Crosswind Approach & Landing
In a crosswind landing you neutralize sideways drift and keep the longitudinal axis aligned with the runway at touchdown. The two common techniques are the crab (corrected to a slip just before touchdown) and the wing-low (sideslip) method held throughout the approach.
Step by step
- 1Fly a stabilized final, correcting for drift with a crab so the airplane tracks the centerline.
- 2Before the flare, transition to the wing-low (sideslip) method: lower the upwind wing with aileron to stop the drift.
- 3Use opposite rudder to keep the nose (longitudinal axis) aligned with the runway centerline.
- 4Continue the round-out holding wing-low/opposite-rudder; touch down on the upwind main wheel first.
- 5After the upwind main touches, let the downwind main and then the nosewheel settle as speed decreases.
- 6Hold (and increase) aileron into the wind through the rollout to keep the upwind wing down.
- 7Maintain centerline with rudder and brakes; be alert for weathervaning.
Tips & common errors
- Wing-low into the wind, opposite rudder to align the nose — drift correction with aileron, alignment with rudder.
- Touch down on the upwind main gear first; never land in a crab in most light airplanes.
- Common error: releasing the crosswind controls after touchdown and letting the wind lift a wing or push the airplane off centerline.
- If the crosswind exceeds your (and the airplane’s) limits, go around or choose another runway.
ACS completion standards
The commonly-tested tolerances for this maneuver. Always confirm the current ACS for your certificate.
- Maintain approach airspeed ±10 knots.
- Touch down within 400 feet beyond a specified point, on the centerline, with no drift and the longitudinal axis aligned with the runway.
- Maintain crosswind correction and directional control throughout the rollout.
FAA source
FAA-S-ACS-6 (Private Pilot ACS), Task: Crosswind Approach and Landing; Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3, Chapter 8.
This is an original, plain-English study summary grounded in the public-domain FAA Airman Certification Standards and FAA handbooks cited above. It is a study aid, not flight instruction, and not a substitute for the official ACS, the handbooks, your aircraft’s POH/AFM, or a certificated flight instructor.
Related maneuvers
- Normal Takeoff & ClimbThe normal takeoff and climb is the baseline departure from a paved runway with little or no wind and no obstacles. You accelerate on the centerline, rotate at the recommended speed, and climb at the best-rate speed (Vy) while staying coordinated.
- Normal Approach & LandingThe normal approach and landing is a stabilized descent to a flare and touchdown on the main wheels at minimum controllable airspeed, with the airplane aligned with and tracking the centerline. Everything else (crosswind, short field, soft field) is a variation on this.
- Crosswind Takeoff & ClimbA crosswind takeoff adds wind from the side. You hold aileron into the wind during the ground roll to keep the upwind wing from rising, then transition to a wind-correction crab once airborne so the airplane tracks the extended centerline.
- Short-Field Takeoff & Maximum-Performance ClimbThe short-field (maximum-performance) takeoff gets the airplane off the ground in the least distance and over a 50-foot obstacle. You use the full runway, the POH flap setting, full power before brake release, and climb at Vx until the obstacle is cleared.
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