Hard landing

A hard landing occurs when an aircraft or spacecraft hits the ground with a greater vertical speed and force than in a normal landing. The terms hard landing and firm landing are often mixed up though are inherently different. A hard landing is never intended and if an aircraft has had a hard landing, it must be inspected for damage before its next flight.^[1] In contrast, depending on aircraft type (e.g. Boeing 737) and/or environmental conditions (e.g. gusty or crosswind conditions, wet runway, etc.) a firm landing is intended and even demanded by the aircraft manual.

Landing is the final phase in flight, in which the aircraft returns to the ground. The average vertical speed in a landing is around 2 metres per second (6.6 ft/s); any greater vertical speed should be classed by crew as hard. Crew judgment is most reliable to determine hard landing, as determination based on recorded acceleration value is difficult and not advisable,^[1] partially because there is no recording of true vertical acceleration.^[2]

Hard landings can be caused by

Hard landings can cause extensive damage to aircraft. For example, on 20 June 2012, a Boeing 767 of All Nippon Airways landed with such force that a large crease formed in the aircraft's skin.^[3]

When the

• Deadstick landing
• Emergency landing
• Forced landing
• Soft landing (rocketry)

References