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To: ProtectOurFreedom
Wet runways reduce traction available for braking - tend to increase roll-out distances. Not so much that you'd need double the distance, but it is a factor.

Strong winds usually work in your favor as long as they are not at too much of an angle. Strong headwinds mean you can land with a lower actual ground speed.

Strong winds can also be your worst enemy. Cross winds, even just at a decent angle, require the pilot to crab/slip the approach. The low mounted engines on 737s pretty much take away the slipping option. Nice thing about wet runways - because they're slicker you can leave some or all of the crab in right to touchdown. But it still makes the flare non-standard and adds just that much more workload to the pilot.

Even worse are inconsistent, variable winds. You can be all set up on approach and a sudden increase in headwind can increase your lift causing you to "float" long before touchdown. Or a drop in winds can give you a pretty good sink rate and cause a pilot to pull-up and/or add power, which if over-done causes you to land long or simply de-stabilizes the approach.

Like most aircraft accidents, it's never one thing, it's a combination of things that add up or stack up and eventually you run out of safety margins and something bad happens.

13 posted on 09/13/2021 12:50:30 PM PDT by ThunderSleeps (Biden/Harris - illegitimate and everyone knows it.)
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To: ThunderSleeps

Firm touchdown depletes energy and mitigates initial hydroplane effects.

No big deal.

Long runway. . .the pilot ham-fisted the landing.


15 posted on 09/13/2021 1:47:06 PM PDT by Hulka
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