Words for: Emergency Operations
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When the tip of a wing hits the ground, usually during takeoff or landing.
Contact between an airplane's wingtip and the runway or other surface, typically caused by excessive bank angle during takeoff or landing, a crosswind landing with insufficient correction, or loss of directional control on the ground.
You may see this term in discussions of landing attitude, sink rate control, crosswind landings, taxi clearance, and .
It risks structural damage to the wing, possible propeller contact on low-wing aircraft, and sudden loss of directional control.
Do not read this as just another way to say “hard landing.” A wingtip strike specifically means the wingtip itself contacted the runway, ground, water, or an object.
The pilot banked too aggressively while correcting for the crosswind on landing and caused a wingtip strike.
After touchdown in gusty conditions, raising the upwind wing too high created a risk of wingtip strike during the landing roll.