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3 Answers

Picking a field for emergency landing at night

Asked by: 5547 views General Aviation

I've heard two sides to this: 1) try to land in an area that is dark because it means that there are no powerlines or houses, so it's likely to be fields. 2) try to land in an area that is lit so that you can see where you're going I would be very nervous to try to fly into a completely dark area since I won't know what to expect. I personally would rather fly toward a road, or lighted area, knowing that I can see the things ahead of me. What would you recommend?

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3 Answers



  1. Dan S. on Mar 28, 2015

    Bob Hoover once said, “If you’re faced with a forced landing, fly the thing for as long as possible into the crash”. No matter where you chose to land, your main priority is to keep the airplane flying. Even if you were to crash into trees, as long as you maintained control, the crash would most likely be survivable. A forced landing at night is a tough proposition though. I’m going against the FAA on this, but personally I’d try to find a lighted road. Unfortunately, that’s not always an option. But you’re the PIC, and when it’s your life on the line in an emergency, you make what ever decision you feel will result in the safest outcome for the flight. Remember though, you have one more option….if you get down near the ground, and you don’t like what you see, turn the landing light off! 🙂

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  2. Mark Kolber on Mar 28, 2015

    I think I’ve heard Bob Hoover’s advice from multiple people multiple times. That’s true for every crash situation. Landing in a bad place under control is usually better than landing in a good place without control.

    Drew, you are quite incorrect about lights and powerlines. A dark area does not in any way mean no powerlines. An example I’m familiar with: here’s the Google map https://goo.gl/maps/v5VuX. It’s daylight but you can see how empty it is, although surrounded by lit areas and even a major runway only 3 miles north. Here’s the same location on the sectional, showing the powerlines that are invisible even in the daytime (unless you get too close) http://skyvector.com/?ll=39.523958389621356,-104.83628081810713&chart=301&zoom=1&plan=G.39.50939149066335,-104.84932708275637 (BTW, those powerlines are also on a ridge line, so have fun with that night landing with no references).

    And don’t forget those cabins in the woods with limited lighting that are almost invisible in the dark until you get to close to them.

    OTOH, lit areas allow for maneuvering to avoid obstacles – a former instructor of mine did an emergency landing in a shopping center parking lot at night. Aircraft, CFI and student pilot all fine. No damage to anything or anyone.

    But it’s not really about the automatic selection of light vs dark. The real key is situational awareness. What are the light and dark areas? For example, a golf course in a residential community =might= be a good selection because the light of the houses and roads might offset the darkness of the course itself, and once close enough to see the relative location of fairways and treed, we might still have some maneuvering options.

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  3. John D Collins on Mar 29, 2015

    At night, I tend to choose higher cruise altitudes to give me more time and gliding distance if needed. I also will modify my route to avoid large areas without an airport. I will also follow major highways when feasible and make it a habit to spot the rotating beacons of airports along the way.

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