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The approach and landings should be made in the same manner as in day landings as discussed in Chapter 11, Approaches and Landings. At night, the judgment of height, speed, and sink rate is impaired by the scarcity of observable objects in the landing area. The inexperienced pilot may have a tendency to round out too high until attaining familiarity with the proper height for the correct roundout. To aid in night landings, approach with power on to reduce the descent rate providing more time for the pilot to see the runway and start the roundout once the runway is visible. To aid in determining the proper roundout point, continue a constant approach descent until the landing lights refl ect on the runway and tire marks on the runway can be clearly seen. At this point, the roundout should be started smoothly and the throttle gradually reduced to idle as the aircraft is touching down. [Figure 12-14]  During landings without the use of landing lights, the roundout may be started when the runway lights at the far end of the runway first appear to be rising higher than the nose of the aircraft. This demands a smooth and very timely roundout, and requires that the pilot feel for the runway surface using power and pitch changes, as necessary, for the aircraft to settle slowly to the runway. Blackout landings should always be included in night pilot training as an emergency procedure. 

##  Night Emergencies 

Perhaps the pilot’s greatest concern about flying a single- engine aircraft at night is the possibility of a complete engine failure and the subsequent emergency landing. This is a legitimate concern, even though continuing fl ight into adverse weather and poor pilot judgment account for most serious accidents. 

If the engine fails at night, several important procedures and considerations to keep in mind are: 

• Maintain positive control of the aircraft and establish the best glide configuration and airspeed. Turn the aircraft toward an airport or away from congested areas. 

• Check to determine the cause of the engine malfunction, such as the position of fuel shutoff, magneto switch, or primer. If possible, the cause of the malfunction should be corrected immediately and the engine restarted. 

• Announce the emergency situation to Air Traffi c Control (ATC) or UNICOM. If already in radio contact with a facility, do not change frequencies unless instructed to change. 

