Plain English Meaning

If the regular system that lowers the wheels stops working, the pilot uses muscle power to push or crank them down so the airplane can land safely on its wheels.

Full Definition

A backup method of lowering retractable landing gear in which the pilot manually drives the gear down using mechanical effort — typically by cranking a hand-driven mechanism, pumping a hydraulic handle, or releasing the gear to fall and lock under its own weight — when the normal powered extension system has failed.

Context Anchor

Seen in emergency landing gear procedures for retractable-gear airplanes, especially in the airplane’s emergency checklist or operating handbook.

Derivation

‘Forceful’ comes from the idea of applying physical force by hand, as to the normal system that uses hydraulic, electric, or power. The phrase highlights that the pilot is the of the force, not the airplane’s power .