CIRRUS Monthly Proficiency Program
Landings: Set Up for a Safe Touchdown

Ground Segment

Your July 2005 CIRRUS Monthly Proficiency Program Ground Segment reviews procedures for executing a stabilized approach to landing including the roundout, flare, touchdown, and go-around procedures in the event a go-around is required.

All information pertains to both the CIRRUS SR22 and SR20, unless otherwise noted. Follow the prescribed power setting, air speeds and flap settings outlined in this Ground Segment to become more proficient at executing safe landings during your Flight Segment.

“Normal” Landings

This Ground Segment reviews procedures for making a normal landing in a CIRRUS airplane. We define a “normal landing” as one executed under VFR conditions, with the autopilot off and no cross wind on the runway with a minimum length of 3,000'.

Note: Runways less than 3000' please refer to the appropriate airplane POH for short field landing techniques.

Why do Landing Accidents Occur?

Click on the link below to learn about landing accidents and how and when they can occur.

Ups and Downs of Takeoffs and Landings

A Closer Look at a Landing Accident

Follow the link below to review a landing accident from the NTSB website:

NTSB Accident Brief

After you’ve reviewed the NTSB accident brief, think about all the factors involved in this accident and how you would have prevented the accident.

• What affect did weather have?
• Was the runway length or condition a factor?
• Did the pilot consider all risk factors prior to attempting the landing?
• Can you identify any ‘red flags’ that would have changed your decision to land under those conditions?
• What in-flight decisions could have helped prevent this accident?

Stabilizing Your CIRRUS for Safe Landings

Safe landings depend on your skill at stabilizing your CIRRUS airplane throughout each phase of the landing. Pay close attention to power settings, airspeed, flap settings and airplane altitude and attitude as you progress through the traffic pattern to touchdown.

Enter the Traffic Pattern

• Enter the traffic pattern with your Before Landing Checklist completed.
• Enter the traffic pattern at a 45° angle to either the left or right downwind, based on the recommendation for that runway.
• Enter the traffic pattern at 100 KIAS, with approximately 15 inches of manifold pressure (approximately 20 inches for the CIRRUS SR20).
• Adjust your power to the recommended settings and allow the airplane to slow to the desired airspeed throughout the traffic pattern and landing phase, Avoid making large and abrupt power adjustments because this will lead to an unstabilized approach.

Note: You will vary power settings based on air temperature, altitude, and weight of the airplane. Make any small changes necessary to maintain altitude and airspeed required for the traffic pattern entry.

Fly the Downwind Leg

• Enter the downwind leg at approximately 100 knots, with approximately 15 inches of manifold pressure (approximately 20 inches of manifold pressure for the CIRRUS SR20) and zero flaps.
• Abeam point (90° from your runway touchdown point):
• Reduce manifold pressure to Approximately 11 inches (12 inches for the CIRRUS SR20), and maintain airspeed at approximately 100 knots
• Set flaps to 50%
• Ensure your boost pump is on and mixture is full rich
• Begin a 500' per minute descent (approx.)
• Re-trim the airplane to adjust for the new power and flap configurations
• Fly downwind, continuing your 500-feet-per-minute descent, until you reach a point on a 45° angle from your touchdown zone.

Fly the Base Leg

• At a 45° angle from your touchdown point turn 90° to fly perpendicular to the runway to begin your base leg.
• After completing the turn set flaps to 100%.
• Airspeed should be gradually decreased to 90 knots.
• Continue descending at 500' per minute.
• Visually scan and stay aware of other traffic.

Fly the Final Approach Leg

• Enter final approach when you determine that you can turn from the base leg and roll out directly on the extended runway centerline.
• Your airspeed should be gradually decreased to 80 knots, with approximately 11 inches of manifold pressure (75 knots of airspeed and approximately 12 inches of manifold pressure for the CIRRUS SR20).
• Maintain flaps at 100%.
• Make small changes in power as necessary to adjust airspeed,
• Make small changes in pitch to adjust the airplane’s descent rate to the intended touchdown point
• Make small changes in bank to maintain runway centerline alignment.
• At most airports, you will fly a 3° glide path to the ground. Use the airport’s Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) or Visual Approach Slop Indicator (VASI) to check the angle of your glide path.
• Stabilize the airplane for landing by the time you reach 200' AGL. If your air speed, manifold pressure, flaps, centerline tracking and/or glide path are not stabilized when you reach 200' AGL, execute a go-around.
• When you reach approximately 50' AGL, begin to further slow the airplane by gradually decreasing power
• Do not chop power. Slowly bring power back. At the same time, begin to add back pressure gradually in order to increase the airplane’s pitch attitude.This will slow the airplane’s rate of descent and also bleed off the airplane’s airspeed for a safe touchdown on the main landing gear.

Roundout (Flare)

• Maintain flaps at 100%
  (Important note: the latest POH revision for the CIRRUS SR22 and SR20 calls for 100% flaps for all landings, including crosswind landings. There are no adverse effects to landing with 100% flaps in accordance with the POH).
• As you begin the roundout (flare) Approximately 10' to 20' AGL power should be reduced to the idle position.
• Ensure that you have reduced speed to approximately 65 knots at the point of touchdown.
• In order to allow the airplane to settle onto the runway on the main gear first, use back pressure to round-out or flare from a nose-low attitude to a nose-high attitude of about 7-1/2° Round-out as you reach your runway aiming point.
• If the airplane is not stabilized at 20' AGL, execute a go-around.

Note: Do not reference the PFD for airspeed and pitch attitude while in the roundout/flare and touchdown segment. Use outside visual reference for pitch attitude and airspeed.

Touchdown

• With the power setting at idle, an airspeed of approximately 65 knots and a nose-up attitude, allow the airplane to settle onto the runway. Touch down on the main wheels first, continuing the nose-up attitude.
• Avoid touching down on all three wheels at the same time. Landing on the main gear is important because it gives your airplane much more directional stability when you transition from flying the airplane to driving it.
• Touching down on the nose wheel first, or on all three wheels at the same time will make the airplane difficult to control on the ground.
• After touchdown, use the rudder only to steer and stabilize the airplane on the runway centerline until you reach an airspeed where the rudder is no longer effective. At the airspeed where the rudder is no longer effective use differential braking to maintain directional control.
• If you are off the centerline, gently maneuver the airplane back onto the centerline prior to touching the brakes. Apply equal brake pressure to slow the airplane on the runway.
  

Ever hear that a CIRRUS Lands Flat? Check out the attitude and profile below:

A CIRRUS Lands like every other tricylce airplane. Check out:

• Attitude
• Angle of Attack
• Profiles
  

Avoid Common Landing Errors

• Common landing errors include improper power settings, excess airspeed, improper pitch angle and too-rapid a rate of descent. These in turn can result in ballooning, bouncing or porpoising. If you experience any of these three conditions, the safest option is to execute a go-around.
• Ballooning can occur because of the following reasons:
• Carrying too much airspeed into the roundout/flare.
• Adding excessive pitch during the roundout and flare while still in ground effect.
• Excessive pitch changes after ballooning can lead to Pilot Induced Oscillations (PIO) or “porpoising.”
• A bounce can also result from chopping power at 50' AGL, rather than bleeding power gradually to idle at 10' AGL. Chopping power can result in an increase in the airplane sink rate and a “firm touchdown” on the runway, which can lead to a bounced landing.
• Landing too fast can also result in a bounce. Airplane pitch will be too low and the airplane will touch down very flat, landing on the nose wheel and main gear at the same time, or even on the nose gear first.

When to Execute a Go-Around

Execute a go-around at any time the airplane is not stabilized at 200' AGL or less. If you encounter ballooning bouncing or porpoising, or if you observe obstacles on the runway then execute a go-around.

How to Execute a Go-Around

• Stop the descent rate of your airplane and begin a controlled climb away from the ground by applying full power, and maintain airspeed above 75-80 KIAS (81-83 KIAS SR20).
• Retract flaps from 100% to 50% after the descent has stopped. Gradually increase the airplane’s pitch to a climb attitude for VY.
• When you have gained a positive rate of climb, cleared any obstacles and have reached a minimum airspeed of 80 knots (85 KIAS SR20), retract flaps from 50% to zero and continue a normal climb out. Re-enter the traffic pattern and re-initiate the stabilization steps for landing described above.

Important note: When applying full power to the CIRRUS, the airplane will tend to roll and yaw to the left. Counteract this tendency by applying the appropriate amount of pressure to the right rudder.