Hard landing aircraft technics airlines amd

Presentation on what is a hard landing

1. Avoiding Hard Landings
Capt. Marc PARISIS
Head of Flight and Cabin Crew Training
Presented by:

2. April 2007 Avoiding Hard Landings - 15th Performance & Operations conference©

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Content
Hard Landings definition, detection, classification
Avoiding Hard Landings

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Content
Hard Landings definition, detection, classification
Avoiding Hard Landings

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Definition of Hard Landing : Pilot’s 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

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Hard Landing information : Maintenance’s side
•Maintenance uses objective data to classify the landings
Recorded vertical acceleration at aircraft CG
Recorded vertical speed using Radio Altimeter data
• Limit values will depend of:
aircraft types and standards
Quality of recorded parameters
VERT
ACC
(g)
VERT Speed
Normal
Landing
Hard
Landing
Severe
Hard
Landing

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Load Report
LOAD REPORT <15>

7. April 2007 Avoiding Hard Landings - 15th Performance & Operations conference©

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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)

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Today situation
•The primary source of identifying a suspected hard landing
is the flight crew
•It is flight crew’s duty to detect and report a suspected hard
landing
•Airbus recommends the active use of the Load Report15

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Content
Hard Landings definition, detection, classification
Avoiding Hard Landings

14. April 2007 Avoiding Hard Landings - 15th Performance & Operations conference©

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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

15. April 2007 Avoiding Hard Landings - 15th Performance & Operations conference©

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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:
1000 feet in IMC, or
500 feet in VMC, or
as restricted by Operator policy/regulations,
a go-around must be initiated.

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Flying stabilized approaches

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Approach speed
•Determination of approach speed
In most 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.

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Destabilization of the approach in the last 100 ft
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

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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

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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

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Reluctance to perform a go-around
•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

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Dual sidestick inputs
•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”

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Bounce at landing

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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

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Crosswind landings

26. April 2007 Avoiding Hard Landings - 15th Performance & Operations conference©

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Crosswind landings
Flight Operations Briefing Notes
“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°)

27. April 2007 Avoiding Hard Landings - 15th Performance & Operations conference©

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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

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Avoiding Hard Landing – Airbus documentation
•Airbus Operational and Training documentation
FCOM – FCTM
FCOM Bulletin N°819 “Avoiding Hard Landings” for LR
•Additional documentation
Flight Operations Briefing Notes
•An e-briefing for pilots dedicated to hard landing
prevention is available:
Specific presentations
Specific videos
Operational and Training documentation references

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Conclusion
•It is pilot’s duty to detect and report
a suspected Hard Landing
•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

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