Definition
A loss of directional control on the runway in a nosewheel airplane caused when most of the weight shifts onto the nosewheel and the main wheels carry little or no weight. With the mains unloaded, their stabilizing friction is reduced, the airplane becomes difficult to steer, brakes lose effectiveness, and the airplane can swerve, skid sideways, or depart the runway. It typically occurs during landing rollout or takeoff when forward pressure on the elevator control is held while landing too fast or with excess speed on the ground.
Plain English
When you push the nose down too hard on the runway, the front wheel ends up carrying most of the weight and the back wheels barely touch. The airplane then handles like a wobbly wheelbarrow -- hard to steer, hard to slow down, and prone to swerving off the runway.
Context Anchor
Seen during landing rollout discussions, especially after touchdown in gusty or turbulent air.
Derivation
Named after the way a wheelbarrow behaves: one wheel up front carries the load while the handles (the back) are light. An airplane in this state acts the same way -- weight forward on a single wheel, the rest of the gear unloaded.
Why Pilots Care
It can cause loss of directional control, runway excursions, or nose-gear damage if the pilot does not correct pitch attitude promptly.
Intuition Check
Wheelbarrowing does not mean simply rolling on the runway. It means the nosewheel is carrying too much load, so the airplane is not firmly settled on the main wheels.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor warned the student that holding forward pressure after touchdown at too high a speed could lead to wheelbarrowing and a loss of directional control.
Example Sentence 2
A gust during touchdown lifted the tail and produced wheelbarrowing on the nose gear.