deadstick landing

Questions

What does deadstick landing mean?

A forced landing without propulsion of an aircraft that normally operates with propulsion.

Where does deadstick landing come from?

This term does not come from a reference to an aircraft's stick (“control stick”); rather, the stick in this term is, originally, a wooden propeller that has lost its engine power (from circa World War I). The term was extended to any aircraft (even jets) by an obvious extension of the metaphor. This term also does not involve the same metaphor as stick the landing (which see for more), although in some light aircraft, in some conditions, a highly skilled pilot might potentially stick the landing even if it is a deadstick landing.

How to pronounce deadstick landing

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “deadstick landing”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “deadstick landing”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “deadstick landing” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.