What effect does a high flare landing error typically have on an aircraft?

A high flare landing error typically results in the aircraft being at an excessive altitude when attempting to flare for landing. This can compromise the pilot's ability to effectively control the descent rate and touchdown attitude of the aircraft. When the airplane is too high during the flare, it may lead to a prolonged floating effect above the runway, making it challenging to settle it down properly for a safe landing. The pilot may either run out of runway or have to perform a more aggressive descent to land, which can lead to a hard landing or a missed approach.

In contrast, other options do not align with the consequences of a high flare error. For instance, improved landing speed is not a factor of high flares since the aircraft's speed management is compromised in this scenario. A reduced landing distance is also misleading, as the extended altitude typically requires a longer distance for the aircraft to descend and align properly for touchdown. Finally, while gear stress could potentially be a consideration in a hard landing scenario, it is not a direct consequence of simply having excess altitude during the flare. Therefore, the primary and most crucial effect of a high flare landing error is the inability to flare normally due to the aircraft being at an unsafe height above the runway.