Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Had a hard landing today

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Single engine Cessnas do the shimmy dance all the time. Don't worry about it, it's one of the weak links in the single engine Cessnas. They are durable as all get out though. When I was in college someone told me they tested the landing gear by dropping the plane from 17 ft. , free-falling it onto the pavement. I never looked this flying urban legend up but it wouldn't surprise me. Of all the trainers the 152 can take a licking and keep on ticking.
 
Murdoughnut said:
I was doing T&G in a 152 at my home field today. We were landing on 35 and the wind was 33010, but it was obvious they were gusting a bit. On my first three landings I had been drifting a bit to the right just before touch down, but otherwise they went ok (wasn't dipping the left wing enough I figure). On my fourth (and what turned out to be final) landing I was floating a bit in ground effect, as I was probably about 5kts too fast. All of a sudden, while I was about two or three feet off the ground, I dropped fairly hard. It wasn't horrible, but it was the hardest landing I've had, even going back to when I was a student. When I dropped the nose wheel, it started shimmying pretty strong (strong enough that it felt like the whole plane was shaking). I called for full stop, and turned off the runway. When I turned off, the shimmying all of a sudden stopped and the nose gear returned to normal.

I let the A&P know about it, but he didn't seem too concerned. I came in with less positive pitch attitude than normal, but I'm pretty sure I didn't put it down on the nose. Did I just jar something loose or what? I was afraid I broke the plane, but the A&P said it "happens all the time".

I'm putting my embarassment aside and seeking some insight from you guys. Thanks in advance.

Aint got SKILLZ! I heard of this happening once, and the nose gear collapsed on the next flight. Somebody could get hurt because you weren't assertive about damaging an aircraft.

Click Here to See..
Click Here to See More...
 
Last edited:
dangerboy said:
Had a friend that was demonstrating a short field landing during his private ride, and stomped on the brakes in the 152 so hard, he locked up the tires and managed to flat spot them. The examiner was pretty cool about it, all he said was, "I'd like to get you through the rest of the check ride, but the plane is no longer airworthy!" DPE had to take the controls and fly the plane home. No pink slip, they simply continued later after the plane got some new Dunlops.

Ouch, Tires are not cheap!!! The tires on my 150 are about 3 years old and still look like new! You should not have to touch the brakes!!!!!! Providing you have enough runway to roll to a stop or a safe exit speed. Oh Yea Brakes pads & other brake components cost money also!!!

Now!! If I was the FBO I would have insisted that the student go out and learn how to do short field with-out using brakes "that is, if they have instructors that knows how" before I would let them rent my equipment and send the student the bill for the tire replacement.
 
Yeah, I'm in that slump of hard, firm, ********************ty landings-and quite honestly, I really don't care anymore!! They are safe, and eventually I'll have a series of OK ones.:beer:
 
152 Shimmey

The Cessna's are notoriuos for the shimmey. Keep the back pressure on and most of the time it will correct it. Also, the dampner may need serviced. I had that problem all the time with my 172 and finally baught a Lord Shimmey Dampner. Works great no complaints from the students and young CFI's.
 
murdougnnut....

Like everyone else here has said, if you progressively add more back pressure as you slow down until you have full aft stick, that will help. Also don't get TOO slow during flare in an attempt to keep the nose from shimmying after touchdown. Gusty crosswinds, in my opinion, aren't really a time to do full stall landings. Fly it to the ground with a couple knots to spare. Maybe even consider using less than full flaps.

Just my opinion, which is worth about as much as a boat anchor made of styrofoam.
 
That is, progressively add full back pressure AFTER you land.....kind of an important detail I omitted in the previous post.
 
Mrdoughnut...sounds like you've earned your c-150 shimmy wings. We've all been there and done that. Don't be ashamed. My cessna had a pretty bad shimmy too. The trick is aerodynamic breaking and less break pedal...but always mind your speed on a gusty crosswind day. You don't want to be slow in gusts and windsheer.
 
Had a student ask me how aerodynamic braking works the other day and I blanked out. I said something stupid like "I dunno, it just makes the mains press into the runway better." I used to spit out a great reason but it has slipped my mind. We're talking about the full back yoke right? Anyone care to refresh my memory?

Oh wait, I think I have it........It takes weight off the nose gear and transfers it to the main gear. By putting on brakes the weight of the airplane is thrown foward toward the nose gear which has no brakes so the full aft yoke will attempt to pull some of that weight off the nose and put it back on the mains where the brakes are.

Patting myself on the back.:D
 
Last edited:

Latest resources

Back
Top