Engine out at night; road or fields?

[tigisfat]

It's a moonless winter night over middle America, and you're on a long cross country by yourself in a Cessna 172. Just the same as last time, your engine has died and there's no restarting it. You set up the aircraft for best glide and set about finding your engine-out landing spot. Below you is an expanse of black, and the occasional orange light at a farmhouse. A few miles away is a highway. It's clearly not a major one, but there are occasional light poles. It's just enough to let you know it's there. The problem with landing there is the lightpoles and unknown wires you're sure cross the road and run along side of it. Being the midwest, you know there are fields. You're sure that once you were to glide lower you could discern a few, but barely. The condition of them will be unknown until you're in the flare, and if you're lucky there won't be any fences or large rocks in it. You don't even know what's in the fields, it could be corn or something bigger. By the time you see any obstacles, it could be too late because you can't go around.

[SIZE=4][COLOR=red][B]So what's the verdict? You have to choose to find a field or land on the highway. Please explain yourself.[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]


[SIZE=3][COLOR=blue]This time, I'll "DM" the conversation. If you require additional information or have questions, I'll give you an answer to eliminate variables. This is a fixed scenario.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

The FAA does teach the correct answer, but not all agree with it. There is no right or wrong answer here, I just want to start the discussion and see what some would do, real world pilot or not. The poll allows everyone to view your opinion.

[OBIO]

I'd head for the highway. Dead of winter...the highway has been plowed, so the odds of there being 3 or 4 feet of snow to entrap the nose gear and send the plane into a cart wheel is eliminated. Being a highway, it will be easier for help to get to me. And, being a highway, there should be a McDonalds or Burger King not far away....after a "crash landing" I will need to use their restroom and a pile of their napkins to clean the FODs from my shorts LOL!

OBIO

[WarHorse47]

I went for the field. Both options have potential collision hazards may it be a vehicle or animal. My logic says that the road would have the highest probable overhead hazard such as wires. Since the object is to get to the ground, I'd have a better chance of success with the field.

--WH

[Aviator273]

I would head for the highway, too. Here you can perform a targeted landing like on a normal landing field, too, with the only difference that the Touch Down will just be another one. I would try to glide as long as possible some 30 ft over the highway so that all traffic can see me and will be warned and then I probably would make a stall-landing (there might be some electricity pylon or anything else), destroying my landing-gear but avoiding any damage of other vehicles or persons.

[Mithrin]

I'd prefer dodging objects I see on the highway rather than having a perfect glide towards the big unknown. Work with what you have, not with what you think might be...as it might turn out to be your last landing place.

[cheezyflier]

i'd go for the field. i want to avoid the wires that i know cross that road somewhere.

[Odie]

[QUOTE=OBIO;387648]I'd head for the highway. Dead of winter...the highway has been plowed, so the odds of there being 3 or 4 feet of snow to entrap the nose gear and send the plane into a cart wheel is eliminated. Being a highway, it will be easier for help to get to me. And, being a highway, there should be a McDonalds or Burger King not far away....after a "crash landing" I will need to use their restroom and a pile of their napkins to clean the FODs from my shorts LOL!

OBIO[/QUOTE]

I think they call that a McDump, OBIO !:icon_lol:

I would also try for the highway and hope that the large percentage of the wires run pararell to the highway and have a significant distance between those that cross it....AND hope we're not in deer country, otherwise we'll be offering up a venison Quarterpounder at OBIO's McDonald's !!

[BPbobafett1982]

I choose the field landing because not only will you have lots of room to land in you also can set up for the wind conditions so you're approach will be shorter.

The highway is a good choice in the day because you'd be able to see any obstacles and hazards. but on a moonless night I wouldn't try for it.

[Whitehawk]

Highway, straight(ish) and lit. Fields are the dark bits, the REALLY dark bits are hills so it's best to avoid those altogether.. To be honest if the thing went quiet on me at night I would have to say if I could reach a highway I would take it, or a ditching near a populated beach if that's an option. Putting it into a field at night would be scary as you couldn't really see anything if there were obstacles in or around it..

[Kiwikat]

I think I'd rather head for the highway too.

[TeaSea]

Understand that in this scenario...the aircraft is toast.

Your only interest is surviving what's next.

I go for the field, unless I'm looking at interstate.

[Skittles]

In this situation the field. Cock up in a field and you've killed yourself.

Cock up on the road, you've killed yourself and the family in the car who had a 1 ton aircraft just come through their windscreen at 65 knots.

The only time I'd consider landing on a road is either if I could clearly see the road and people on it etc/obstructions, or if I had some sort of critical malfunction but retained control and the engine, so if I needed to I could wack on some power and get myself away from any obstacles. Not neccessarily to my own safety, just to ensure someone elses.

[mrogers]

I would go for the highway-its the next best option rather than risk landing on a field in the dark in an area that you don't know about, where you can't see trees, hills and other obstacles, unless you're absolutely sure that you know the dark area youre flying over are large cornfields or crop fields with plenty of room or has trees and hills with fences, outbuildings and hedges. Even then there is a risk of nosing over if the ground happens to be a plowed field.

[MaddogK]

TBH I'd head for the road, but land parallel to in the field. Wires and poles often run (and cross) those roads but 50 feet or so either side will surely guarantee I don't hit some pumphouse in the middle of some dark field.

[Snuffy]

The U.S. Highway system was designed or at least mandated by the federal government to be able to serve as emergency landing strips if necessary.

Therefore, I take the Highway.