Bolter (aeronautics)

In naval aviation, a bolter occurs when an aircraft attempting an arrested landing on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier touches down, but fails to catch an arrestor cable and come to a stop.

[1][2] Bolter aircraft accelerate at full throttle and become airborne in order to go-around and re-attempt the landing.

[2] Prior to the development of the angled flight deck, aircraft carrier landing areas ran along the axis of the ship.

The introduction of jet aircraft for carrier operations in the early 1950s, with their greater mass and higher approach speeds, exacerbated the problem.

United States Navy LSOs grade each carrier landing attempt on a scale of 0–5.

Animation of a missed landing on a centreline flight deck ( Yorktown -class aircraft carrier )
Animation of a missed landing, or bolter , on an angled flight deck ( Centaur -class aircraft carrier )
Photograph from behind a twin-engined jet fighter. The aircraft's wheels are on the surface, but the engines are still active, and a hook on the underside of the aircraft is in contact with the surface and trailing sparks
An F/A-18C Hornet that has failed to engage an arrestor wire on the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis and is attempting to bolter