A large airplane flying over the top of a mountain.
A U.S. C-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 37th Airlift Squadron flies low-level sorties in mountainous terrain during Thracian Summer 2020 in Bulgaria, Aug. 17, 2020. The 37th AS flew multi-ship formations and interfly missions with Bulgarian C-27J Spartan aircraft and MiG-29 Fulcrum aircraft. USAF photo by TSgt Devin Nothstine

If an Approach is Unsafe … Go Around!

By MR. STEVE PANGER, HQ AMC FLIGHT SAFETY

We aviators should know when an approach is not safe to continue. In response to a trend in landing mishaps and following the lead of the civilian airlines, Air Mobility Command established stabilized approach criteria for all Mobility Air Forces airframes several years ago to reduce the number of these mishaps.

If the parameters of a stabilized approach are not met, AFI11-202V3 AMCSUP guidance is for the aircrew to take immediate corrective actions to stabilize the approach. Ultimately, the pilot flying must initiate a go-around if the approach cannot be stabilized within 500 feet above touchdown.

Evidence (anecdotal and otherwise) suggests, however, that many aircrews continue to attempt to land out of unstable approaches. They are sometimes successful, but some end with negative consequences. A recent Class A mishap illustrated this when a crew did not go around even though they were clearly outside the required parameters. The aircraft departed the surface at the end of the runway and was destroyed. Thankfully the aircrew survived with only minor injuries.

Why do some aircrews ignore these criteria and continue an unstable approach? Many factors might come into play, but one could argue that a breakdown of Crew Resource Management is a primary cause due to normalization of deviance1 and perceived pressure from the organization or from peers—even on the same crew. How many times has a pilot been allowed to continue an approach based on the “halo effect†because he/she has demonstrated outstanding airmanship skills and saved the day in the past? It only takes one event with the proverbial holes in the cheese lined up for things to go haywire fast.

The guidance is set for a reason: too many times we have experienced landing mishaps when they could have been avoided. Follow the guidance for everyone’s benefit and continue to fly safely!

1 Unacceptable practice or standards become acceptable. As the deviant behavior is repeated without catastrophic results, it becomes the norm for the unit/organization.