What Happens if You Miss the Arresting Cable While Landing on an Aircraft Carrier?
When landing on an aircraft carrier, pilots may encounter various scenarios that can impact the success of their landing. One such scenario is missing the arresting cable. This article explores what happens in such situations and provides insights into the skill and procedures involved in safely navigating these challenges.
Doesn't Need Arrestor Wires: VTOL Aircraft
Some aircraft are designed as Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) vehicles, eliminating the need for arrestor wires. In these cases, if a pilot misses the cable, they can simply continue flying and rejoin the flight pattern. This course of action allows the pilot to attempt another landing without the immediate risk of a bolter maneuver.
The Process of Bolting
When an aircraft misses the arresting cable, the pilot must use their full military power to gain altitude and distance from the carrier. This maneuver is known as a bolter. The pilot immediately transitions to the Afterburner (AB) setting on the aircraft's engines, which provides an additional burst of power to climb out of the landing area safely.
Why Bolters Occur and What They Mean
Why Bolters Happen: Bolters can occur due to several factors, including a pilot's inexperience, mechanical issues, or external factors such as weather conditions. They are recognized as a standard part of carrier aviation training, as even experienced pilots may occasionally miss the arresting cable.
Navy Flight School: Due to the complexity and high stakes of carrier landings, Navy flight school training lasts an extended period of 2.5 years. This comprehensive training helps pilots develop the necessary skills to handle emergencies such as missing the cable.
Procedure for Landing Attempts
Upon touchdown, the pilot must immediately go to full Afterburner (AB) power. This is a safety measure to ensure that the aircraft can climb away from the carrier if necessary. Should the pilot miss the arresting cable, they have just enough power to execute a bolter maneuver and return to the flight pattern for another attempt at landing.
Angled Flight Deck: The introduction of angled flight decks on carriers in the past several decades has significantly improved the ability of pilots to recover from a missed cable. This design allows for an unobstructed path to the air, enabling a more straightforward bolter maneuver.
The 'Bingo Fuel' Callout
A 'bingo fuel' callout is a critical point in a carrier landing scenario. It indicates that the aircraft is running low on fuel and must land immediately. In such situations, if a shore divert field is available, the pilot will use it. Otherwise, the pilot will continue to attempt an arrested landing (a trap) until they have exhausted their fuel or the Captain decides to raise the barricade.
Raising the Barricade: If the fuel is critically low and a shore divert is not available, the Captain may order the barricade to be raised. In this case, the pilot attempts to land with the barricade in place. Regardless of whether the arresting cable catches the aircraft, the barricade will hold the plane on the deck.
Rare Use of Barricade: The raising of the barricade is very rarely used. The vast majority of fleet pilots rarely have to execute a bolter, and even fewer experience multiple bolter attempts. Most of the time, a successful landing occurs on the second attempt.
Conclusion
Missed arresting cable incidents are a critical but manageable part of carrier aviation operations. A well-structured training regimen and the design of modern carriers ensure that pilots can handle such situations effectively. Understanding the procedures involved in bolting and landing attempts underscores the importance of safety and preparedness in the demanding world of naval aviation.