Learn about the most common factors that can affect your pitch, roll, and yaw control and stability during takeoff and landing, and how to prevent or correct them.

Keep your ailerons into the wind to prevent a wing rise in crosswinds. Be cognizant of crowned runways…stay on centerline to reduce the odds of scraped pods in the event of a wing rise. Don’t over attempt a smooth landing during gusty conditions but concentrate on touching down in the touchdown zone.

Power for height, attitude for airspeed. Meaning, if low - add power; if high - reduce power. And for airspeed adjustments, lower the nose for speed or raise it to reduce airspeed. This is counter to straight and level flying, whereby power is used for speed adjustment and attitude for height. This is due to the higher angle of attack on approach, and the reduced airspeed and margins available with attitude control. It's all about having a stable approach. By way of example, if you are low and slow on final and use pitch to adjust height, and power for airspeed, this will increase induced drag by increasing pitch and probably increase the descent rate, reducing the stability of the approach.

What are the most common flight control and stability issues during takeoff and landing?

Takeoff and landing are the most critical phases of flight, requiring precise control and stability of the aircraft. Any deviation from the desired attitude, speed, or direction can result in a loss of performance, safety, or control. In this article, you will learn about some of the most common flight control and stability issues that can occur during takeoff and landing, and how to prevent or correct them.

1 Pitch control

Pitch control is the ability to adjust the nose up or down angle of the aircraft, which affects lift, drag, and speed. During takeoff and landing, it is necessary to maintain a proper pitch attitude to achieve the required performance. Incorrect trim setting can lead to fatigue, distraction, or overcorrection. Additionally, improper flap selection can cause a change in pitch attitude, stall speed, or drag. Wind gusts are sudden changes in wind speed or direction that can cause the aircraft to pitch up or down unexpectedly, potentially resulting in a loss of airspeed, lift, or altitude. Therefore, you must be prepared to react quickly and smoothly to counteract the effects of wind gusts and maintain a constant airspeed and pitch attitude.

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Robert Graves

Captain Boeing 737
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Keep your ailerons into the wind to prevent a wing rise in crosswinds. Be cognizant of crowned runways…stay on centerline to reduce the odds of scraped pods in the event of a wing rise. Don’t over attempt a smooth landing during gusty conditions but concentrate on touching down in the touchdown zone.

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Alexander Robinson

Sales and Capability Manager at Pilatus | Director at AIDN
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Power for height, attitude for airspeed. Meaning, if low - add power; if high - reduce power. And for airspeed adjustments, lower the nose for speed or raise it to reduce airspeed. This is counter to straight and level flying, whereby power is used for speed adjustment and attitude for height. This is due to the higher angle of attack on approach, and the reduced airspeed and margins available with attitude control. It's all about having a stable approach. By way of example, if you are low and slow on final and use pitch to adjust height, and power for airspeed, this will increase induced drag by increasing pitch and probably increase the descent rate, reducing the stability of the approach.

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Evert Niemeijer

Business Development Manager at CowManager B.V.
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Despite all technical explanations: it is as a passenger still "sit down an relax". I works every week when I am flying. The pilots will know what to do when they are taking of or landing.

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2 Roll control

Roll control is the ability to adjust the left or right bank angle of the aircraft, which affects the turn rate and direction. During takeoff and landing, it's important to maintain a wings-level attitude to ensure a balanced lift and drag distribution, and to align with the runway. Crosswind, asymmetric thrust, and wake turbulence are all factors that can affect roll control. Crosswind is the component of wind that blows across the runway, perpendicular to the direction of flight. It can cause the aircraft to drift sideways or roll into or away from the wind, so appropriate aileron and rudder inputs must be applied to compensate for it. Asymmetric thrust is the difference in thrust between the left and right engines due to engine failure or malfunction, which can cause yawing and rolling in the direction of lower thrust. Opposite rudder and aileron inputs must be used to counteract this asymmetric thrust. Wake turbulence is created by another aircraft's passage, and can create vortices that affect lift, drag, or control of the following aircraft. Therefore, it's important to maintain a safe separation distance and altitude from other aircraft, and if wake turbulence is encountered, corrective inputs should be applied to regain control and stability.

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3 Yaw control

Yaw control is the ability to adjust the nose left or right angle of the aircraft, which affects the heading and direction. During takeoff and landing, it is essential to maintain a straight flight path, parallel to the runway. Adverse yaw is a factor that can cause the aircraft to skid or slip, reducing lift and increasing drag. To combat this, coordinated rudder and aileron inputs should be applied. Ground effect can cause the aircraft to float, accelerate, or become more sensitive to pitch or yaw inputs; therefore, power, attitude, and speed should be adjusted accordingly. Pilot-induced oscillation is another factor that can lead to a loss of stability, control, or performance. To counteract this phenomenon, abrupt or excessive inputs should be avoided and smooth and proportional corrections should be applied.

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Anthony Mwethi

Chief Pilot at AirTraffic Ltd.
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Another aspect that has helped me always is to fly a stabilized approach which in a nutshell calls for full landing configuration, Vref+5, be within heading bug set on final approach course all these at 500ft agl in vmc and 1000’ agl at imc. In a multi crew environment these call out of “500/1000 above approach stable” should be done by Pilot monitoring and if either hasn’t been achieved, it calls for a go around. Crosswind and cross/tailwinds takeoffs should be handled with caution to prevent upset conditions or wing drops, monitoring all flight instruments especially ball in the center once airborne also helps.

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Tom Daily

CEO/Founder VTOL Ducted Wing Propulsion System
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The wake left by a larger aircraft can be strong enough to flip a plane over that flies through the wake. The wake is created by wing tip vortices. The strongest vortices are produced by heavy aircraft, flying slowly, with wing flaps and landing gear retracted ("heavy, slow and clean"). Large jet aircraft can generate vortices that can persist for many minutes, drifting with the wind.

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4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Alexander Robinson

Sales and Capability Manager at Pilatus | Director at AIDN
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Aimpoint-Aspect-Airspeed A mantra on final approach to run through and continually adjust, meaning: -Aimpoint: Point at the numbers (or threshold markers) -Aspect: Assess the runway aspect and whether it conforms with the expected aspect ratio for final approach. If too high or low, adjust. -Airspeed: Assess airspeed and adjust accordingly.

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Trevor Lugwe

Air Operations Assistant, United Nations.
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Flare technique issues: Improper flare technique, such as flaring too high or too late, can result in a hard landing or floating above the runway. This can affect the aircraft's stability during the critical phase of landing.

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What are the most common flight control and stability issues during takeoff and landing?

1

2

3

4

1 Pitch control

2 Roll control

3 Yaw control

4 Here’s what else to consider

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