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2 Answers

“Report landing assured”

Asked by: 7030 views Commercial Pilot

I'm a commercial helicopter pilot flying air ambulance.  I hear all the time "report landing assured" when landing off airport to a hospital or scene location, I've always just answered positively once I started my final approach but never really looked into it.  Today I did and really can't find any answers.  I've read on old forms that it's been done away with several years ago but obviously not since I was just told to do it today.  

 

The question is what defines landing assured? 

 

ATC is using it as a way to end their control over me, after I answer landing assured they tell me "frequency change well talk to you later".

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2 Answers



  1. Skyfox on Feb 21, 2016

    I’ve only ever flown airplanes, so whenever I’ve heard the phrase “landing assured”, I took it to mean two things (with it being a given that the pilot has the full intention to land at that destination): in IFR weather, the pilot is absolutely positive there will be a sudden loss of visibility between the current position and touchdown that would require going missed on the approach after ATC has authorized a frequency change to the CTAF at an uncontrolled field; and for all operations, if the engine quits right now, the airplane can still be brought in for a safe landing on the runway. In terms of helicopter operations I would tend to assume it means the same sort of things, in this case being a safe autorotation landing on the helipad (or maybe anywhere safe on the airport surface) when that engine suddenly quits.

    In regards to IFR operations, since ATC has to protect the airspace for the aircraft’s possible missed approach, once the pilot reports “landing assured” ATC can free up that airspace.

    I couldn’t find anything specifically outlined in the pilot/controller glossary. In looking it up from other sources online, some people tend to think it also means a go-around is out of the question at that point, but I’d have to disagree since anything unexpected can happen just before landing (ie. deer run out of the tree line and across the runway) that requires an immediate go-around.

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  2. Mark Kolber on Feb 21, 2016

    It is not an official phrase. You won\’t find it in the PCG or in the ATC Handbook. In fact, AFAIK it only appears 3 times in the whole body of FAA publications. Every time I\’ve heard \”landing assured\” it it\’s been plain English simply meaning when you are certain of making the runway or not needed certain services..

    For example, with IFR, as already said, it is telling us we should not cancel IFR until \”landing assured\” — we are certain we won\’t need the missed approach. In primary training, teach students not to start deploying flaps when doing a power-off forced landing approach until \”landing assured\” — . we are certain we can make the runway and wont land short.

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