Writing last month’s Aftermath column about a fatal accident that resulted from the pilot’s mishandling of a balked landing, I reflected that I had never assessed the behavior of my own airplane in that maneuver. As I have said before, my idea of flight testing is to take trips and wait for something strange to happen, and as luck would have it, I have never yet had a balked landing in Melmoth 2.
Why You Should Get to Know Your Airplane at its Worst
Key Takeaways:
- Go-around procedures are challenging due to the complex interaction of power application, flap retraction, and associated pitch and trim changes, which can be significant and abrupt.
- Aircraft exhibit highly varied pitch and trim responses during go-arounds due to aerodynamic factors like increased wing camber and altered downwash at the tail, influenced by wing and tail configuration.
- Pilots are strongly advised to practice balked landings at a safe altitude, ideally with an instructor, to understand their specific aircraft's unique behavior and their own reactions to ensure safe execution.
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