Emergency Landing

Picking a Field

If the engine stops and there is no airport close by, you glide to a field instead. Good pilots look for the same things every time, so the choice is quick and clear. Then they fly a small version of the traffic pattern down to that spot.

Into the wind

Land facing the wind whenever you can. A headwind slows you down so you touch down gently and stop sooner.

Good surface

Look for big, flat, firm, and long. Harvested crop fields, golf courses, and straight roads are great choices.

No obstacles

Stay away from trees, power lines, water, and buildings. They are hard to see and easy to hit.

The best emergency fields are big, flat, into the wind, and clear of obstacles. Once you have picked your spot, fly a mini pattern around it — just like the rectangle at the airport — and aim to land near the start of the field. Pilots have a saying: any landing you walk away from is a good landing.

Instructor Setup

Cessna 172 with G1000, level at about 3,000 feet AGL over varied terrain with several field options visible. Plan about 20 minutes. You will simulate an engine failure by bringing the throttle to idle. Brief the practice nature of the exercise first.

Session Flow

1. Field-picking brief (4 min). Teach the checklist at the panel: into the wind, flat and firm and long, no obstacles. Show how to use the G1000 wind readout to judge wind direction.
2. Simulated failure and scan (5 min). Bring throttle to idle. Student pitches for best glide (65 knots), then scans and names the best field, explaining why.
3. Mini pattern (6 min). Guide the student to fly a small pattern around the chosen field — a downwind, base, and final scaled to the glide.
4. Approach to the field (3 min). Aim for the near edge of the field so there is room to roll out. Reset and repeat once if time allows.
5. Wrap (2 min). Recap the field checklist; preview "No-Power Approach."

Tie this back to K34's pitch-for-glide reflex. The goal is a sensible field choice and a planned approach, not a perfect touchdown.

Debrief

Confirm the student chose a sound field and planned an approach to it before moving on.

• Pitched for best glide, then scanned and named the best field
• Chose a spot into the wind with a flat, firm, long surface
• Avoided trees, power lines, water, and buildings
• Flew a mini pattern and aimed for the near edge of the field

Next Lesson

Next up is "No-Power Approach" (K37): landing back at the airport with the engine at idle, using pitch and flaps to manage your energy. If field selection felt rushed today, review the into-the-wind, flat, no-obstacles checklist at the start of K37.

Skills You'll Work On

These are the maneuvers and procedures covered in this lesson. Your instructor tracks each one as you progress.

• General Handling
• Approach Planning & Altimeter Setting
• Normal/ Crosswind Landing

Grades reflect what was covered in this lesson, not a certification of pilot competency.

Lesson Plan

Where this fits: Third of three sessions drawn from PPL Lesson 12, "Pattern and Landing Emergencies." It builds on the engine-out reflex from K34 and the go-around judgment from K35, adding off-airport landing site selection. This closes out the Lesson 12 material and leads into glide approaches.

Prerequisite

Can pitch for best glide after an engine failure (K34).

Materials

C172 G1000 simulator, field-selection checklist card, headset sized for the student.

Goal for this session

Student can select an off-airport landing site and fly a mini pattern to it after a simulated engine failure.

Looking Ahead

• K37 — No-Power Approach: a power-off approach to the runway using pitch and flaps.
• K38 — Aiming Point: reading the spot on the windshield that shows where you will land.