Definition
A maneuver in which a pilot, faced with an actual or simulated loss of engine power or other in-flight emergency, selects a suitable landing area and flies a planned glide and approach to put the airplane safely on the ground without engine power available for a normal go-around.
Plain English
Getting the airplane safely on the ground when something has gone wrong — usually an engine failure — by gliding to the best landing spot you can reach and flying a planned approach to it.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight training when an instructor teaches or evaluates how a pilot handles a simulated engine failure or other urgent situation that requires landing without delay.
Derivation
Emergency comes from a word meaning “to arise” or “come up.” Approach means moving toward something, and landing means bringing the airplane onto the ground. Together, the phrase points to the whole action of dealing with a sudden problem by guiding the airplane toward a safe touchdown.
Why Pilots Care
Correct technique converts an engine failure into a survivable landing instead of an uncontrolled impact.
Intuition Check
Do not think of this as only the final touchdown. In aviation, an emergency approach and landing includes the whole sequence: recognizing the problem, selecting where to land, flying to that area, and touching down safely.
Example Sentence 1
After the engine lost power on the climbout, the pilot turned toward a nearby field and flew an emergency approach and landing into the grass.
Example Sentence 2
The student practiced an emergency approach and landing from 3000 feet AGL during the lesson.