Was that hard landing a bad landing?
Not necessarily. FAA guidance says a firm touchdown at the target point, followed by spoilers, reverse thrust and braking, gives the shortest landing roll, particularly on wet or contaminated runways.1 Flight Safety Foundation guidance for wet runways also calls for a firm touchdown.2 So a firm landing can be exactly the right technique; a feather-light one isn't the goal on every runway.
Sources
Keep reading
- Turbulence: uncomfortable, but not dangerous to the airplane
- That noise! A guide to normal sounds on a flight
- Go-arounds: why pilots sometimes abort a landing (and why that's good)