How to Avoid a Runway Overrun?

How to Avoid a Runway Overrun?

 

The purpose of this post is to provide more information about how pilots can manage threats and errors during Approach and landing. So, on my research concerning and talking about Runway Overrun, data reveals that runway accidents are still the leading cause of accidents.   

 

Today, I want to share some strategies to prevent runway overruns, the failure of the crew to understand the need for more landing distance or to adjust the level of braking would be an error associated to a threat.

 

Either threat or hazard is any situation, event, or circumstance that may affect the Safety of Flight.

 

So, threats are not errors, but they increase the potential of errors, but what that mean to understand well the concept? Besides if you analyze the process of managing threats , when we study and read final reports regarding any situation that a Runway Overrun was the cause of a fatal or no fatal incident or accident , these threats may result in an accident , so they can be managed by the pilot to detect , avoid and trapped.  

 

So, analysis of landing incidents indicated that a landing overrun is more likely if:

ü  The approach was fast and landing attempted in excess of Vref ­­+ 15 Knots.

ü  The approach was high, exceeding the recommended threshold crossing height.

ü  The Aircraft floated or is held off the runway for a smooth touchdown.

ü  The touchdown point is long, often beyond the normal landing area.

ü  The runway surface is wet or contaminated.

ü  There is a tailwind.

 

A landing overrun  occurs when the airplane  landing distance  exceeds the distance available , so , the distance required to land and stop the aircraft and is effected by many factors in each of four phases, approach, flare , control , stopping . Any single factor or combination can create a threat that may result in an overrun.  

 

Pilots always remember, carefully review the expected landing performance during the approach briefing, the pre-planned data uses forecast and expectations made at the time of dispatch, also don’t forget, a good Safety Pilot identifies that attempts to land on a contaminated runway involve considerable risk and should be avoided whenever is possible.

 

My best recommendation, always manage all threats on every landing. It is human nature to make errors, but the most important is to identify situations that could lead to errors, try to avoid these situations and circumstances that promote errors, all the time don’t forget doing on time, identify an error, trap the error, take corrective action, and check effectiveness.

 

So, all pilots we learn from errors, from incidents and accidents, from our own, and from other crews.

 

Keep in your mind, errors management requires conscious thought to provide awareness and understanding, remember no two landings are the same, never, its ok to GO AROUND, maintaining all the time a good situational awareness.

 

Pilots, Plan, Monitor and Compare, know the risks.

 

Most overruns are accidents, fatalities, injury, and damage, think about and lower the risk factors before you have an accident.

 

More knowledge about runway overruns, lower risk, a better decision to any pilot.  

Keep in mind the 7 H:

·         How heavy is your aircraft.

·         How long is the runway at your destination airport?

·         How fast is your aircraft?

·         How wet is the runway at your destination airport?

·         Head or tailwind? On speed respect the Stabilized Approach Criteria (SOP)  

·         Height over the threshold.

·         How much braking to use after landing?

 

Avoiding always a runway overrun. Have a Safe Landing always.