Grass, Road, or Water: Where Does a Crippled Jet Land?

Logosofia no Dia a Dia · Sep 17, 2026 · 24m

A forced-choice scenario: an A320 or 737 is in serious trouble, and the crew has three options — a grass runway long enough for the landing weight, a road with live traffic but a clear path, or open water. Which one does a trained crew actually choose, and what are the real odds of walking away from each? Drawing on ditching studies, open-field landing data, Gimli, the Hudson, and recent highway crashes, this episode works through the hierarchy crews are trained to apply — surface first, people second, water only when nothing else exists — and why the road is the one option that puts…