12 Steps to Safe Takeoffs

There are many considerations that go into every successful takeoff.

Before takeoff, verify that the magnetic compass (top) and heading indicator (bottom) show the runway heading and that the attitude indicator (above) shows wings level, zero pitch.

An analysis of aircraft accidents released by Boeing in 2006 found that for a typical one-and-a-half hour flight, 17 percent of airliner accidents occurred during the takeoff and initial climb, second only to the number for approach and landing. What is remarkable about this is that the takeoff and initial climb segment made up only 2 percent of the total flight time. This finding supports the fact that after the approach and landing, the takeoff remains the second most critical phase of flight.

The statistics for general aviation aircraft like the ones we fly are similar. According to the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's 2006 Nall Report, 15.3 percent of accidents involving single-engine, fixed-gear general aviation aircraft during 2005 occurred in the takeoff and initial climb phase of the flight--also second only to the landing phase (43.1 percent of total accidents during 2005). Keep in mind that, as the Nall Report notes, while the total number of general aviation accidents is relatively low, it remains significantly higher than the airlines.

Clearly, from the moment an airplane starts its takeoff roll until it reaches a safe maneuvering altitude, it passes though what can be considered a zone of risk.

You may not be piloting an airliner (at least not yet), but whatever airplane you are flying demands careful and thoughtful attention to pass unscathed through this zone of risk. That attention takes the form of planning, headwork, and stick work. To help ensure you've covered the bases, consider the following dozen questions. Combined, they make a good takeoff safety checklist. Use them to evaluate your pre-departure planning.

On every normal takeoff, do you...

Have a departure plan? Jet pilots have a plan for every departure and review it just before takeoff. You can, too. In your mind you can review the flap setting and airspeeds you're going to use for rotation and climb. Know what initial altitude you're climbing to, and your initial departure heading or direction of flight.

And you should have a concrete plan for the unlikely event of an engine failure or power loss right after takeoff. You will land straight ahead, or slightly to the left or right--unless you're certain you have enough altitude to safely make the proverbial 180 turn and land on the opposite runway (discuss this with your flight instructor). Have you identified potential off-airport emergency landing sites for your departure? Finally, you should note the wind direction and speed (and apply crosswind corrections, if required) and then review any other factors that may affect your takeoff (for example, cloud bases, obstacles, high density altitude, heavy weight, limited runway length, and the like).

Choose an abort point? Before a multiengine jet pilot ever starts the takeoff roll, he knows exactly how much runway he needs to either complete the takeoff safely or abort on the remaining runway, even with the loss of one engine. The decision to continue or abort is based on a specific airspeed called V₁ (decision speed), and it's calculated for each departure. Using a decision speed promotes safer takeoffs because there's only one decision to make: an engine failure prior to V₁ requires an abort, whereas an engine failure after V₁ means that you will continue the takeoff.

Another method, ideal for the smaller aircraft we fly, is to simply choose a prominent landmark as an abort point. Promise yourself that if you're not airborne and climbing away safely by this point, you'll idle the throttle, abort the takeoff, and stop on the remaining runway. This landmark can be a taxiway, a windsock, a distance- remaining sign or other runway marking, or even a tree or building alongside the runway.

By planning for an abort, you'll avoid the dangerous situation of continuing a takeoff with the airplane unable to climb out of ground effect or, worse yet, unable to climb over an obstacle. This abort point depends on ambient conditions, airplane weight and configuration, runway length and surface, and whether there are any obstacles. Determine how much runway is needed to safely complete the takeoff by consulting the takeoff performance charts in the pilot's operating handbook for the airplane you're flying; armed with that information, you can then decide where the abort point should be.

Note your takeoff time? Timing is vital in aviation. Fuel management, all forms of navigation, flight plan activation, and your estimated time of arrival are all based on your "off time." That's why you should note your takeoff time on every takeoff. A quick glance at your watch or the airplane's clock when taking the runway is all that's required here. You can always jot it down later once you're safely airborne.

Visually clear the final approach path and before taxiing onto the runway? From a pilot's perspective, when you're ready for departure, you should hear one of only two instructions from air traffic control: "Hold short of the runway" or "Cleared for takeoff." While the instruction "taxi into position and hold" does help ATC expedite traffic, it also places you in a vulnerable position on the runway with your eyes forward and your back toward landing traffic. This risk occurs at nontowered airports, too, if you taxi into takeoff position while waiting for an airplane that just landed to clear the runway. That's why it's vitally important to check the base and final approach path for landing traffic before taxiing onto the runway. And once you line up, you should also scan the runway ahead for aircraft, vehicles, obstacles, birds, animals, or debris before starting your takeoff run.

Line up using all of the available runway? Smart pilots know that like fuel left behind in the fuel truck and altitude above you, the runway behind you is useless. Now, if your airplane is lightly loaded and you're departing from sea-level airports with long runways and cool temperatures, runway length is probably not a factor. But, if you operate from short runways--or do any mountain or desert flying, with their high altitudes and high temperatures--runway length and takeoff distance become critical. That's why it's important to get into the habit of lining up using the entire runway.

Verify that the heading indicator agrees with the magnetic compass and the runway heading, and the attitude indicator shows wings level, zero pitch? A recent regional jet accident in which the crew lined up on a shorter runway than they thought they were on underscores the value of these simple checks. If your airplane is equipped with a heading indicator with a heading bug, consider setting the bug to the departure runway heading. The magnetic compass is an irreplaceable instrument, and it is required equipment for day VFR operations. The attitude indicator can keep you out of trouble at night, or if you accidentally encounter instrument meteorological conditions.

Determine the wind direction and speed? Look at the windsock. If you're departing from a towered airport, controllers routinely give wind information before they issue a takeoff clearance--if they don't, ask for it. You need to know what the wind is doing before you begin your takeoff roll. If there's a crosswind, you should apply the proper crosswind corrections as specified in the POH. These corrections will help you maintain aircraft control and should prevent an unstable takeoff during which the airplane drifts or skips downwind during the ground roll. If there is even a slight tailwind, you need to carefully evaluate your takeoff performance and determine whether a safe takeoff can still be made given the tailwind condition--unless the runway has significant slope or it's a "one-way airport," the best decision usually is to taxi to the other end of the runway, and take off into the wind.

Check the configuration before applying power? The configuration check is one last chance to make sure your airplane is configured properly and ready to fly. It should be done with a flow pattern, using both sight and touch for each item checked. It should be performed in the run-up area before taking the runway, and include items specific to your aircraft such as: tailwheel locked, master switch On, primer in and locked, magneto switch to Both, trim set for takeoff, carburetor heat off, mixture rich, propeller set for takeoff, cowl flaps set, fuel selector and fuel pumps in their takeoff positions, and flaps set for takeoff.

Check the engine gauges after applying power? All you need to do to perform this check is to scan the oil temperature and pressure gauges to make sure they're in the green, and then check the manifold pressure, rpm gauge, and/or fuel flow indicators to make sure you've got a healthy engine that's developing full takeoff power.

Call out "airspeed alive" when the airspeed indicator moves? The best time to find out there's a problem with your airspeed indicator is on the ground, not in the air. Imagine taking off at night only to find out that the airspeed indicator is dead. Flying a pattern to come back around and land without your airspeed at night is an experience very few pilots would enjoy. Although rare, airspeed indicator problems do occur. For example, certain insects are attracted to the tiny opening on the pitot tube. The problem is that once they crawl in, they have a hard time crawling out--and it's almost impossible to catch this type of blockage on the preflight inspection. You may not find out about it until you're zooming down the runway and there's no airspeed indication. The lesson here: Call out airspeed alive as soon as the needle moves off the peg, and if you have a pitot cover, use it when the aircraft is at rest.

Know the aircraft's published rotation speed? Usually found under "Normal Procedures" in the POH, this speed is designed to transition the airplane from a ground machine to an air machine as safely as possible. Early rotation increases induced drag and results in a longer takeoff roll. Delaying rotation may cause the airplane to skip, bounce, or wheelbarrow. Hint: To help rotate at the proper speed, make sure the elevator trim is set to the takeoff setting.

Always climb out at the best rate of climb airspeed (unless obstacles are a factor)? From the time the airplane lifts off until it reaches a safe maneuvering altitude it's in a "zone of risk." If the engine quits or stumbles in this zone, your options are limited. A landing straight ahead, or slightly left or right, would probably be your only options. Thus, one goal of the normal takeoff and climb is to pass through this zone as quickly as possible. The airspeed that will accomplish this is the best rate of climb airspeed, or V_Y. This speed allows the airplane to gain the maximum altitude in the minimum time, thus minimizing the time spent in the zone of risk. And to maximize climb rate, remember to "step on the ball" and center it with right rudder pressure. If the ball in the rate of turn indicator's inclinometer is not centered, the airplane is not flying straight, which increases drag and reduces climb performance.

At first glance, a normal takeoff seems to be a relatively simple affair: Line up on the runway, add power, accelerate, rotate, and lift off. But it's a little bit more complex than that because there's a lot more head work than stick work that goes into every successful takeoff. Think of the takeoff as a maneuver. It begins when you start your ground run and ends when you reach a safe altitude. And like other maneuvers, it has objectives and performance standards, such as passing through the zone of risk as quickly as possible. Another might be to track straight out during the climb, especially if there are other departures from a parallel runway. As with any maneuver, you develop procedures to attain these objectives, and then use performance standards to measure how well those objectives were met.

These questions should help you to start thinking about the many variables you must consider in order to make all of your takeoffs safe and successful.

Christopher L. Parker is a CFI and an aviation author, speaker, and FAA remedial training specialist. He flies internationally as a contract captain on a Bombardier Challenger business jet and lives in Los Angeles.

Want to know more?

Links to additional resources about the topics discussed in this article are available at AOPA Flight Training Online.