// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did GUMPS say to the tooth? You're stuck on me.
GUMPS is an acronym widely used by retractable gear aircraft pilots as a mental checklist to ensure nothing critical has been forgotten before landing. Its popularity is widespread, appearing in flight student curricula, FAA publications and aviation magazines.[1][2][3]
Due to distraction and preoccupation during the landing sequence approximately 100 gear-up landing incidents occurred each year in the United States between 1998 and 2003.[4]
The checklist
[edit source]- G – Gas (Fuel on the proper tank, fuel pump on as required, positive fuel pressure)
- U – Undercarriage (landing gear down)
- M – Mixture (fuel mixture set)
- P – Propeller (prop set)
- S – Seat belts and Switches (lights, pitot heat, etc.) [7]
An alternative formulation replaces the "S" with a second P for pumps.[8]
See also
[edit source]- BUMMMFITCHH - alternative pre-landing checks
- List of aviation mnemonics
References
[edit source]- ↑ "Mnemonic Reminders". Feb 2000. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
- ↑ National Transportation Safety Board (February 2002). "NYC02LA061 - Investigation". Retrieved July 28, 2026.
- ↑ King Schools (2010). "KwikVote Results". Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
- ↑ NASA (January 2004). "Checklist Checkup". Retrieved 2010-02-26.
- ↑ Stoller, Joel. "Preflight prep" (PDF). Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
- ↑ Love, Michael Charles (June 1995). Better takeoffs & landings. McGraw-Hill, Inc. p. 53. ISBN 0-07-038805-9. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
- ↑ Thomas P. Turner. "Leading Edge #4: Checklists and Flows". Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ↑ Landsberg, Bruce (June 1992). "How to Avoid the Most Embarrassing of Pilot Errors". Flying. Vol. 119, no. 6. New York, New York: Hachette Magazines. p. 98. Retrieved 11 May 2026.