Definition
Approaches to landing flown at an angle of descent shallower than the recommended glidepath, typically the result of carrying excess power, holding the nose too high, or beginning the descent too late. A flat approach reduces the margin above obstacles and terrain near the runway, lengthens the float in the flare, and often leads to landing long or fast.
Plain English
Coming in to land on too shallow a path — flying nearly level toward the runway instead of descending at a proper angle. The airplane skims in low and fast rather than settling onto the runway under control.
Context Anchor
Seen when practicing glides, power-off approaches, and emergency landing patterns.
Derivation
“Flat” here describes the shape of the descent path, not the airplane’s attitude. A normal approach traces a downward slope toward the runway; a flat approach is one where that slope has been flattened out toward level flight.
Why Pilots Care
A flat approach often causes floating, runway overshoot, or the need for an unplanned go-around.
Analogy
It is like coasting a bicycle toward a stop sign on ground that is almost level: if you are too far away and try to stretch the coast, you may run out of energy before you get there.
Intuition Check
Flat does not mean smooth or safe here. It means the descent path is too shallow—the airplane is not coming down enough for the distance it is covering.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor pointed out that carrying too much power on final was producing a flat approach, and asked the student to reduce power and re-establish the normal glidepath.
Example Sentence 2
After extending flaps the pilot steepened the glide to avoid a flat approach and land on the intended spot.