Re: Pulling a Stop to Runway Overruns
Overtalk
I can't speak for a transport aircraft but, as a parachute pilot I regularly have to land on 550 m of wet grass with a 10-15kt cross-wind component. Full flap, 1.2 vso and a steeper than 3 degree approach followed by a fully stalled touchdown, flaps retracted and increasing back pressure (ie putting as much weight as possible on the mainwheels) while applying the brakes will usually have me stopped with 200m to spare. I have tried every technique under the sun and this one results in the shortest stopping distance every time.
I understand that my approach technique does not apply to a swept wing transport aircraft but I cannot see why it shouldn't work once the wheels are all on the ground. Interestingly, I took an airline pilot friend of mine to our dropzone last summer and he asked me why I used increasing back-pressure during the roll-out; as you say, he couldn't come up with any reason why I shouldn't, particularly as the wing was already fully stalled, but just seemed curious. My reply to him was that once on the roll-out my priority was to get as much weight as possible on the braked wheels and to alleviate stress on the nose wheel due to the uneven surface. Flap retraction and back pressure help to counter the inevitable pressure placed upon the noswheel during braking, particularly in the early stages of the landing roll. I should imagine that the aerodynamic braking effect of flap on a heavy transport aircraft with a relatively high vref outweighs the benefits of retraction for that type but increasing back-pressure can only help one the wheels are all on the deck, surely?