Blowout on landing... a few notes

[Crepello]

Howyis,

Took a 172 up this afternoon to thrash to pattern for an hour or so. First time flying in about six weeks, so wanted to sharpen up on the basics. Non-tower field, daytime VFR. First touch-and-go was pretty routine.

Second approach was too fast, still doing 80KIAS and a good 75' AGL above the touchdown zone (6000' tarmac strip), but knew there was another acft entering downwind mid-field from overhead, and I hadn't established visual contact, so weighed up the available runway and decided to go for a full-stop, mid-runway landing. Braked after touchdown, perhaps a little too harshly, felt the right main burst as I decelerated. Aimed for the last high-speed exit, made reasonable progress until I lost marginal lift and rudder authority. Realised I was in danger of fouling the (only) runway so went full power and dragged myself to the side of the high-speed. Stopped clear of the active but within the threshold markings, just into the grassed area.

Announced my situation over CTAF/UNICOM, FBO responded quickly with a couple of tugs and warned other aircraft, as I had before I killed fuel and power. On the whole, felt I handled the situation reasonably but I'll share my learnings and questions:

Learning: Amazing how quickly you lose directional control once below about 40 knots. Even on full power, full rudder, there was no way I was dragging that dead leg anywhere it didn't want to go.

Learning: I'd a full load of fuel but my chart was out of date (wasn't planning to leave closed traffic) and I hadn't prepared to divert to an alternate airport if this field became inoperable. In future, I'll be sure to prep myself on alternates if my home field becomes unusable.

Question: Would I have done better to increase power on detecting the tyre burst, then pointing the plane to a place of safety before reducing power once on a clear-of-the-active trajectory?

Question: In hindsight, I should probably have gone around and remained low until well clear of the area where the other incoming aircraft should have been, but I wasn't happy with this option before touching down, and despite looking carefully I couldn't see the guy. Good call or bad call?

Thanks all. I learned a few things today, which hopefully will make me a better pilot. Debriefed with a CFI at the FBO but not before the above questions occurred to me, so thought I'd share this. Always keen to learn more, so would welcome your thoughts.

Safe skies, folks.

Crep.

[Andy_RR]

Sounds like a stressful day.

Q1 - my feeling is that in an emergency until I am relatively safe, I wouldn't be worrying too much about whether or not I can clear the active. As you point out, directional control with a dead wheel isn't too great, so why add risk to the situation by trying to steer the thing to a 'place of convenience' if you have a nice wide, safe, obstacle free piece of tarmac to come to rest on?

Q2 - I wouldn't feel forced to make a landing ever - a go-around is almost always a safer option if you are not comfortable with the approach. Other aircraft entering the circuit should be using established procedures which give you enough clearance to execute a go-around, notwithstanding the need to still keep the eyes peeled as per normal operations. I always worry that I am not visual with traffic in the circuit, but I figure if I keep my lookout good (up and down as well as horizontally!), clear all my turns and ensure proper spacing and circuit size and procedures, I have a good chance of taking timely evasive action in the worst case. Don't forget there is always the chance of someone in the circuit non-radio, so just because you can't hear them, doesn't mean they're not there.

A

[BackPacker]

Isn't the whole purpose of the circuit so that when joining on downwind (from overhead, deadside or direct) you've got the time to assess who is in the circuit and where, and not to interfere with traffic on final and upwind, so that on final and upwind you can concentrate on flying the aircraft? If you've got a burst tire or another reason to perform a go-around (or not), the least of your worries should be an aircraft on downwind. No matter whether he's got a radio or not.

And as for vacating the runway, same as Crepello says, blocking the runway for 15 minutes should not be the concern. Keeping the airplane in one piece is far more important. So while the aerodynamic controls still work, I'd use them to stay on the runway (in case of a right tire burst, even steer left of the centerline if I have the spare mental capacity) and as soon as you're below flying speed, stop as quickly as possible. On the runway.

Personally I think I'd do a quick pan call, shut everything down and evacuate. Sure, in a 172, solo, you're out in just a few seconds (I fly PA-28s and DA-40s which are a bit harder) but next time you might have passengers with you as well. And remember it only took one chunk of rubber to puncture the fuel tank on that Concorde. Better evacuate first and find out a minute later that it would not have been necessary, than waiting too long and becoming trapped. Plus, as you said, taxying was impossible even with full power (useful to know, BTW) so you have to get out anyway.

Just FYI, we had an accident with a DR-400 (Robin) a few months back. The DR-400 had four persons on board and a bit more of an aft CoG because of that, than the pilot was used to. He did a perfect landing but because of the aft CoG the nosewheel got into the steering lock. He slowly veered off the runway, couldn't steer, so he tried a go-around. Hit the lights (exit lights I think) at nearly flying speed, causing a lot of damage. But if he would have breaked, even with the nosewheel lock engaged, he would have stopped either on the runway or just off it, in the grass with virtually no damage (other than a bruised ego). And - but he didn't know this - would have freed up the steering lock and gotten directional control back.

So for me, if something strange happens on the runway and I have runway to spare (which, in a light aircraft, is almost everywhere), I stop. Sorry for the others that have to divert or hold, but it's my aircraft that's acting funny, not yours.

[jamestkirk]

You seemed to have handled the whole situation well. You had to make a decision on the spur of the moment. I assume no-one got hurt and the A/C is still in working order (minus the tyre). If so, well done.

Checklists and hindsight are great but instinct is as important.

But don't get airborne without an up to date map!

[Flik Roll]

If I may ask, why did you elect to land mid-runway? And if the aircraft was joining downwind from overhead-mid field, why did you decide/need to stop? Surely the aircraft would be well out of you way by time you had landed ad taken off and climbed out towards x-wind. Not criticising your actions, just pondering.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

(1) I don't actually know what my POH says to do on tyre burst - I wonder how long it would take me to work out that that was the problem anwyay? Having diagnosed a tyre burst I'd have trouble thinking of anything better to do than stopping, braking on the non-burst side as seemed helpful, and shutting down the fuel and engine if convenient.

No need to worry about closing the one and only runway, unless you are in a very isolated location - everybody else in the circuit must have sufficient fuel and sufficient means to navigate to an alternate, so no problem there. (I know there are some people here who don't take the legal requirement to carry an up to date map seriously ... but in an area where you can see three alternates from the circuit, or if you fly the local area every day and know every local airfield, the lack of a current map wouldn't bother me.)

(2) Surely there can (almost?) never be a reason not go to around if you think it might be helpful? Circuit procedures are designed so that the joining aircraft can see what the one on the runway is doing, including go-arounds.

[scooter boy]

Crepello, did you have full flaps down or was the landing with partial flap or flapless? I'm just thinking of approach speed etc...

It is very easy to lock the wheels out if you brake hard in most types. Anyone who has flown enough will have experienced this.

This can easily result in flat-spotting or worse bursting a tyre.

Don't worry about today, no harm done, could have been worse etc...

Next time take your time, the other guy can go around or avoid you if necessary, if you are landing then you have priority.

SB

[Final 3 Greens]

Crepello

I wasn't there, but by the sound of it, you should have gone around.

Sorry to be blunt, but you did ask.

Having said that, well done for recovering from a tricky situation.

[Crepello]

Folks,

Thanks for all the feedback on this. In hindsight, my decision not to go around was not the right one; good points were made about safe go-arounds being integral to the design of circuit procedures. Having elected to land, I then underestimated the distance required to touch down and stop. I was full flaps but, as mentioned, high and fast.

There was another good point about responsibility - I'm PIC of my own aircraft, not of any others in the pattern. Anyways, no injuries apart from a little egg on my face, and the acft was back in service within hours. Will do better next time!

Cheers, Crep