The actual landing, comprising under a minute of flight, is responsible for 22% of all fatal accidents.  (This is included in the 36% already mentioned.)

Pilots joke that a good pilot is one that has the same number of landings as take-offs.  By that standard airline pilots are very good indeed.   In 2000 Boeing pointed out the practical implications of the high levels of safety that are now the norm: “The risk of being involved in a commercial jet aircraft accident where there are multiple fatalities is approximately 1 in 3 million.  To put this in perspective you’d have to fly once every day for more than 8200 years to accumulate 3 million flights.”

These figures show that even though landing is the most dangerous phase of the flight, the systems and safety measures in place mean that the actual level of risk is low.

What you can do

The single largest thing you can do to improve your personal safety during landing is to understand the details of how to assume the brace position correctly as this is not, in our view, adequately explained in the pre-flight safety briefings and the safety chart in the pocket in front of you.  This is covered in our article:  Brace yourself properly – save your life!

You will also find it helpful and reassuring to read these articles:

First Time Flyer – What to expect during take-off

Anxious when flying? Ways to help calm down

Anxiety and panic at 30,000 feet 

The landing experience

The landing phase is similar to take-off in that the wings have their shape changed to ensure maximum lift at a low speed (to reduce the landing to a safe speed).  This is accompanied by a lot of noises as things lock into place, and generally a good deal of noise from the hydraulic system.  From the cruising altitude the aircraft will gradually descend.  As it gets down to a pre-determined height it will gradually slow down from the high speed of cruising to the relatively low speed required for the landing.

The jet engine sound will change too as the power is varied to control the aircraft as it slows down.  It is often not understood that when flying at its very slowest safe speed the aircraft will use thrust vectoring, which requires maximum engine power.  The result of this will be that the engine tone can be at odds with the perceived speed of the aircraft.

Approach angle

Apart from a few airports like the inner-city London City airport (where the angle is steeper) the  landing approach angle is 3 degrees.  In addition to the instruments and navigation system, the lights at the side of the runway change colour depending on the angle that they are viewed from, so the pilot receives visual confirmation that the angle of approach is correct.  The pilot flies the plane down at a controlled angle and then substantially tapers off the descent and pulls the nose of the aircraft up just before contact is made with the ground.  (This is called the “flare”.  It also positions the aircraft so that the main landing wheels absorb the shock of landing, and not, for instance, the nose wheel.)

Depending on the skill of the pilot, and the weather conditions, this contact with the ground may be almost imperceptible, or it may on occasion be quite a heavy thump.

Cross-winds

The aircraft must land facing into the wind but the wind frequently does not co-operate by blowing exactly down the runway.  This results in the aircraft flying at an angle to the wind.  The problem is that the landing wheels do not steer on commercial aircraft, so the plane must straighten up once it has landed, so that it goes along the runway and not off into the field.  Boeing recognise three techniques for doing this: fly at an angle to the runway, then straighten the plane with respect to the runway just before touch-down; on a wet runway, land the aeroplane still at an angle and then straighten up to face along the runway after touchdown; or lastly, straighten the flight path with respect to the runway by banking the aircraft gently until touchdown, then immediately level the wings.

There is quite a lot going on in the cabin during crosswind conditions and the priority is to put the plane down, keep the wings level, and align the aircraft along the runway.  A gentle touch-down is not always on the to-do list!

Braking

At this point the aircraft is on the ground and the trim is reconfigured to keep it there.  So far so good.  But it is still going very fast for a ground vehicle: 200 to 300 km/h (125 to 190 mph).  The priority becomes “slow down and stop”.  Air brakes help a bit, which are big flaps that stick out into the airstream.

The brakes are capable of stopping the aircraft on their own, but to reduce the stress on the aircraft, reverse thrust is also used.  Reverse-thrust is noisy.

Reverse thrust is usually achieved by putting huge shields behind the engines, to force some of the air flow forwards.  They work.  On the A380 only the two engines closest to the body have reverse thrust features fitted.

Once the aircraft speed has been reduced adequately then the very powerful brakes on the main landing gear are employed.

You are down safely, slowed down to a very modest speed and the aircraft can then taxi slowly to its designated parking spot.

Brace for Impact

Some airlines only provide detailed information on the brace position to business class passengers and up, even for a fee.  (In mid-2011 British Airways were charging £135 for a course giving you full and proper instruction on emergency procedures.)  Here on DIY Travel Expert you can read it for free!

To be frank, the safety charts are often of scant use at all in helping you to understand the brace position.  Airlines are stingy about space and cram as many passengers into the cabin as possible.  As a result. few passengers have the luxury of the amount of space depicted in the diagrams, where the seat in front of you is not a factor.  Most times you are going to have to brace yourself right against the back of the seat in front of you.

Emergency

In an emergency the captain will usually make a brief announcement warning passengers to brace for impact.  Under certain circumstances the cabin crew will make the announcement, for instance if they recognise that something unusual and bad is happening during a takeoff.

You may only have a few seconds to respond.  The captain may say as little as “Brace for impact” or “Prepare for crash landing”.  At that stage he has troubles of his own and you should not expect lengthy instructions.

Cabin crew have their own positions which are different from yours, because their seats are different.

Preparation

1. Before you leave home: One seldom thinks of clothing as a factor in crash survival but it is worth a brief word.  Experts consider the best dress for a flight to be long pants, a shirt with long sleeves and closed lace-up shoes.  High heels are going to have to stay on the plane if you crash and you will lose time in removing them.  Sandals may not protect you from sharp debris or glass.  Nylon clothing is to be avoided because it burns readily and has poor thermal properties. Wool is best for thermal insulation when wet, and cotton has excellent wicking properties if you come down in a jungle, for instance.  If you are flying over snow and ice in bad weather, consider carrying a warm jacket on your lap.

2. It has been suggested that you should buckle and unbuckle your belt a few times when you first sit down, to create “muscle-memory” of where to find the buckle.  It is in front of you, not to the side as it is in cars.  You do not want to have to think about where your buckle is in the possibly confusing aftermath of a crash.

3. After the safety briefing, count and memorise the number of rows to the nearest exit.  It could be dark or smoky when you need to find your way out.

4. Before a crash ensure that your seat belt is securely fastened.  This means having it with no slack, and pushing it down as far as it will go, to avoid internal injuries.  (You want the belt to stop your movement using your pelvis, which is strong, and not your gut.)

5. Put your seat fully upright before getting into the brace position.

British brace position

Lean forward and rest your head on the seat in front of you as far below the tops of the seats as possible.  Place your hands on your head, but not interlocked.  One hand resting on top of the other.  Your feet should be tucked underneath your knees, flat on the floor.  Pull your elbows in towards your body.

The UK guidelines are more recent than the US ones, having been mandated in 1993 following analysis of injuries in the 1989 Kegworth disaster (British Midland Flight 92).

American brace position

Lean forward and rest your head on the seat in front of you as far below the tops of the seats as possible.  Place your hands on the seat in front as well, with one hand holding the other wrist.  Position your forearms at the sides of your head.  Your feet should be tucked underneath your knees, flat on the floor.

If the seat in front is too far away from you to lean on, bend over and put your arms under your knees, holding onto your forearms.  Alternatively, you can hold your ankles.

Guidelines for infant’s brace position

While holding your baby on your lap, adopt the position as best you can, holding the infant with one arm and making sure that the head is protected.

The rationale for the position

The reasoning behind the brace position is the following.  Having your head against the nearest surface that it would bang into during the landing reduces the possibility of head trauma as the impact is then reduced or eliminated.  Keeping your elbows in reduces flailing (arms being flung around from the force of the landing).

Having your feet tucked beneath your knees, as far back as they will go, reduces the risk of your shins or leg being broken on the base of the seat in front.  With broken shins you cannot escape without assistance.  Broken limbs were a contributory factor in the 1989 Kegworth disaster and Korean Airlines Flight 801.

By placing your arms at the sides of your face it will protect your head from being struck by debris.

Though you might not think it, the tray tables and the seat-backs are constructed of material designed to give some cushioning during impact.

You should not interlock your fingers because if you do that and you are struck by a heavy piece of luggage or debris, you will break all ten fingers.  Then how will you unbuckle your seat belt?  Put your dominant hand on your head and cover it with your other hand.  The changes are that even if some fingers are broken, you will still have the full use of your main hand to unbelt yourself, open the door and other such tasks.

By positioning your head as low as possible you somewhat reduce the risk of being clouted by the overhead baggage racks falling on you – the seats will then take the blow.  If you are over 6 ft in height then you may have difficulty in getting low enough.  Airlines “hate” tall people and big people.

The brace position saves lives

Some have been sceptical about the benefits of the brace position.  Accident investigations have confirmed that the brace position reduces injuries and saves lives.  In particular it reduces possible head trauma and ensures that you can escape from the stricken aeroplane without needing aid.

A good example is that of the emergency landing on the Hudson river by flight US1549 on 15 January 2009.  All 155 passengers on board survived because they experienced no head trauma and could evacuate the plane.  (However, pictures of the passengers standing on the wings with the plane in the river show that only 18 of them used their life-jackets!)

Another instance of the brace position saving lives was Scandinavian Airlines flight 751 which crashed and everybody survived.  Everyone on board had adopted the brace position.

Listen to the safety instructions, read the safety chart, and know how to do the brace position properly.

See also our articles on In-flight safety – hazard awareness and Deep vein thrombosis – protect yourself and Flying when you are ill – what to do