Land and Hold Short Operations, universally abbreviated as LAHSO, represent one of the most consequential acceptance decisions a flight crew makes during the approach and landing phase. When ATC issues a LAHSO clearance, the crew is being asked to land on a runway and bring the aircraft to a complete stop before reaching an intersecting runway, taxiway, or designated point — all while another aircraft or vehicle may be operating on that intersecting surface. For transport-category crews operating under 14 CFR Part 121 or Part 135, the stakes are especially high: these are large, heavy aircraft whose stopping performance is sensitive to weight, speed, runway condition, and brake energy state.
The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) paragraph 4-3-11 is the governing reference for LAHSO, and it places the ultimate authority squarely on the pilot in command. A LAHSO clearance is never mandatory — a PIC who determines that acceptance is not safe must decline, and ATC must then sequence traffic accordingly. Understanding how LAHSO works operationally, what data the crew must have in hand, and where the procedural traps lie is essential knowledge for any ATP-certificate applicant or line pilot.
How LAHSO Works
LAHSO is a procedure that allows ATC to use intersecting runways simultaneously, increasing airport throughput at busy facilities. The runway in use for landing is referred to as the landing runway, while the intersecting surface being protected is the hold-short runway or taxiway. ATC will issue the LAHSO clearance with a specific Available Landing Distance (ALD) — for example, "Cleared to land runway 28L, hold short of runway 35, ALD 5,000 feet." That ALD figure tells the crew exactly how much pavement is available before the hold-short point.
ALD data for all participating runway combinations is published in the special notices section of the Chart Supplement (formerly Airport/Facility Directory) for each applicable airport. Pilots are expected to have that data available before accepting. The AIM is explicit: pilots should only accept a LAHSO clearance when they can safely comply, considering the aircraft's actual required landing distance (RLD) under current conditions. If the crew has not reviewed the ALD for the airport, or if conditions have changed since planning, they must decline.
The Acceptance Decision in Transport Operations
For transport crews, calculating whether LAHSO is feasible involves comparing the published ALD against the aircraft's factual required landing distance derived from the AFM/POH performance charts. The RLD for a transport-category airplane is generally the aircraft's actual (unfactored) landing distance under existing conditions, not the larger dispatch factored distance (e.g., the 1.67 factor used for destination runway length planning under Part 121) — this accounts for operational variability and provides a safety margin. If the ALD is less than the aircraft's factored RLD, the crew must decline.
Critically, the RLD calculation must use actual conditions at the time of landing: current weight, approach speed (VREF), field elevation, temperature (density altitude effect on braking energy), actual wind component, runway surface condition, and the aircraft's braking system status. A transport aircraft that could theoretically land in 4,800 feet under standard conditions may require 6,000 feet on a wet, grooved runway at maximum landing weight with a slight tailwind — far exceeding a 5,000-foot ALD.
ATC Responsibilities and Pilot Rights
ATC controllers issuing LAHSO clearances are required by FAA Order 7110.65 to obtain pilot concurrence before the LAHSO clearance is considered accepted. The AIM specifies that the pilot must read back the LAHSO clearance, specifically including the hold-short instruction, to confirm understanding. This readback is not optional — it is a compliance requirement that also signals acceptance. If the crew reads back only "cleared to land" without the hold-short element, the clearance is not properly accepted and ATC should clarify.
LAHSO is not conducted at night for turbojet aircraft, or when the runway is not dry, unless the ALDs for those specific conditions have been separately authorized by the FAA for that airport. There is no blanket regulatory ceiling/visibility restriction on issuing LAHSO clearances. The AIM also advises that student pilots should not be trained in or accept LAHSO clearances. These restrictions exist because LAHSO requires the pilot to visually confirm awareness of the hold-short point during the approach and rollout — a task that becomes unreliable in low visibility or at night without adequate runway lighting.
Crew Coordination in the Cockpit
In a two-pilot transport cockpit, LAHSO demands crisp crew resource management. The Pilot Flying (PF) is managing the approach and rollout; the Pilot Monitoring (PM) must confirm the LAHSO acceptance decision, complete the readback, and monitor the aircraft's deceleration profile during rollout. A standard procedure at many carriers includes a pre-landing briefing element that explicitly addresses whether LAHSO is authorized per company operations specifications (ops specs) and, if so, what the target stop point is.
Many Part 121 carriers include LAHSO restrictions in their ops specs — some operators prohibit LAHSO entirely for certain aircraft types, or restrict it to dry runways only, or require a go-around if the ALD cannot be confirmed by a specific point on the approach. The flight crew must know their company's policy before accepting any LAHSO clearance. If ATC issues a LAHSO clearance that conflicts with company ops specs, the crew must decline regardless of traffic pressure.
Why It Matters: Safety Implications
The consequences of a LAHSO non-compliance event are severe. An aircraft that crosses the hold-short line onto an active intersecting runway during LAHSO operations creates a runway incursion — one of the most dangerous events in aviation. The NTSB has investigated LAHSO-related incidents in which aircraft overran the hold-short point due to excessive approach speed, wet runways, or crew failure to verify the ALD versus actual RLD before accepting. In each case, the outcome was either a near-collision or an actual ground conflict involving multiple aircraft.
From an operational standpoint, declining a LAHSO clearance is a professional, correct decision when conditions do not support it. ATC will work around it. No schedule pressure, no desire to avoid a go-around, and no controller request changes the PIC's authority and responsibility under 14 CFR 91.3. Accepting a LAHSO clearance when performance data does not support it is not "making it work" — it is an unsafe act that can cascade quickly on a busy airport surface.
Key Numbers and Rules
- ALD source: Published in the Chart Supplement special notices section for each participating airport and runway combination.
- Weather/runway condition for LAHSO: Not conducted at night for turbojets or when the runway is not dry, unless FAA has specifically authorized ALDs for those conditions at that airport.
- Student pilots: AIM guidance advises they should not be trained in or accept LAHSO clearances.
- Required readback: Pilot must read back the hold-short instruction as part of clearance acceptance; readback confirms concurrence.
- PIC authority: Pilot may decline LAHSO at any time, for any reason; ATC must accommodate the refusal.
- RLD vs. ALD: The aircraft's factored required landing distance must be less than the published ALD for the specific runway/intersection combination before acceptance is appropriate.
- Condition adjustments: Wet runway, high landing weight, tailwind, and contamination all increase RLD and may push it above the ALD, requiring a decline.
Memory Aid: "A-L-D Before You Land"
Before accepting any LAHSO clearance, run through A-L-D: A — Available Landing Distance (look it up in the Chart Supplement); L — Landing distance required (calculate factored RLD for current conditions); D — Decision (ALD greater than RLD? You may accept. ALD less than RLD? Decline immediately). This simple three-step check prevents the most common LAHSO error: accepting before doing the math.
Common Test Traps
- Thinking LAHSO is mandatory: It is never mandatory. The PIC always has the right to decline, and controllers cannot pressure pilots into accepting. The exam may present scenarios where accepting seems like the "polite" choice — it is not if the numbers don't work.
- Forgetting the readback requirement: Some questions ask what constitutes formal acceptance of a LAHSO clearance. The answer is a complete readback that includes the hold-short instruction — not just "cleared to land."
- Confusing ALD with runway length: The ALD is always shorter than the full runway length (it ends at the hold-short point). Using the full runway length instead of the published ALD will falsely suggest compliance when there may actually be insufficient distance.
- Ignoring surface conditions in RLD: Exam questions may present a scenario where the ALD appears adequate for a dry-runway RLD but the runway is wet. The factored wet-runway RLD may exceed the ALD, requiring a decline.
- Assuming night LAHSO is routine: LAHSO is generally not conducted at night for turbojets or on non-dry runways unless the FAA has specifically authorized ALDs for those conditions. Some test questions imply it is available whenever ATC offers it — the correct answer is that the crew must verify conditions and restrictions before accepting.