On Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 8:28:44 AM UTC-7, wrote:
I always assumed that there are more overshoot airport accidents than undershoot ones. That is mainly due to our general knowledge that it's better to be too high than not high enough.
Am I correct here ?
Dan

In 50+ years of soaring, I've only ever seen one overshoot - a pilot mistook the flap handle for the spoiler and flew the whole length of the runway with full flaps and no spoilers. I've seen plenty come short, including two hitting wire fences at the beginning of a mile-long runway! Modern sailplanes can dump altitude spectacularly - I have turned from base to final at 1,000 feet and still made a descent to the proper end of the runway. Wind shear and unexpected sink in the pattern can ruin your day!

Mike