Common Approach Mistakes

Ryan Motte

Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 07:01 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Proactively plan and brief all aspects of an instrument approach, including landing and missed approach procedures, during cruise flight to ensure preparedness.
Maintain strong situational awareness in the IFR environment, anticipating ATC instructions and traffic, to stay ahead of the aircraft and facilitate a smooth transition to the approach phase.
Implement "gates" at specific altitudes during the approach (e.g., 1000 ft, 500 ft, 200 ft above minimums) with clear criteria to prevent continuation bias and ensure a stabilized approach or initiate a timely go-around.
Optimize instrument scan to avoid fixation and overcorrection, and pay meticulous attention to stepdowns, minimums, and power management, especially during non-precision approaches, to prevent common errors.

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When I am doing check rides, training and instrument proficiency checks, I take a lot of notes. My goal is to write down symptoms needing attention, such as altitude deviation or airspeed mismanagement, and find solutions. Most pilots strive for professionalism, and they work with me to identify those solutions.

During post-flight briefings, I start by asking students to complete a self-evaluation. If there are any deviations from standards, typically students can point them out. I would like to think I earn my keep by helping them figure out why. The following are the most common notes I have taken, with solutions to situations where pilots have either deviated from standards or ended up in an unsafe situation on an instrument approach.