Is landing safer than taking off?

Answer by Tom Farrier, Retired US Air Force command pilot; Current aviation safety contractor for the government, on Quora: Landing is generally considered quite a bit more hazardous (and requires a bit more exacting handling) than taking off, but both takeoffs and landings can have their challenges.



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So that leaves the final descent and landing. They take up about 4% of the average flight, lasting twice as long as takeoff and initial climb. But a whopping 49% of fatal accidents occur in this short window, making the final descent and landing the deadliest part of an average flight.

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Whether it would be safer to crash on land or water would depend on the choices available. If the misfortune happens near land and water, I would crash land on a dry, flat and hard surface. If my choice is only the river amidst the high-rise buildings, I would opt for ditching.

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During takeoff headwinds help to increase lift, meaning a lower ground speed and a shorter runway distance is needed for the plane to get airborne. Landing into the wind has similar advantages; less runway is needed and ground speed is lower at touchdown.

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It is a fact that both the takeoff and landing phases have their own set of challenges. Some may argue that the landing phase of a flight requires more pilot skills; but based on experience, it is just the same for takeoff. The difficulties experienced by pilots during takeoff are technically the same during landing.

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In this case of takeoff, the fast air bearing down on the plane generates an upward force on the wings (analogous to a gun's recoil), which helps lift the aircraft. In short, pilots like to take off into a headwind because it helps them achieve wheels up faster.

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Hard landings can be caused by weather conditions, mechanical problems, overweight aircraft, pilot decision and/or pilot error. The term hard landing usually implies that the pilot still has total or partial control over the aircraft, as opposed to an uncontrolled descent into terrain (a crash).

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22 October 1962: Northwest Airlines Flight 293, a DC-7C with 7 crew and 95 passengers made a successful water landing in Sitka Sound.

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It was quite a surprise and a very special moment,” said CW5 Haskin, Brigade Aviation Maintenance Officer. “Water canon salutes are traditionally a sign of respect, honor and gratitude to mark the last flight for a veteran pilot on their last flight. In my case the last flight as a mission pilot.”

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During takeoff, air accelerated behind the prop (known as the slipstream) follows a corkscrew pattern. As it wraps itself around the fuselage of your plane, it hits the left side of your aircraft's tail, creating a yawing motion, and making the aircraft yaw left.

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The odds of dying in a plane crash are about one in 11 million, but the chances of surviving depend on your seating choice.

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You are scared of all those “what ifs” which we encounter when we are nervous. There is more risk in a take-off than landing. The aircraft is heavy with fuel & has no speed or altitude, whereas, in landing the aircraft is light, has tons of speed & is already flying.

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Because of its vast size, crossing the Pacific Ocean requires a staggering quantity of fuel. However, most commercial aircraft do not fly directly over the Pacific Ocean; instead, they choose what are known as 'curved paths'. These paths offers a faster, more efficient route given the curved nature of the earth.

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United flight's plunge toward the ocean was caused by pilot error, NTSB says. A 2022 incident where a United Airlines flight came within 748 feet of crashing into the Pacific Ocean was caused by pilot error, federal investigators say.

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Very good, IF you are prepared. A ditching is an intentional water touchdown under control, not an uncontrolled crash. Of the 179 ditchings reviewed, only 22, or 12 percent, resulted in fatalities. The overall general aviation ditching survival rate is 88 percent.

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Discussion: In some cases pilots may need to reject a landing due to rapidly deteriorating weather conditions which reduce the visibility required for a safe landing.

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Weight Focused On The Nosewheel Transferring too much weight onto the nosewheel causes a situation called wheelbarrowing, which can lead to a loss of directional control, prop strike, or nose gear collapse. On top of those problems, with little to no weight on your main landing gear, you have little braking action.

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Since it is preferable to crash land on solid ground, and ideally close to an airport where emergency services are accessible, most airlines prefer to fly over land. Most flights are intended to spend as little time as possible over water, since storms are more common over the ocean than on land.

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Professional pilots are very experienced in flying their aircraft. This experience makes the complex tasks required of them easy most of the time. However, unquestionably flying is more complicated and demanding than driving.

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A takeoff may be rejected for a variety of reasons, including engine failure, activation of the takeoff warning horn, direction from air traffic control (ATC), blown tires, or system warnings.

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