Bounced Landing Recovery Explained
Learn what causes bounced landings, how to recover from a minor or major bounce, and when a go-around is the better choice.
A bounced landing happens when the airplane touches down, rebounds into the air, and leaves the pilot deciding what to do next. It is common in training, but it needs immediate, calm handling.
The mistake is not bouncing once. The mistake is trying to force the airplane back onto the runway after the bounce.
Why Bounced Landings Happen
Bounces usually come from excess energy or poor touchdown attitude.
Common causes include:
- Too much airspeed on final.
- A late or aggressive flare.
- Touching down with a high descent rate.
- Landing flat or nosewheel-first.
- Gusty wind or crosswind drift.
- Fixating close to the nose instead of looking down the runway.
In a tricycle-gear trainer, a nosewheel-first touchdown can lead to porpoising. That is a series of increasingly unstable bounces where the airplane rotates between nosewheel and main gear contact. Porpoising can damage the nose gear and quickly become unsafe.
First Priority: Control
After a bounce, keep the airplane aligned with the runway. Use rudder for directional control and avoid big, panicked pitch inputs.
Your decision is usually between two choices: continue the landing after a small bounce or go around. If there is any doubt, go around.
The runway behind you no longer matters. The runway remaining, aircraft control, airspeed, and attitude matter now.
Minor Bounce Recovery
A minor bounce is small, controlled, and still leaves the airplane in a normal landing attitude. In that case, the pilot may be able to hold the landing attitude, add a small amount of power if needed, and let the airplane settle.
Do not push the nose down. That can drive the airplane into the runway and create a worse second bounce.
Think "hold attitude, stay aligned, let it settle." If the airplane does not settle normally, transition to a go-around.
Major Bounce Recovery
A major bounce means the airplane rebounds significantly, pitch attitude is not right, airspeed is decaying, or the situation feels unstable. The correct answer is usually a go-around.
Apply go-around power, manage pitch, stop the sink, and follow the aircraft's go-around procedure. Retract flaps in stages according to the checklist and aircraft guidance. Maintain directional control and climb away.
Do not wait until the airplane is out of energy and runway. A prompt go-around is a sign of good judgment.
Mistakes That Make Bounces Worse
The most common mistake is pushing forward after the airplane bounces. Students do this because they want the wheels back on the ground. Unfortunately, it can cause a nosewheel strike, porpoise, or another hard touchdown.
Another mistake is overcontrolling. Large pitch corrections can start pilot-induced oscillations. Once the airplane and pilot begin chasing each other, the safest fix is often to go around.
A third mistake is delaying the decision. If the bounce is big, go around while you still have airspeed, runway, and control authority.
Preventing Bounced Landings
Good landings begin before the flare. A stabilized approach gives you the best chance of arriving over the runway at the right speed, descent rate, and alignment. If you are still building that feel, review airspeed and altitude control as part of your landing practice.
Work on:
- Flying the correct approach speed for the aircraft and conditions.
- Maintaining centerline with rudder.
- Correcting drift with bank.
- Looking toward the far end of the runway during flare.
- Reducing power smoothly.
- Holding the landing attitude instead of planting the airplane.
If the approach is unstable, go around before the bounce ever happens.
Crosswinds and Bounces
Crosswinds can turn a simple bounce into a directional-control problem. If the airplane touches down while drifting sideways, the landing gear may skip, side-load, or pull the airplane off centerline.
Keep working the crosswind correction through touchdown. The landing is not finished when the wheels first touch. Maintain aileron into the wind and rudder to track the centerline during rollout. The same control discipline starts on the ground with crosswind taxi technique.
Training Takeaway
Every pilot has imperfect landings. Bounced landing recovery is about discipline. Do not force the airplane down. Do not freeze. Do not let pride keep you from going around.
A go-around is not a failed landing. It is a normal maneuver that protects the aircraft, passengers, and pilot when the landing is no longer working.
Bottom Line
Small bounce, stable attitude, plenty of runway: hold the landing attitude and let the airplane settle. Big bounce, unstable pitch, porpoise risk, or doubt: go around. That simple decision tree will keep most bounced landings from becoming accidents.
Official References
Need help applying this to your training?
Use this guide as a starting point, then bring the confusing parts to a focused ground lesson. Diego works with Louisville-area and remote students on FAA knowledge, oral-prep, and practical training decisions.
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- Landings and Takeoffs Guides - Landing, takeoff, crosswind, short-field, soft-field, go-around, bounced-landing, slip, and traffic-pattern guides for student pilots.