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MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Shorten the long landing
Every knot above Vref is stored kinetic energy, and energy stored at the threshold must be dissipated in ground effect before the aeroplane will stop flying. Because kinetic energy scales with the square of speed, the excess you must dissipate grows fast. At a 45-knot approach, five knots hot is over a tenth more speed and roughly a quarter more energy to get rid of in ground effect. This is why the fix is never in the flare. It was decided three miles earlier, on final, at the airspeed indicator.
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The threshold, the flare and the hold-off. The approach that led to it is the stabilisation gates below.
One stabilised approach gate: five checks where the approach path is 500 ft above the runway. The 1,000 ft gate was not assessed, because the approach did not join final that far out.
Side view — the last 5,000 ft of the approach.
Plan view — the first 5,000 ft of the 9,003 ft runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 2,981 ft past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight in question was conducted in a TBM 930 aircraft, departing from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (KMSP) and landing at Hector International Airport (KFAR). The takeoff from runway 30L at KMSP was notable for its relatively short distance of 1,429 meters, which covered 47% of the runway. The aircraft lifted off at a speed of 138 knots, despite a headwind of 9 knots and a crosswind of 5 knots.
Following takeoff, the aircraft began its enroute climb, which started 1 mile northeast of Richfield, Minnesota. The climb was steep, with the aircraft ascending from 1,655 feet above sea level to 17,187 feet in just 25 minutes, covering a distance of 88 nautical miles. The climb was followed by a brief level cruise, lasting only 2 minutes, as the aircraft flew 9 nautical miles north of Sauk Centre, Minnesota.
The enroute descent began 2 miles northeast of Osakis, Minnesota, and was characterized by a significant decrease in altitude, from 17,391 feet to 8,738 feet in just 16 minutes, covering 67 nautical miles. The aircraft then entered another level cruise, this time lasting 2 minutes, as it flew 8 nautical miles north of the Coot Landing Airport in Barnsville, Minnesota.
The final descent began 5 miles southwest of Hawley, Minnesota, and was marked by a steep drop in altitude, from 8,128 feet to 2,007 feet in just 8 minutes, covering 22 nautical miles. The aircraft then entered a final level cruise, lasting 3 minutes, as it flew 4 nautical miles north of West Fargo, North Dakota.
The final approach to runway 36 at KFAR was conducted from the south, with the aircraft heading 4.0° at 2 nautical miles and 724 feet above ground level. The landing was notable for its excessive touchdown speed of 112 knots and hard touchdown rate of -511 feet per minute. The touchdown point was 484 meters beyond the touchdown zone, and the runway touchdown alignment was very good.
The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of -6°C, a wind speed of 7 knots from 330°, and a crosswind of 3 knots and a headwind of 6 knots. The total landing distance was 1,391 meters, which covered 51% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was misaligned by 27.1 meters from the centerline.
The flight was completed with a taxiing time of 13 minutes and a fuel consumption of 265 kilograms. The total flight distance was 208 nautical miles, and the flight duration was 82 minutes.
The TBM 930 aircraft successfully landed at KFAR Hector International Airport, but the landing was not without its issues. The final approach was initiated from the south, heading 4.0° at 2 nautical miles and 724 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft touched down on runway 36, which has a length of 2,744 meters.
However, the landing was not executed perfectly. The threshold height at 72 feet agl was significantly above the target, indicating that the aircraft was higher than desired when reaching the runway threshold. Furthermore, the threshold speed was excessively high at 113 knots, which is a critical factor in determining the safety and control of the aircraft during landing.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's speed was 112 knots, which is also considered excessively fast. This excessive speed resulted in a very hard touchdown rate of -511 feet per minute (fpm), which can be stressful on the aircraft and its occupants. Despite these issues, the runway touchdown alignment was very good, indicating that the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were cold, with a temperature of -6°C, and a moderate wind of 7 knots from 330°. The crosswind component was minimal at 3 knots, while the headwind component was 6 knots. These conditions were relatively favorable for landing.
The total landing distance was 1,391 meters, which is 51% of the runway length. This is a relatively long landing distance, indicating that the aircraft may have been slowed down too quickly or that the pilot may have been too aggressive in the flare. The runway rollout alignment was also misaligned by 27.1 meters from the centerline, which is a minor issue but still requires attention.
Overall, while the TBM 930 aircraft successfully landed at KFAR Hector International Airport, there were several areas for improvement in the landing technique. The pilot should focus on achieving a more optimal threshold height, speed, and touchdown rate to ensure a smoother and safer landing.
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