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:
- Studies indicate that a large majority of runway excursions and landing accidents could be prevented by timely go-arounds during unstable approaches, yet pilot compliance with go-around policies is extremely low.
- The 2019 Cessna Citation Latitude crash serves as a stark example, resulting from an unstabilized approach, multiple bounced landings, and a botched go-around attempt initiated too late with active thrust reversers that prevented engine power.
- The NTSB determined the probable cause was the pilot's continuation of an unstabilized approach and delayed go-around, compounded by inadequate pre-flight planning, a lack of immediate pilot understanding of aircraft system interactions, and the non-flying pilot's advice against a go-around.
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