Watch Out For Lights During Running Landings

Late last year the FAA issued InFO 15016 to helicopter operators on the topic of running landings, and specifically the hazards of doing them on runways with embedded lighting. On May 7 last year a Bell LongRanger contacted the recessed centerline lights in a paved runway while its pilot was practicing running landings, causing damage to the skids.

The InFO points out that each element of the mishap conformed with the necessary approvals: ATC had authorized it, it was conducted within operational standards and the centerline lighting was FAA approved. The onus is therefore on pilots to prevent a recurrence, and to that end the agency advises operators to avoid doing running landings on runways with embedded lighting. If that is not possible (perhaps the pilot needs to make a running landing to a lighted runway for safety reasons), the FAA urges pilots to land offset to the left or right of the centerline, beyond the touchdown zone lights and away from high-speed taxiway centerline lights so as to avoid contacting any of the embedded lighting in a runway.

All runways equipped with centerline lights are at least 150 feet wide, and touchdown-zone lights occupy the first 3,000 feet of runway beyond the threshold or half the runway length on runways that are less than 6,000 feet long.