Here are 6 dangers that affect even the most experienced pilots...

1) Hydroplaning

Landing on wet runways can be hazardous, even to light aircraft. Hydroplaning could mean a temporary loss of directional control as you touch down.

How fast do you need to be going to hydroplane? Dynamic hydroplaning happens at about 8.6 times the square root of your tire pressure. For a Cessna 172 with 42 PSI tires, that's about 56 knots.

2) Downsloping Runways

Downsloping runways increase your landing roll. While every aircraft type is different, many GA aircraft increase their landing ground roll by 27% for every 1% of runway downslope.

3) Locked Tires

If you lock a tire, your nose will swing in the opposite direction of the locked tire. If you suspect a locked tire, release the brakes and re-establish directional control.

4) Icy Runways

In many cases, it can be hard to determine if your landing runway has ice accumulation. Be cautious, and don't use excessive braking. Most landings in GA aircraft require little use of the brakes. Use aerodynamic braking during your touchdown, and slow to walking speed before you make your turnoff on a taxiway.

5) Poor Crosswind Correction

As you slow down in the flare, you need to increase your wind correction, because your control surfaces are less effective at slower airspeeds. If you don't correct, you could landing in a crab and side-load your landing gear.

6) Soft Grass Runways

Landing on grass? When was the last rainfall? If the grass is wet, you'll have a longer landing roll. And if it's rained so much that the field is muddy, your nose wheel could dig in, causing damage to your landing gear.

Want to learn more about how runway and weather conditions affect your landing roll? Try our Mastering Takeoffs and Landings course. It's packed with tips and techniques you can use to improve your landings on your next flight.