The First 400 Feet

The standard missed approach is designed around a 200 ft/nm climb gradient. The minimum rate of climb youll need to maintain this gradient depends on groundspeed. For pilots of most IFR airplanes, these climb rates are easily achievable, but if your airplane is heavy, the density altitude is high, or youre laboring with reduced engine power you may have to decide before ever beginning an approach near minimums if youll have the climb capability to miss the approach if needed. In fact, the minimums for many approaches, especially in hilly or mountainous terrain, are driven not by obstacle clearance requirements for the approach inbound to the airport, but the requirements for terrain or obstacle clearance for the missed approach. If there are towers or hills under the missed approach segment you may not be permitted to descend as low prior to the missed approach point as you would be allowed to otherwise. At the minimum 200 foot per nautical mile climb rate (below), youll be two miles from the point you initiate climb before youre 400 feet above your lowest altitude. Theres a lot going on in the first two miles (the first 400 feet) when trying to climb out from a gray hole close to the unseen ground, so you need to properly manage this transition time to safely begin the missed.

Key Takeaways:

• The missed approach is an extremely high-workload and critical phase of instrument flight, requiring immediate and decisive action close to unseen terrain.
• Pilots should overcome "missed approach denial" by recognizing that successfully flying an approach includes safely executing the missed approach procedure if needed, rather than solely focusing on landing.
• Workload during a missed approach can be significantly reduced by proactively configuring the aircraft (e.g., prop controls, mixture, trim for climb speed) and preparing navigation details *before* reaching the missed approach point.
• During the initial moments of a missed approach, prioritize "Aviate, Navigate, Communicate" in that order, ensuring the aircraft is under control and climbing safely before contacting ATC.

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