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:
- The aviation industry struggles with pilots failing to execute go-arounds during unstable approaches, despite data indicating this decision could prevent 83% of runway excursions and landing accidents.
- A Cessna Citation Latitude crash exemplified the severe consequences of an unstabilized approach, a delayed go-around decision made beyond the commit-to-stop point, and subsequent mishandling by the pilot.
- The accident was attributed to the pilot's continuation of an unstabilized approach, failure to initiate a go-around before touchdown, and incorrect execution of the go-around, including attempting it after thrust reverser deployment.
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