Definition
A premeditated landing, on or off an airport, made when continued flight is possible but inadvisable due to a developing problem such as deteriorating weather, low fuel, becoming lost, gradual mechanical trouble, or pilot fatigue. The landing is carried out while the airplane is still under full control and the pilot can choose the time and place.
Plain English
A planned landing the pilot decides to make early — before a small problem turns into an emergency — while the airplane is still flying normally and the pilot can pick a safe spot to land.
Context Anchor
Used in emergency landing training when a pilot must decide whether to keep flying or land early while there is still time to choose a suitable place.
Derivation
From 'precaution' — taking action ahead of time to prevent harm. The name signals the key idea: landing as a preventive step, not as a last resort.
Why Pilots Care
It allows a pilot to resolve a potential problem on the ground under controlled conditions instead of risking a more serious outcome later.
Intuition Check
Do not read “precautionary” as “not serious.” It means the pilot is acting early to reduce danger, not that the situation can be ignored.
Example Sentence 1
When the cloud bases kept lowering and visibility dropped below what he was comfortable with, the pilot made a precautionary landing at a small airport along his route.
Example Sentence 2
Deteriorating visibility ahead prompted the pilot to make a precautionary landing rather than continue the cross-country flight.