7 Common Landing Mistakes

THE 7 COMMON LANDING MISTAKES

1. Rushing the Approach

Most of the time bad landings don’t start at 50 feet — they start in the cruise.

If you’re still building mental models or playing catch up when you’re on the ILS, you’re already behind and setting yourself up for failure.

How to fix it:

A proper brief sets the scene for what’s about to come.

It gives you a plan, sets expectations, resolves ambiguity and details threats.

This is good, because it means you (should!) have more capacity on the approach.

You've done the thinking early on, freeing up that mental bandwidth for what's to come.

If the brief is rushed or missing parts, everything downstream is reactive.

And reactive flying is rarely smooth.

By staying ahead of the aircraft we’ll be in much better shape come the approach, flare and touchdown.

2. Over-controlling the sidestick

Many new Airbus pilots fly the sidestick like a yoke: firm grip, constant movement, full deflection when things get twitchy.

You've probably heard the term "stirring the porridge" — we've all done it.

The problem? Your quick inputs barely register due to aircraft inertia, but it feels like you're in control.

Remember: In Normal Law, you're commanding rate of roll and G, not direct surface deflection.

Big, fast inputs can quickly destabilise your approach and make it harder to stay on profile.

How to fix it: 

Use smooth, progressive inputs — then neutralise the stick. Let the aircraft respond.

If it's oscillating, it's probably you. Ease off and let it settle.

Then fly it like an Airbus: small, precise, and deliberate inputs.

3. Fixating on one error

Spot a deviation on approach?

It's easy to hyperfocus on that one issue — only to find something else trending off while you're not looking.

How to fix it: 

In one word… scan.

If we're flying a 3° glide path in full flap, we know our typical datums: ~3° nose up, ~700 fpm descent, and roughly 56% N1.

Make small corrections, then immediately check what else might be trending.

See three whites on the PAPI? Maybe 800 fpm works better than 1000 fpm.

An instructor once told me: "Nibble away at errors. Don't try to instantly correct things."

Make a small adjustment → Check something else → Verify correction → Repeat.

Scan. Scan. Scan.

4. Transitioning outside too late (or too early)

If we stay on instruments until the last possible moment, we might look up and find the runway isn’t quite where we expected it to be.

Conversely if we just look outside for too long our accuracy might suffer.

Laterally it’s often easier to judge from outside.

But vertical control — especially rate of descent — is usually easier inside.

The key is knowing when to shift focus.

The visual cues arrive fast in the last few hundred feet.

If we’re not thinking about the transition from inside to outside, we risk missing what matters in the final phase.

How to fix it:

Make the shift structured:

• 1000 ft: 99% inside

• 500 ft: 50/50

• 200 ft: mostly outside

• 200-100 ft: one final check of the instruments and minor adjustment

• 50 ft: fully outside, looking long

This pattern keeps your attention where it matters — giving you the best chance of catching deviations early and getting the flare right.

Speaking of which…

5. Mistiming the flare

Flaring too early means floating, the potential to land outside the touchdown zone and even the possibility of a tail strike.

Too late, and well, we’ve all had a ‘firm’ arrival before 😆

How to fix it:

Aim to arrive at the flare in stable conditions every time: 700 fpm, on G/S, at target speed, and tracking the centreline.

The FCTM recommends initiating the flare at 30 ft RA, but it’s not absolute.

You’ll need to adjust slightly depending on energy:

• Heavy A321 or fast - start a little earlier

• Light A319 or slow - slightly later

One helpful tip is to listen to the cadence of the radio altimeter. If the callouts are quick then you’ll need to flare earlier.

Remember however, it’s a visual manoeuvre. Your eyes should be looking long — toward the far end of the runway — not inside.

The input itself should be smooth and progressive, not a late jerk at 15 ft!

You’re not trying to level off, just reduce the descent rate from ~700 fpm to ~100–200 fpm. That’s what’s meant by ‘fly it onto the runway.’

On wet or contaminated runways, a positive touchdown is preferable (which is a great excuse!)

It breaks through the surface film and ensures reliable spoiler deployment.

Ultimately, this just needs practice.

You need to build the visual picture in your mind — and that only happens when you arrive in the flare consistently, every time.

If you’re really struggling ask to see an autoland in the sim. Whilst not perfect it should give you a good idea of the amount of flare needed.

6. Mishandling the thrust levers

Reducing thrust too early or too late during the flare throws off your energy — and the touchdown suffers.

Too early, and you sink the last few feet - crunch❗️

Too late, and you float with the residual thrust.

How to fix it:

In manual flight, the “RETARD” call is a reminder — not an order.

The real trick is to look at your speed:

• Slightly fast? Thrust idle, then flare

• Slightly slow? Flare first, then idle

• On speed? Do them together

Whatever the sequence, remember: the thrust levers must be at idle by touchdown.

If not, you'll delay spoiler deployment, lose automatic brake engagement, and carry excess energy into the rollout — which on a wet or short runway can become a serious problem.

Like all things, timing the thrust reduction is a skill that improves with practice. But your speed in the last 100 ft will give you the valuable cue you need.

7. Switching off on rollout

Just because the main wheels are down doesn’t mean the job’s over.

It’s surprisingly common — the moment the mains touch, pilots mentally check out.

But the rollout is part of the landing, and it still demands attention.

How to fix it:

The landing isn’t complete until you’ve vacated the runway. So stay engaged:

• As soon as the mains touch, return the side stick to neutral — no push forward, no holding the nose off. You’re not in a light aircraft anymore.

• Use rudder for directional control, especially in crosswinds. Don’t rely on the tiller at high speed.

• Select reversers promptly and monitor deceleration — don’t forget to be in idle reverse by 70 kts.

• Track the centreline all the way. Keep using the rudder all the way to taxi speed.

IN CLOSING

We’ll look at some specific approaches in future editions but for now these general points should help.

Ultimately however, consistent landings come from consistent approaches.

If you're struggling, look upstream at how you're managing the entire approach phase.

And remember: the best thing you can say to avoid a bad landing is "Go-Around Flaps!"

Don't be afraid to use it - a go-around is always better than forcing a bad approach to a bad landing.

Most importantly, don't get discouraged.

Even the most experienced Airbus pilots have days where the landings aren't right.

Learn from each one, apply the techniques, and watch your landing quality improve over time.