The percentage of aircraft landing in unusual conditions is very small. Nevertheless, if such a need arises, then the experienced crew, doing everything possible and impossible, tries to land the plane without casualties.
Aircraft can be light or heavy, differ in maneuverability and tail, nose lift. It is very important to keep this in mind during crash landings. For example, a light aircraft will find it easier to land on the track than a heavy one. A heavy aircraft will then encounter a lot of resistance and pilots may lose control. When landing on water, the shape of the bow, the shape of the wings, the shape of everything are taken into account. At the slightest wrong movement, the plane can roll over and explode.
Landing on the track
To land the plane on the highway, the pilot needs to coordinate this with the dispatcher. The dispatcher contacts the local police, and the police, in turn, must make sure that the highway becomes empty. All this should happen very quickly and efficiently. If the plane has serious problems, such as engine failure or lack of fuel to the nearest airport, the crew simply does not have time to wait until the route is clear. Although there were cases when the plane landed on a track with cars and on an alternate track.
- On October 4, 2013, in San Jose, they managed to land a plane on a section of the route, which was urgently released. The need to land was caused by an engine failure.
- On August 20, 2012, a light plane landed on a highway in Latvia, causing a traffic jam several kilometers long.
- On April 5, 2010, in Australia, the plane landed on an alternate unloaded runway. All survived, but the plane got seriously.
- On August 25, 2009, the Cessna plane in California, due to lack of fuel, simply stopped the engine. The plane was urgently landed on the highway, one car was injured.
Landing on water
When landing on water, success depends on the skill of the crew, in particular the ship's captain. The captain must take into account not only the type of reservoir on which he lands the plane, but also the state of the water at the moment. In addition, the pilot needs to know the characteristics of his aircraft, because this can greatly affect the landing of the aircraft on the water. If the landing gear is not removed, then the plane will face large overloads, and it may capsize. Parts of the aircraft, such as wings, tail and nose, also influence the landing of the aircraft on the water by their shape.
It is easier to land a heavy aircraft on the water than a light one. It will be better if the surface of the water is calm. Landing can be done perpendicular or parallel to the swell ridge line. However, in calm water it will be more difficult for the pilot to determine the distance to the water.
Landing in the taiga
The only plane that landed in the taiga landed in the Komi Republic on September 7, 2010. Then the plane's power supply was completely cut off, all on-board computers and all equipment were out of order. The captain of the ship, Evgeny Gennadievich Novoselov, was forced to land the plane at the abandoned Izhma airport. The necessary equipment was not there. Surprisingly, the runway, despite the fact that the airport was no longer in operation, was suitable for landing. On her own initiative, for twelve years she was supported by the head of the "Heliport Izhma" division, Sergei Mikhailovich Sotnikov. The captain landed the ship, orienting himself in space without instruments.
In October 2010, the captain and co-pilot were awarded the title of "Hero of Russia", and the flight attendants were awarded the Order of Courage for the accomplished feat. Two years later, the airport employee also received a medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree.
