment
Maintenance: Objective but incomplete data
Maintenance system only covers straightforward hard

landing events
Rebounds, drift landing, landing with roll and high derotation on nose
landing gear are not addressed by the current logic
Pilot should provide additional information on landing

conditions
Cockpit instrument indications, aircraft weight, quantity of fuel in each tank

If the touchdown was on main gears or on main and nose gears, or fast
derotation of the nose gear.
If the landing was straight, drifting, unsymmetrical, bounced,
If the crew heard a noise possibly related to a structural failure
April 2007
Identification of Hard Landing: New problem
The pilots perception judgment and reporting has proven

to be effective
However, the perception of the severity of the landing is

not so obvious for:
Long aircraft
Flexible aircraft
Complex landing gear system
April 2007
Future: Hard Landing Detector
Design of new automatic self-reliant system with specific

sensors and adapted high synchronized sampling rate
This future system should

Provide a rapid and direct Go OR No Go and inspect
decision for all circumstances
Indicate which part of the aircraft has been impacted and to
which level
Medium term (during development of this self-reliant system)

Use selected data from this system to enhance the pilots

conventional evaluation and reporting of the landings (data
should be provided in a suitable way to be used directly by
the pilots)
April 2007
Today situation
The primary source of identifying a suspected hard landing

is the flight crew
It is flight crews duty to detect and report a suspected hard

landing
Airbus recommends the active use of the Load Report15

April 2007
Content

April 2007
Main sources of Hard Landings
Hard landings usually result directly from:

Non-stabilized approaches
Inappropriate approach speed
Destabilization of the approach in the last 100 ft
Incorrect flare techniques
Incorrect derotation techniques (nose landing gear)
And subsequently from:

Reluctance to perform a go-around
Dual sidestick inputs
Bounce at landing incorrect recovery techniques
Contributing conditions are:

Crosswind, Windshear or downburst
Limited runway
April 2007
Flying stabilized approaches
Rushed and non-stabilized approaches are one of the main

sources of hard landings
Refer to the Flight Operations Briefing Notes

Flying Stabilized Approaches
Aircraft Energy Management during Approach
If the aircraft is not stabilized at:

1000feet in IMC, or
500 feet in VMC, or

as restricted by Operator policy/regulations,
a go-around must be initiated.
April 2007
Flying stabilized approaches
April 2007
Approach speed
Determination of approach speed

Inmost cases, the FMGS provides valuable VAPP on MCDU
PERF APPR page once tower wind and landing configuration
has been inserted
The flight crew can insert a higher VAPP in case of strong
suspected downburst, or gusty crosswind greater than 20
knots but this increment is limited to 15 kt above VLS
Managed speed should be used

Managed speed provides Ground Speed mini (GS mini)
guidance, even when the VAPP has been manually inserted

Ground Speed mini function will keep the aircraft energy
level above a minimum value, whatever the wind variations or
gusts.
April 2007
Common errors
Descending below the final path ("duck under")
Reducing the drift too early
Autopilot disconnection
Pilot should disconnect the AP early enough to resume
manual control of the aircraft and to evaluate the drift before
flare.
High sink rate avoidance

In the very late stages of the approach, priority should be

given to attitude and sink rate. If normal touchdown distance
is not possible perform a go-around
April 2007
Flare techniques
Flare height varies with different parameters such as weight,

rate of descent, wind variations,
Avoid under flaring.

The rate of descent must be controlled prior to the initiation of
the flare (rate not increasing)
Start the flare with positive backpressure on the sidestick and
holding as necessary
Avoid forward stick movement once flare initiated (releasing
back-pressure is acceptable)
Retard thrust levers when best adapted
April 2007
Derotation techniques Fly the nose down
When the aircraft is on the ground, pitch and roll control

operates in Direct Law.
Derotation is conventional
Fly the nose down smoothly, but with no delay

April 2007
Go-around is possible at anytime until the selection of the

reverse
Even if a late go-around will not avoid the contact with the
runway it should soften it and could avoid a hard touch
Once the go-around has been initiated it must be

completed
Reversing a go-around decision is hazardous
e.g. F/o initiating a late go-around; Captain overriding and trying
to land the aircraft
April 2007
The basic task sharing principle for any aircraft operation is

that one pilot is PF at a time
If the PNF feels he must intervene, he should press the
Priority P/B while calling I have controls
Instinctive Dual Input: instinctive reactions on the

sidestick by the PNF surprised by the development of a
dynamic situation
In prolonged Dual Input situation : both PF and PNF will
be aware of the dual input situation by the light and aural
indicators.
it is to the Captain to take over by pressing the Priority P/B
while saying I have controls
April 2007
Bounce at landing
April 2007
Bounce at landing
Flight Operations Briefing Notes

Bounce Recovery - Rejected Landing
Bounce at landing
Maintain pitch attitude (freeze and control the pitch)
Keep thrust idle
Do not increase pitch (tail strike)
Complete the landing
Strong bounce Go Around

Go around maintaining pitch attitude

Keep flaps ; keep landing gear
Only when positive climb is properly established
Flaps one step and Landing Gear up
April 2007
Crosswind landings
April 2007
Crosswind landings

Landing Techniques Crosswind landings
Final approach with crosswind drift correction with wings
level (crabbed-approach)
During the flare, rudder should be applied as required to

align the aircraft with the runway. Any tendency to drift
downwind should be counteracted by an appropriate roll
input on the sidestick
In case of very strong crosswind, combination of the partial

de-crab and wing down techniques may be required

Aircraft can be landed with a residual drift (max 5) to prevent
an excessive bank (max 5)
April 2007
Windshear Down burst: Apply FCOM procedures
Delay landing, or divert to another airport, until conditions

are more favorable
Select the most favorable runway, in conjunction with the
most appropriate runway approach aid
Select Flaps 3
Use managed speed in approach phase
Recovery techniques
Set thrust levers to TOGA.
If the autopilot is engaged, use it (be aware that automatic
disengagement may occur)
Follow SRS orders.

Do not change configuration
Closely monitor the flight path and speed
April 2007
Avoiding Hard Landing Airbus documentation
Airbus Operational and Training documentation

FCOM FCTM
FCOM Bulletin N819 Avoiding Hard Landings for LR
Additional documentation
An e-briefing for pilots dedicated to hard landing

prevention is available:
Specific presentations
Specific videos
Operational and Training documentation references
April 2007
Conclusion
It is pilots duty to detect and report

a suspected Hard Landing
Hard landings usually result directly from:

Non-stabilized approaches
Inappropriate approach speed
Incorrect flare techniques
Incorrect derotation techniques (nose landing gear)
And subsequently from:

Bounce at landing incorrect recovery techniques
April 2007
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Presented by:

Capt. Marc PARISIS