When a crosswind component is present on landing, how should you adjust?

• A. Increase approach speed to maintain control, align with runway, and apply crosswind landing techniques; adjust landing distance estimates for crosswind correction factors.
• B. Decrease approach speed to reduce crosswind effect.
• C. Land with the same speed and technique as no crosswind.
• D. Crosswinds only affect takeoff; ignore for landing.

Answer: (A)

When a crosswind is present on landing, you must compensate to keep the airplane controllable and on the runway centerline. A modest increase in approach speed gives you more stability and control authority to counter the wind’s gusts and the yawing moment it creates. The next step is to align with the runway using a crosswind technique—typically using a crab approach to keep the wings level and the nose into the wind, then, near touchdown, smoothly de-crab and touch down with the upwind wing lowered as needed to keep the aircraft from being blown off the centerline. Finally, crosswinds affect how you use the runway during the rollout, so you should adjust landing distance estimates to reflect the extra drift and any gusting that could require more runway to settle and straighten. The other options miss these essential adjustments: lowering approach speed reduces stability, maintaining the same speed and technique ignores wind effects, and crosswinds do not only affect takeoff.