On 12/9/2004 09:23, Matthew Walster wrote:

In the UK, it's only legal to land on a road at night, in an emergency, and
if there is absolutely no alternative that would end in the same or better
result... I'm suprised the US isn't the same...

I don't have my book here at the moment, so I can't quote the
specific FARs, but I think they say you must have permission
before landing. Because all land is owned by someone (generally)
you cannot land anywhere without permission.

In an emergency, you can do whatever you deem necessary for the
safety of the flight and people/property. There is a specific
"catch-all" regulation which states that you cannot operate
the airplane at an altitude such that you cannot make a safe
landing in the event of a power failure.

If you're flying over an area that doesn't include suitable
landing sites, you need to be at an altitude that will allow you
to glide to a suitable landing site (such that a landing would not
cause undo damage to property, etc.) in the event of a power
failure.