• Kit Sorens@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    ·
    11 months ago

    Most crashes happen near landing sites as pilots make emergency calls for open runways whenever a mid-flight pan or mayday comes up. They immediately divert to the nearest responding tower designated site, but that doesn't mean you'll make it in time. If your engines stalled, you're flying on your glide ratio alone, which gets far worse the more you course correct. Add the startle response and call-in stage, and you have much less time to get treads to earth than the theoretical Xmi at Y:Z glide ratio. Your final options are fields and highways, and you better hope you find a flat field or sparse country highway or you're nosing dirt or guiderail like this guy.