The Brave Pilots: Facing Risky Landings and Navigating Troubled Skies
Risk is a concept that not only applies to pilots but also to any profession where decision-making under pressure is crucial. While many pilots might avoid risky situations to maintain safety and reduce workload, there are instances when the urge to complete a mission overcomes all other considerations. In this article, we explore a few daredevil stories of pilots who chose to land in dangerous conditions, against all advice.
Why Pilots Rarely Take Risks
The core principle for most pilots is safety. They prioritize sound judgment and avoidance of situations where the outcome might become dire. As a seasoned pilot myself, I have avoided risky scenarios whenever possible. Winter operations in bad weather, for instance, are a common area where pilots weigh the risks of weather conditions versus the risk of running out of fuel. Often, the safer choice with enough fuel in the tanks is to fly to a nearby airport and land there. Observing planes crash in poor weather only to have them extinguished when the weather clears mere minutes later illustrates the importance of having options.
Those Rare Instances of Risky Landings
Despite the cautionary approach, I have occasionally been forced to land in risky conditions. In my 12,500 hours of flying experience, I've been compelled to attempt risky landings only a handful of times, perhaps about five or six. The last notable instance involved a challenging landing scenario at Harris Ranch 308, a small private but public runway in central California near a steakhouse.
The Tricky Landing at Harris Ranch 308
The runway has a deceptive length of 2,800 feet but is only 30 feet wide, which is 50 feet narrower than a typical runway. Combined with shifting crosswinds, the landing proved to be one of the most difficult experiences I've encountered. During my first approach, I found myself too high and ended up performing a go-around at about 50 feet. On the second try, I touched down short and had to go around again because a hay tractor was parked near the end of the runway. This attempt was particularly nerve-wracking. The final attempt was a success, and I managed to land safely.
After landing, I repositioned the aircraft on the same runway for taxiing back, which was an interesting experience. According to another pilot at Harris Ranch, when I went around, the wind direction had shifted from a light headwind to a quartering tailwind, explaining why my second attempt was longer. This trip marked the first time I had taken my wife with me in a small plane, and while she handled the experience well, she admitted to being more nervous than I was.
For those who are curious, you can watch a video highlighting the challenging landing conditions and variable winds at Harris Ranch Airport. The landing sequence is near the end of the video.
Keywords: risky landing, go-around, small airport