{"id":6773,"date":"2025-03-15T14:13:27","date_gmt":"2025-03-15T13:13:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/?p=6773"},"modified":"2025-03-15T14:13:29","modified_gmt":"2025-03-15T13:13:29","slug":"emergency-or-safety-landing-what-to-do-after-a-successful-outlanding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/not-oder-sicherheitslandung-was-tun-nach-einer-geglueckten-aussenlandung\/","title":{"rendered":"Emergency or safety landing: What to do after a successful off-field landing?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>An unexpected incident in flight - and a safe landing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An experienced pilot takes off on a clear January day with his <strong>homebuilt experimental aeroplane<\/strong> for a short flight. The weather conditions are generally good, but the stratus clouds are relatively low, so he is travelling at a limited altitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the flight, after around 30 minutes, the <strong>EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument System)<\/strong> to change the fuel tank. The pilot follows the routine, but just two minutes later the engine suddenly loses power and stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What had happened?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A quick check shows that the <strong>Unintentional fuelling selector switch to the OFF position<\/strong> This is an unfortunate mechanism that prevents fuel from reaching the engine. Despite a quick correction, there is no time to restart the engine. The flight altitude is not sufficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Reaction: Landing on a dirt track<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pilot has to find a suitable landing site in just 40 seconds. Thanks to light winds and a rural environment with fields and roads, he manages a safe landing on a deserted farm track - and the plane lands safely. <strong>without damage to the aircraft<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This incident emphasises several important lessons for pilots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Lessons learnt: Three key findings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. experience does not protect against negligence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even experienced pilots are not immune to small but serious mistakes. A certain complacency can creep in unconsciously. Every action - especially with critical functions such as fuel management - should be carried out and checked consciously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. every action must result in a conscious reaction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether mechanical or electrical circuits - every operating procedure should be checked visually or acoustically. In this case, a quick check of the tank selector switch would have been crucial to avoid the problem at an early stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3 What happens after an off-field landing? Observe the legal framework<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every pilot realises that <strong>a landing outside an aerodrome does not automatically give the right to take off again<\/strong>. Different regulations apply depending on the type of landing (emergency landing or safety landing).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Emergency landing vs. safety landing: legal differences<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Emergency landing - When there is no choice<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One <strong>Emergency landing<\/strong> is a forced landing due to a <strong>acute danger<\/strong>. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Technical defect<\/strong> (e.g. engine failure)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Health problems of the pilot<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Impossibility of safely continuing the flight<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As there is no alternative in such situations, landing is absolutely essential. But even if the aircraft remains undamaged, <strong>the pilot may not simply take off again<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mandatory measures after an emergency landing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Report to the local police<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Obtaining a start authorisation<\/strong> with the aviation authority (e.g. in Switzerland with the Federal Office of Civil Aviation, FOCA)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An unauthorised resumption of the flight can <strong>Criminal consequences<\/strong> result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Safety landing - A controlled decision<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In contrast to an emergency landing, the pilot makes an <strong>Safety landing<\/strong> a conscious decision to land early in order to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. Reasons for this could be<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Loss of orientation<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fuel shortage or uncertainties in fuel management<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unexpected change in the weather<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A foreign object (e.g. insect) in the cockpit that impairs the controls<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A safety landing falls under the <strong>Foreign Landing Ordinance<\/strong> and will <strong>not prosecuted<\/strong>provided it is carried out in accordance with the regulations. In this case <strong>a restart is permitted<\/strong>provided that the safety precautions are observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Important take-off preparations after an outlanding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless of whether it is an emergency landing or a safety landing - an orderly restart requires careful preparation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2705 <strong>Checking the aircraft for damage<\/strong><br>\u2705 <strong>Take-off distance calculation and inspection of the runway<\/strong><br>\u2705 <strong>Notification to authorities (if required)<\/strong><br>\u2705 <strong>Protection by third parties, e.g. police or helpers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion: preparation and awareness are crucial<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This incident shows how quickly an everyday routine can turn into a critical situation. The most important realisation remains: <strong>Every flight requires full attention and conscious control of all manoeuvres.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pilots should also be aware that after a successful emergency or safety landing <strong>the legal regulations of the respective country apply<\/strong> - and an unchecked start can have legal consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source references:<\/strong><br><a href=\"https:\/\/staysafe.aero\/de\/lesson-learned-geglueckte-notlandung-und-dann\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.fliegermagazin.de\/news\/fussball-em-2024-sorgt-fuer-zahlreiche-sperrgebiete-im-luftraum\/#:~:text=Drei%20Sicherheitsstufen%20w%C3%A4hrend%20der%20Fu%C3%9Fball%2DEM%20202&amp;text=Die%20Flugbeschr%C3%A4nkungsgebiete%20befinden%20sich%20immer,Luftraum%20vormittags%20normal%20nutzbar%20sein.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Staysafe.aero<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Emergency and safety landings are among the exceptional situations that every pilot can be confronted with. Whether it's a technical defect, a sudden change in the weather or another unforeseeable incident - the right response at such moments can be crucial. But what happens after a successful outlanding? Can you simply take off again, or do certain regulations have to be observed?<\/p>\n<p>This report sheds light on a real incident, draws important lessons from it and provides an overview of the legal regulations for resuming a flight after an emergency or safety landing.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6774,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,55],"tags":[],"module":[],"class_list":["post-6773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flugunfaelle","category-safety"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6773"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6775,"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6773\/revisions\/6775"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6773"},{"taxonomy":"module","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pilot-hub.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/module?post=6773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}