Final Checks

Editorial Staff

Monday, May 24, 2021 at 01:19 PM ET

Verified

Airplane in landing configuration against a backdrop of cumulous clouds

Key Takeaways:

Pilots must always visually scan the final approach path for landing traffic before entering an active runway, a critical safety measure regardless of airport type (towered or non-towered).
The author recounts a go-around incident at a non-towered airport where another aircraft failed to check final, reinforcing the need for vigilance.
Even when cleared for takeoff at a towered Class B airport, a proactive visual check prevented a runway incursion with an unannounced landing twin, demonstrating the limitations of relying solely on ATC.
Adopting a defensive flying mindset, always expecting other aircraft to potentially enter the runway, serves as a crucial safeguard against conflicts and enhances overall flight safety.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Although I had practiced go-arounds during my primary training, it was a few years after earning my private certificate before I had to perform one in anger. I was on final for a small, non-towered suburban airport, having made my radio calls all the way around the pattern. About a half mile from the runway threshold, the Piper Warrior I had spotted in the run-up area taxied onto the runway and began its takeoff roll. I was not happy.

I sidestepped to the right as I added power and started climbing away. At one point, I was about 100 yards off the Warrior’s right wing and more or less level, so I shallowed my climb to let it get above me, and then followed from a distance until it was time for me to turn crosswind and try again. I made a normal pattern and landed.