Source: IE
Context: The Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 crash in South Korea, claiming 179 lives, highlights the risks and challenges of emergency belly-landings in aviation.
About Belly Landing:
- What it is:
- Definition: A belly landing occurs when an aircraft lands without deploying its landing gear, skidding on its underside (fuselage).
- Risk Level: It is inherently dangerous, with risks of fire, structural damage, and injuries.
- Why it is done:
- Landing Gear Failure: When the landing gear fails to deploy or extend correctly.
- Aircraft Damage: If landing on wheels risks worsening existing damage.
- Controlled Emergency: Considered safer than landing with gear down under specific emergency conditions.
- Extreme Scenarios: May be preferred during water landings (ditching) or severe runway conditions.
- Technique behind it:
- Level Alignment: The aircraft must touch down with wings absolutely parallel to the ground to avoid flipping or breaking apart.
- Controlled Descent: Speed and angle of descent are carefully managed to minimize impact forces.
- Flap Management: Adjustments to flaps, slats, and other aerodynamic surfaces ensure the plane doesn’t stall while approaching at slower speeds.
- Braking Systems: Utilizes aerodynamic drag, thrust reversers, and wheel brakes (if functional) to bring the aircraft to a stop.
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