Definition
Areas selected by a pilot for an emergency or precautionary touchdown when continued flight to a planned airport is not possible or advisable. Landing sites may include airports, runways, taxiways, open fields, roads, beaches, or any surface judged suitable based on length, surface condition, slope, obstructions, wind, and approach path.
Plain English
Places where a pilot can put the aircraft down. In an emergency, this is whatever surface gives the best chance of a safe landing — not necessarily an airport.
Context Anchor
Seen in emergency discussions, when a pilot is deciding where the aircraft could be landed if continuing flight is not safe.
Why Pilots Care
Choosing an appropriate landing site quickly improves the chances of a survivable outcome and reduces risk of injury or major aircraft damage.
Intuition Check
Landing sites does not mean only airports or marked runways. In an emergency, it can mean any place the pilot judges usable for getting the aircraft on the ground as safely as possible.
Example Sentence 1
After the engine began running rough, the pilot started looking for suitable landing sites within gliding distance.
Example Sentence 2
The emergency procedure calls for identifying at least two possible landing sites within gliding distance before turning toward the best one.