Preventing Go-Around Accidents

Jaybird180

Jaybird180

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I'd been thinking the last few days about some of the accidents I read caused by poor go-around technique.

What advice do you real pilots have to avoid becoming a go-around statistic?
 
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Not in any particular order, just stuff to remember...
- Don't forget your trim. You're probably not trimmed for a climb out and don't let it surprise you if your aircraft pitches significantly with a full power application.
- Stay over the runway. You could still touch down if it's a late go-around. Maintain directional control.
- Careful reconfiguring the aircraft. Besides the trim, you're going to have to retract the flaps. I've read more than one article about flaps either not coming up or coming up asymmetrically. Be ready to put things back the way they were, even if it's too much drag to climb out. Better to crash under control straight ahead, than let asymmetric flaps roll you over and kill you.
- Bottom line on any go-around. Maintain airspeed.
 
My personal #1 go-around rule: don't wait too long!! If it's sloppy, or if you do something dumb like forget you're flying a Cessna with the stupid toggle up/down flap switch (happened to somebody I know... cough...), the more runway you have left, the better.
 
... and watch out for the odd Ferris Wheel.
 
I'd say, and this is a guess, the go around had to be one of the least practiced maneuvers out there.

It is a rarely practiced/used maneuver that can be quite costly if performed incorrectly.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Related. As soon as you determine something isn't right, go around.
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+1000

Agreed 1000% No need to salvage any landing that's not to your liking...but you should practice them in different landing configurations and conditions...take an instructor up with you for a few, practice them in crosswinds (always an interesting experience) well worth the time and/or $$$ and if the instructor is a friend, then buy him/her lunch after the flight.
 
Go-around accidents are a result of a lack of training - as is all other accidents.

go-arounds, like all the other accident prone maneuvers, are not tested on checkrides, or they are tested in predictable rote situations, so no real-life training is presented to the student pilot.

Touch-and-gos and go-arounds from almost touching are good good go-around training in the actual skillful handling of the airplane - if done carefully and with the specific flaps-power-elevator/rudder control that is needed when the occasion arises.

Decisions to go around are also not emphasized enough. That is addressed by making a hard rule to go-around when you are not going to land on the designated spot. Most students I have not trained will allow the airplane to land long or short with no thought of going around.

Lack of training - that's all it ever is.
 
Yep, agree with the others. Make the decision EARLY. We've all been trained to recognize a poor approach.
 
  1. Go around at the first sign of doubt, not the last second.
  2. Go full power, including all the levers/knobs -- carb heat, throttle, prop, and (as appropriate) mixture.
  3. Use your feet -- when you add all that power, the nose will pull left (unless you're flying something Eastern European, in which case it pulls right), and you need to stop that.
  4. Know the attitude to which you should pitch for climb, and put the plane in that attitude.
  5. Bring the flaps up promptly, but know how your plane reacts to flap retraction, and anticipate that reaction with appropriate pitch inputs.
  6. Once the plane is stabilized in the climb configuration, take a deep breath, and then trim and do your T's (turn-time-twist-throttle-talk, as appropriate to your situation).
Or, to reduce it to a simple mantra, "Power up, pitch up, flaps up, [deep breath] trim and T's."
 
How about power up, pitch proper etc? If you are wallowing around in slow flight ( I know a late choice). You might need to pitch "down" to the horizon ... And flaps retract when pos rat of climb... Had a student dump the flaps all at once once and that was interesting ... Got his attention and I'm sure he'll never do that again
 
Once the prop hits, it's too late to try again with the gear down. Just ride it out.
 
I don't understand how so many accidents happen from go arounds - they're really not that hard to do.

What am I missing? Every go around I've ever done (practice and for real) has been a no brainer. Even if you're not trained in how to do it properly, wouldn't the natural response be to add full power, set pitch and clean up the plane? I don't understand what the other "natural" response would be - "Pull all the way back and close your eyes?"
 
SkyHog said:
I don't understand how so many accidents happen from go arounds - they're really not that hard to do.

What am I missing? Every go around I've ever done (practice and for real) has been a no brainer. Even if you're not trained in how to do it properly, wouldn't the natural response be to add full power, set pitch and clean up the plane? I don't understand what the other "natural" response would be - "Pull all the way back and close your eyes?"
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I think the problem is that people wait till the last minute. They wait until its almost a crash to initiate the go around, and then they either still smack the runway, or lose control when they don't counter the increased torque with pedal input, or they stall when they fail to retrim.

I've been flying for about 5 years now, and I've only had to go around for a legit "this isnt going right" reason twice. and I'll admit I waited longer than I should have. Although its amazing what just a touch of a power and a long runway can do.
 
I'd like to see some NTSB reports on accidents "caused by" or involved with go-arounds. I suspect that in many cases, while the go-around attempt made things worse (e.g. more energy at impact) a control issue prior to the abort actually caused the mishap and the attempted go-around merely failed to resolve the loss of control.

I can think of only a few reasons why someone would initiate a go-around in VMC:

1) Too fast on approach and/or touchdown point too far down the runway.

2) Another airplane or other obstruction on the runway.

3) Configuration error discovered late (e.g. gear not down and locked).

4) Crosswind too great to allow proper alignment.

5) Tower instructs you to go around (probably due to 2 or 3 above).

6) Beginning to lose directional control after touchdown.

7) Bounce

8) Others?

IMO, #1 and #6 are the most likely scenarios where delaying the abort is likely to make things worse, especially when the runway is fairly short and the departure end is obstructed. It's probably true way more often than not that once your wheels are on the ground you'll be better off staying there unless you've got significant runway left.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Related. As soon as you determine something isn't right, go around.
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Corollary: As long as there's gas (and there should be, right?) a go around isn't going to hurt as much as a botched landing.


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JesseD said:
Corollary: As long as there's gas (and there should be, right?) a go around isn't going to hurt as much as a botched landing.
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Only if it's initiated soon enough. From what I've seen, many if not most attempts to abort a landing late in the process just make things worse.
 
SkyHog said:
I don't understand how so many accidents happen from go arounds - they're really not that hard to do.

What am I missing? Every go around I've ever done (practice and for real) has been a no brainer. Even if you're not trained in how to do it properly, wouldn't the natural response be to add full power, set pitch and clean up the plane? I don't understand what the other "natural" response would be - "Pull all the way back and close your eyes?"
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There's 2 separate issues that I can think of. First is that some peoples reactions to stress and surprise are different than others. If you are a "freeze" reactor, an accident may easily be the result.

The other factor is one of performance, but that is going to be a very low population of the accidents because we are talking typically very high performance singles like the torque roll the guy did in the P-51.
 
Practice them regularly so they're a non-issue if/when needed.
 
Poor planning has a little to do with some of the accidents too. Especially in high country at unfamiliar airports pilots have flown themselves into a situation where they can't out climb the terrain on the go around.

In the flat land you probably won't have to set a point of no return, you can (for the most part) put it on the runway and still do a go-around just fine.

I don't like ninja hands either. People sometimes get in a huge hurry to get everything done and in their haste they forget to actually fly the plane. So, when I was teaching I used to have the pilots repeat: power up, pitch up, clean up, fly up each time we did a go around or were practicing go arounds. It had a slow cadence to keep them from forgetting to fly the plane first - not the flaps, not the gear, not the mike ect.... get that right rudder in there too :)

Another issue that I've seen come up a few times is that pilots become so committed to the landing that they lose situational awareness and forget that where traffic in the area is. This has only been an issue maybe 4 or so times since I've been flying where I saw this occur. Someone goes around and on a nice calm day they forgot that someone was approaching for the opposite end of the runway (obviously started from safe distances apart), and they don't think to expedite the crosswind turn.

The last thing I can think of that no one has already mentioned is over controlling the plane. I think this comes from either a lack of slow flight training or a lack of proficiency from just not practicing either slow flight or go-arounds (for the most part it's hard to find anyone who actually does practice that outside of a training environment). Too aggressive on the pitch up when already behind the power curve, or one guy even started pumping the yoke like it was an air pump designed to make the plane go up (he was trying to hold airspeed waaaaay to aggressively). Just relax and fly the plane :)
 
As far as how to execute the go around is concerned, I think the most important thing I was taught was to keep the airspeed under control. (And the airplane too, of course - don't be a passenger. I remember my PPL instructor saying many, many times, "Make that airplane do what YOU want it to!")

I was also taught to raise the flaps one notch at a time.

As for whether to go around, I was taught to go around any time there's something I don't like about the approach, and that there's no disgrace in going around. After one of my solo cross countries, I reported to my instructor that I had gone around twice while attempting to land at an airport surrounded by hills/low mountains, and he said "GOOD BOY!"

Since then, as I gained experience, I have modified that to "Go around if you're not SURE you can land safely."
 
If I have Flaps 40 out I have to add a step. Pitch *level*, start clean up (Flaps 20), then pitch up at Vx and the rest works fine from there.

The initial pitch isn't really "up" it's just to arrest the sink-rate as power comes on.

Only an issue late in the landing. If you go-around sooner you can let it keep descending a little bit.

Ever had the engine stumble because you forgot to remove carb heat? That'll get your butt puckered. ;)

I stick my right thumb out whenever I reach for the throttle instinctively now. Carb heat slides forward with the throttle if it happens to be on.
 
denverpilot said:
If I have Flaps 40 out I have to add a step. Pitch *level*, start clean up (Flaps 20), then pitch up at Vx and the rest works fine from there.

The initial pitch isn't really "up" it's just to arrest the sink-rate as power comes on.

Only an issue late in the landing. If you go-around sooner you can let it keep descending a little bit.

Ever had the engine stumble because you forgot to remove carb heat? That'll get your butt puckered. ;)

I stick my right thumb out whenever I reach for the throttle instinctively now. Carb heat slides forward with the throttle if it happens to be on.
Click to expand...

I used to teach the same thing.... thumb out and push in :)
 
gismo said:
I'd like to see some NTSB reports on accidents "caused by" or involved with go-arounds. I suspect that in many cases, while the go-around attempt made things worse (e.g. more energy at impact) a control issue prior to the abort actually caused the mishap and the attempted go-around merely failed to resolve the loss of control.

I can think of only a few reasons why someone would initiate a go-around in VMC:

[snip]

6) Beginning to lose directional control after touchdown.

7) Bounce


IMO, #1 and #6 are the most likely scenarios where delaying the abort is likely to make things worse, especially when the runway is fairly short and the departure end is obstructed. It's probably true way more often than not that once your wheels are on the ground you'll be better off staying there unless you've got significant runway left.
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I disagree with your 6 and 7. I may not have a whole lot of experience but after a bounce to regain enough energy to get back into the air takes a lot of runway. Same with #6 - if you losing it that close to the ground there is usually a tree or something somewhere that is looking to arrest you climb on go-round.

As to OP -- after full throttle, press on the right pedal and push the yoke and the rest comes after you have stabilized and began positive rate of climb. AND YOUR CALL COMES DEAD LAST!
 
Hi all. I am new here. (First post!) My two cents on go arounds. I trained in a Piper Warrior and was recently checked out in a C150. There is a huge difference in the workload of a go around between the Piper and the Cessna. I am well prepared, as I did a lot of touch and go practice in the 150, however knowing the climb characteristics, along with the multi-tasking required to perform a go around in a 150, for safety reasons, I never land the 150 with full flaps (unless absolutely necessary and I know I have the landing pegged).
 
9D9Gal said:
Hi all. I am new here. (First post!) My two cents on go arounds. I trained in a Piper Warrior and was recently checked out in a C150. There is a huge difference in the workload of a go around between the Piper and the Cessna. I am well prepared, as I did a lot of touch and go practice in the 150, however knowing the climb characteristics, along with the multi-tasking required to perform a go around in a 150, for safety reasons, I never land the 150 with full flaps (unless absolutely necessary and I know I have the landing pegged).
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Hello... My, what a pretty first post you have there...:popcorn: BTW, don't let anyone tell you there anything wrong with holding the last notch of flaps until the very bottom, but you should use full flaps at touch down whenever possible.
 
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kaosman40 said:
I disagree with your 6 and 7. I may not have a whole lot of experience but after a bounce to regain enough energy to get back into the air takes a lot of runway. Same with #6 - if you losing it that close to the ground there is usually a tree or something somewhere that is looking to arrest you climb on go-round.

As to OP -- after full throttle, press on the right pedal and push the yoke and the rest comes after you have stabilized and began positive rate of climb. AND YOUR CALL COMES DEAD LAST!
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I have to disagree with you. If you bounce, I think you have a good bit of energy already. I've bounced/purpoised, and decided I didn't want to keep going and adding full (properly coordinated - with rudder) power and that was more than enough to keep me in the air safely and let me climb out of there.
 
LDJones said:
Practice them regularly so they're a non-issue if/when needed.
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Heh, I have to hand it to my instructor. He'd do things like turn off the GPS and tell me to find the airport, tell me to go around randomly, say the flaps froze randomly, et al. He'd just randomly fail something, anything, nearly every flight. No warning, just fail something and ask me how I was going to deal with it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
ajstoner21 said:
I have to disagree with you. If you bounce, I think you have a good bit of energy already. I've bounced/purpoised, and decided I didn't want to keep going and adding full (properly coordinated - with rudder) power and that was more than enough to keep me in the air safely and let me climb out of there.
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There's another option guys, use some finesse. If you bounce and porpoise you do have too much energy to land and you added the energy of the landing gear spring/pressure. Problem is that bounce energy starts dissipating off rapidly as you reach the top of the arc 8' high you don't have enough energy to fly.... So when you bounce, keep the nose in propper landing attitude, add a 1-2 second burst of 1/2 throttle when you come near the apogee of your bounce you add a bit of energy to keep flying in landing attitude and then reduce throttle gently to settle in. You probably won't add 500' to a 172 landing. You can use the same technique in severe X-winds and the gusts over power the rudder. You just add a little throttle to maintain a couple foot off the ground and when the gust comes down and you can get lined up again you ease the power back to let it settle in. It's like a wheel landing for tricycles as well.
 
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Henning said:
There's another option guys, use some finesse. If you bounce and porpoise you do have too much energy to land and you added the energy of the landing gear spring/pressure. Problem is that bounce energy starts dissipating off rapidly as you reach the top of the arc 8' high you don't have enough energy to fly.... So when you bounce, keep the nose in propper landing attitude, add a 1-2 second burst of 1/2 throttle when you come near the apogee of your bounce you add a bit of energy to keep flying in landing attitude and then reduce throttle gently to settle in. You probably won't add 500' to a 172 landing. You can use the same technique in severe X-winds and the gusts over power the rudder. You just add a little throttle to maintain a couple foot oof the ground and when the gust comes down and you can get lined up again you ease the power back to let it settle in. It's like a wheel landing for tricycles as well.
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:yeahthat: You said it better than I could!
 
nosehair said:
go-arounds, like all the other accident prone maneuvers, are not tested on checkrides
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Might want to review the PTS before making that statement....

From Private Pilot PTS,
SectionIV. TAKEOFFS, LANDINGS, AND GO-AROUNDS​


L. TASK: GO-AROUND/REJECTED LANDING
(ASEL and ASES)
REFERENCES: FAA-H-8083-3; POH/AFM.
​
​
Objective. ​

​

To determine that the applicant:
1. Exhibits knowledge of the elements related to a go-around/rejected
landing.
2. Makes a timely decision to discontinue the approach to landing.
3. Applies takeoff power immediately and transitions to climb pitch
attitude for V​
​

Y, and maintains VY+10/-5 knots.
4. Retracts the flaps as appropriate.
5. Retracts the landing gear, if appropriate, after a positive rate of
climb is established.
6. Maneuvers to the side of the runway/landing area to clear and avoid
conflicting traffic.
7. Maintains takeoff power V​
​

Y +10/-5 to a safe maneuvering altitude.
8. Maintains directional control and proper wind-drift correction
throughout the climb.
9. Completes the appropriate checklist.​
​
Click to expand...

​
 
Henning said:
There's another option guys, use some finesse. If you bounce and porpoise you do have too much energy to land and you added the energy of the landing gear spring/pressure. Problem is that bounce energy starts dissipating off rapidly as you reach the top of the arc 8' high you don't have enough energy to fly.... So when you bounce, keep the nose in propper landing attitude, add a 1-2 second burst of 1/2 throttle when you come near the apogee of your bounce you add a bit of energy to keep flying in landing attitude and then reduce throttle gently to settle in. You probably won't add 500' to a 172 landing. You can use the same technique in severe X-winds and the gusts over power the rudder. You just add a little throttle to maintain a couple foot off the ground and when the gust comes down and you can get lined up again you ease the power back to let it settle in. It's like a wheel landing for tricycles as well.
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I agree with this as well. One bounce (unless it is a really bad bounce) does not have to be an automatic go-around. Length of runway remaining and how bad the bounce was a key factors. I would generally say that if bounce it again on the second, it is best to go-around and try again.
 
Henning said:
There's another option guys, use some finesse. If you bounce and porpoise you do have too much energy to land and you added the energy of the landing gear spring/pressure. Problem is that bounce energy starts dissipating off rapidly as you reach the top of the arc 8' high you don't have enough energy to fly.... So when you bounce, keep the nose in propper landing attitude, add a 1-2 second burst of 1/2 throttle when you come near the apogee of your bounce you add a bit of energy to keep flying in landing attitude and then reduce throttle gently to settle in. You probably won't add 500' to a 172 landing.
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You are exactly correct...............regarding the added energy of gear spring pressure, and bounce energy dissipating off rapidly. A few weeks ago, I had the non-pleasure of the experience. I've experienced it before, added a bit of power and settled back at my will.

This time, I thought the first bounce was benign, and didn't worry about it.
It went one more low bounce about 30" high. I thought that be the end of bouncing. Now the spring landing gear was loaded and flying energy was dissipated just as you say. The nose quickly pitched down at that 5-8' high...........and I elected not to throttle up at the point. Perhaps the second before would have worked, ........maybe not. Or I could have cartwheeled off the runway. Never the less, my fault.

My nose gear tucked under, and my constant speed Hartzell prop rolled 4" aft at the ends. Requires an engine tear down. Bummer...

I attribute this to landing too fast.

L.Adamson
 
Fearless Tower said:
I agree with this as well. One bounce (unless it is a really bad bounce) does not have to be an automatic go-around. Length of runway remaining and how bad the bounce was a key factors. I would generally say that if bounce it again on the second, it is best to go-around and try again.
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Yep.................see what I just wrote....

And the first wasn't even a bad bounce. My wife wasn't scared at all. She just cussed when the prop was curled a few hundred miles from home...

L.Adamson
 
I bounced/porpoised twice on my first solo landing. Never did it again.
 
Recovering from a bounce is, I think, an advanced maneuver that, based on my instructing experience, many if not most nonprofessional weekend pilots are better off not attempting. Yes, it can be done, but it takes very precise control inputs and the penalty for failure is substantial damage. If you've not done it before, try it first with an instructor -- set up a bounce and then recover with your instructor's hands guarding the controls. If your instructor expresses reluctance to try this, don't take it personally, but it probably means s/he doesn't trust your skill enough to take you that close to the edge and don't press the issue with him/her or, for safety's sake, try it alone until you sharpen your stick-and-rudder skills.
 
Be sure to "commit" to your go-around once initiated. I know a person who geared up a type-rated aircraft when tower called his go-around and then cancelled it a few moments later around 500agl....can you imagine the feeling when you hear the scraping start. No one was injured...but his record sure was.


it was his 3rd attempt at a crosswind landing, 3rd day in the plane as PIC.... statistically the 3rd attempt to land period doesn't have a great track record.
 
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This is a great community and I'm just learning my way around. So much interesting information and I am enjoying reading various opinions on many subjects.

I think it's somewhat personal preference and what you feel comfortable with, however I respectfully disagree with your comment regarding full flaps on every landing. I think it depends on the type of aircraft and more so what kind of winds you are dealing with. (Particularly gusty crosswinds). I'd be curious to read some other opinions on the subject.
 
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