How To Perform An Emergency Landing For Small Airplanes

If you were on a small, chartered plane heading into the wilderness and something happened to the pilot, do you know what to do?

If you are cruising along in a small plane, and for whatever reason, your pilot suddenly slumps over, the first thing to do is Not Panic. Most small planes have an autopilot, you just need to find it and make sure the pilot is not leaning on the controls. In fact, it might be a good idea just to ask about the autopilot as you’re getting in the plane … just as a point of curiosity.

Look For The Autopilot

The autopilot is a control that keeps the plane flying on a pre-set course or heading. As I said, make sure the unconscious pilot is not leaning on the controls. Make sure his feet are not in the way of the rudder pedals, and that his hands, legs or upper body are not leaning against or otherwise obstructing the yoke which is a movable column mounted from the floor typically with a “steering wheel” at the top.

Since many small planes have dual controls, you may be able to take over control from where you are if the pilot is not blocking anything. If there is only one set of controls, you will have to pull the driver out of the way; try to minimize bumping or leaning on the yoke while you do this.

First: Don’t Touch The Controls & Look For The Blue and Brown Ball

Once you are behind the controls, don’t touch them yet, and keep your feet of the rudder pedals. If the autopilot is already on, everything should be good. Look at the instrument panel. See if you see a ball mounted in the center of the top row where half the ball (hopefully the top half) is light blue and the bottom of the ball is a dark color (usually brown). This device is an “attitude indicator” where blue represents the sky, the dark color represents then ground, and the straight horizontal lines across the middle represent your plane’s wings. Your goal at the moment is to have the wings straight across the line between the blue and the brown.

If the wing lines are not right on the line between blue and brown, you are not on autopilot and you are either gaining altitude or losing it. If the border line between blue and brown is slanted relative to the wing lines, you are turning.

If the plane is not on autopilot, you will need to adjust the yoke to get level. If the wing lines on the attitude indicator are above the border between blue and brown (i.e., the “border line”), then the nose of the plane is high and you are gaining altitude; you should push the yoke forward gently to lower the nose.

Steering And Leveling The Plane

If the wing line is below the border line, the nose of the plane is low and you are losing altitude. You need to pull back gently on the yoke. If the border line is tilted left or right with respect to the wing line, you need to turn the yoke like a steering wheel to level the wings. If the border line is tilted to the left (i.e., lower on the left and higher on the right), you are turning left, so turn the yoke to the right to straighten up. If border line is tilted to the right, turn the yoke left. The yoke is very sensitive, use small adjustments until you get level.

Use The Radio

There should a radio handset on the instrument panel. If you don’t see it, grab the pilot’s headset. Press the button and say “Mayday” three times; this is a distress call. Then say “Pilot unconscious”. Then release the button.

Set The Transponder To 7700

There will be a transponder below the radio which identifies the plane on RADAR, and it sends out your location. This allows air traffic controllers (ATC) to track the plane. Set the dials on the transponder to 7700 which is the code for general emergency. This will notify the air traffic controllers that you have a problem.

Follow ATC Instructions

The ATC will talk to you via the radio. Remember to push the button on the radio when you talk, and let it go to listen. The ATC will give you instructions to get you to an airport or acceptable landing area and to land the plane. Don’t be shy about asking them to repeat their instructions.

Landing The Plane

Line the plane up so you are heading straight towards the long direction of the landing area. Just before you touch the wheels to the ground, pull back slightly on the yoke to lift the nose of the plane so you land on the wheels below the wings first (instead of the wheels under the nose). As you slow down, the nose wheel(s) will come down.

When the wheels under the wings touch the landing strip, immediately reduce speed by pulling the “throttle” which is either a big black lever between the pilot and co-pilot seat or a large knob (normally black) in the lower center portion of the instrument panel.

The rudder pedals usually have “toe brakes” on them, so you can gently press them as well to slow to a standstill. Don’t push too hard, or the plane may start skidding.

Don’t Get Out Just Yet

Once you come to a complete stop, look on the instrument panel for a key. Turn the key to stop the engine. Remember to stay in the plane until the propeller comes to a complete stop.