A 2016 Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) study of 16 years of runway excursions determined that “83 percent could have been avoided with a decision to go around. In other words, 54 percent of all accidents could potentially be prevented by going around.” Failure to conduct a go-around is the number one risk factor in approach and landing accidents and a primary cause of runway excursions, the FSF added. The foundation also believes that while unstable approaches are a primary cause of landing excursions, “the global aviation industry’s rate of compliance with go-around policies is extremely poor with just 3 percent of unstable approaches resulting in a go-around.” Executing a go-around carries its own set of risks, such as exceeding flap and gear extended speeds and a failure to achieve a positive climb during the maneuver, because go-arounds are seldom practiced in the locations where they often occur.
Failure to Go Around Leads to Runway Excursion
Key Takeaways:
- A Flight Safety Foundation study indicates that a vast majority (83%) of runway excursions could be avoided by executing a go-around, yet pilot compliance with go-around policies for unstable approaches remains extremely low (3%).
- The article details a Cessna Citation Latitude crash resulting from an unstabilized approach, a late decision not to go around, and critical errors during a subsequent, botched go-around attempt.
- Contributing factors to the accident included inadequate pre-flight planning, the pilot's failure to properly configure the aircraft and deploy speed brakes, and an attempt to go around after thrust reverser deployment, which inhibited engine power and led to a loss of control.
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