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

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

A Boeing 737 on approach. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has issued Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) 25001 to address risks associated with visual approaches, following several recent high-profile incidents in the National Airspace System.
Targeting air carrier operators and pilots, the SAFO emphasizes effective communication between pilots and air traffic controllers, and reaffirms the pilot-in-command's authority to declare "unable" when clearances compromise safety.
Key recommendations include increasing vigilance near VFR routes, considering instrument approaches, communicating "unable" for unstable approaches, maintaining an active visual scan, and encouraging voluntary safety reporting.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.