Events
Events
Events
Events
MY FS FLIGHTS
Flight Score
Shorten the long landing
Ground effect becomes significant below about one wingspan of height. A Cessna 172, with a 36 ft span, enters ground effect at flare height - the float it feels in the hold-off is ground effect arriving on cue. An A320, with a span around 117 ft, has been in ground effect since before the threshold and there is no sudden cushion to feel, only a gradual reduction in induced drag that lengthens any float you allow.
Read more in Flare TimingStart to finish · 14 stages, 12 scored
Events
Events
Events
Events
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 1,524 m of the approach.
Plan view — the first 1,524 m of the 1,555 m runway, to the same scale as the side view.
Touched down 1,147 m past the threshold — beyond the full-score zone. The arrival was smooth.
The rest of the report
The flight began with a departure roll from runway 23 at Cape Cod Airport, with the Cessna Skyhawk taking off after a distance of 117 meters, which accounted for 19% of the runway. The aircraft lifted off at a speed of 42 knots. At the time of departure, the local weather conditions were characterized by a temperature of 3 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 7 knots at 0 degrees. The crosswind was 4 knots, while the tailwind was 6 knots.
As the aircraft climbed away from the airport, it began its enroute climb, which started overhead the airport at Marston Mills in Massachusetts. The climb took the aircraft from an altitude of 188 feet above sea level to 1,878 feet above sea level, an increase of 1,691 feet in just 4 minutes. During this time, the aircraft covered a distance of 3 nautical miles.
Following the enroute climb, the aircraft entered a level cruise phase, which lasted for 72 minutes. This phase took place 1 mile east of West Barnstable in Massachusetts, and the aircraft covered a distance of less than 1 nautical mile during this time.
As the aircraft approached the end of its cruise phase, it began its enroute descent, which started 1 mile east of West Barnstable. The descent took the aircraft from an altitude of 1,878 feet above sea level to 1,150 feet above sea level, a decrease of 728 feet in just 2 minutes. During this time, the aircraft covered a distance of 2 nautical miles.
The final approach to runway 15 at Cape Cod Gateway Airport was made from the northwest, with the aircraft heading at 143.0 degrees at 1 nautical mile and 1,070 feet above ground level. The landing was made on runway 15, which had a length of 1,555 meters. The threshold height at 76 feet above ground level was well above the target, while the threshold speed was excessively high at 110 knots.
The touchdown point was very long, using more than 50% of the available runway. The touchdown speed was good at 52 knots, and the touchdown rate was also good at -186 feet per minute. However, the runway touchdown position was slightly misaligned by 4.3 meters from the centreline. The local weather conditions at the time of landing were characterized by a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius, with a wind speed of 4 knots at 10 degrees. The crosswind was 3 knots, while the tailwind was 3 knots.
The total landing distance was 1,335 meters, which accounted for 86% of the runway. The runway rollout alignment was significantly misaligned by 43.2 meters from the centreline. The total flight distance was 6 nautical miles, and the flight used 2 kilograms of fuel.
The Cessna Skyhawk aircraft has successfully landed at KHYA Cape Cod Gateway Airport, but the landing was not without its challenges. The final approach to runway 15 was initiated from the north-west, with the aircraft heading 143.0° at 1 nm and 1,070 ft above ground level (agl). The aircraft's performance during the landing was evaluated, and it scored 59.4%.
One of the key issues observed during the landing was the threshold height, which was well above the target height. This indicates that the aircraft was not properly configured for landing, which could have resulted in a higher-than-expected touchdown point. Additionally, the threshold speed was excessively high at 110 kt, which is above the recommended speed for landing. This could have put additional stress on the aircraft's landing gear and potentially led to a longer touchdown roll.
The touchdown point was indeed very long, using more than 50% of the available runway. This is a concern, as it increases the risk of running out of runway and potentially leading to a runway excursion. However, the touchdown speed of 52 kt was good, and the touchdown rate of -186 fpm was also satisfactory. This suggests that the pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft during the landing and was able to touch down safely.
The local weather conditions at the time of the landing were relatively calm, with a temperature of 5°C and winds of 4 kt at 10°. The crosswind and tailwind components were both 3 kt, which is relatively minimal. Despite these favorable weather conditions, the pilot still struggled to maintain alignment with the runway centerline, with the runway touchdown position being slightly misaligned by 4.3 m.
The total landing distance of 1,335 m was 86% of the available runway, which is a concern. This suggests that the aircraft was not able to stop within the available runway length, which could have resulted in a runway overrun. The runway rollout alignment was also significantly misaligned by 43.2 m from the centerline, which is a major concern. This indicates that the pilot was not able to maintain control of the aircraft during the rollout, which could have resulted in a loss of directional control and potentially led to a runway excursion.
Overall, while the Cessna Skyhawk aircraft was able to land safely at KHYA Cape Cod Gateway Airport, the landing was not without its challenges. The pilot struggled to maintain alignment with the runway centerline, and the touchdown point was very long. The aircraft's performance during the landing was evaluated, and it scored 59.4%. To improve the landing performance, the pilot will need to work on maintaining alignment with the runway centerline and reducing the touchdown point to within the available runway length.
Scroll or drag the slider to zoom · double-click to reset · hover for values