What is the LAHSO landing constraint?

• A. Must land in the first 1/3 of the runway or 3000 ft, whichever is shorter
• B. Must land beyond the first half
• C. Must land within last third
• D. Must land at 2000 ft from threshold

Answer: (A)

LAHSO stands for Land And Hold Short Of. When cleared for LAHSO, you must land and stop before a designated hold-short point, leaving enough runway for safe deceleration and to clear the intersection or obstacle you’re holding short of. The typical constraint used in training is that you must touchdown within the first third of the runway or within 3,000 feet from the threshold, whichever is shorter. This rule scales with runway length so you have a safe margin on long runways and a tighter, but still safe, margin on short ones. Landing farther down the runway or beyond the hold-short point would not provide guaranteed clearance, which is why other options don’t fit.