FAA Issues Alert on Visual Approach Risks

Agency points to ‘concerning’ number of high-profile incidents during flight operations.

Ryan Ewing

Saturday, April 12, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

A Boeing 737 on approach. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA issued Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO 25001) for Part 121 and 135 operations, addressing the risks associated with visual approaches due to recent high-profile incidents.
The SAFO emphasizes critical communication between pilots and air traffic controllers (ATCs) and reaffirms the pilot in command's authority to declare "unable" if a clearance compromises safety.
Recommendations include increasing vigilance, considering instrument approaches instead of visual ones, communicating "unable" if an approach becomes unstable or unsafe, and maintaining an active visual scan.
It also encourages aviation personnel to report safety issues, apply Safety Management System (SMS) principles, and review existing risk mitigations.

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The FAA has released a new Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) addressing the risks associated with visual approaches during flight operations. This alert, SAFO 25001, comes in response to several recent high-profile incidents in the National Airspace System (NAS) that have raised concerns about flight safety, according to the agency.

The SAFO, issued on April 2, specifically targets air carrier operators and pilots conducting operations under Part 121 and 135 operations.