Commercial aircraft are one of the safest forms of travel, and there are many precautions put in place to ensure safety is paramount. However, it can be a little unnerving when you think you are about to land, but suddenly the aircraft pitches up and powers through the sky.
The sound of the rumble of the engine’s thrust, the vibration of the airframe, and G-forces on your body can onset feelings of anxiety and suspicions of an inflight emergency. For pilots, this maneuver is a normal part of flying and encouraged when the need arises. In the world of aviation, this referred to as a “Go-Around”.
Airplanes go around when there is a potential danger during the landing phase. Some reasons why airplanes might choose to go around include adverse weather conditions, runway incursion, and loss of separation.
In this article, we’ll cover all the following:
- The various reasons why airplanes choose to perform a go-around
- Are go-arounds safe?
- The procedure of a go-around
- How often and at what altitude airplanes go around
With that said, let’s begin with the first point on the list:
Table of Contents
Reasons Why Airplanes Go Around
The main reasons why pilots or ground control would request a go-around are:
Reason 1 – Weather
Low visibility and adverse weather conditions can make it unsafe to land immediately. Weather can be a pilot’s worst enemy on the final approach because there a so many factors involved when it comes to landing in inclement weather. Pilots sometimes encounter crosswinds that can blow the plane slightly off course; hence the flight crew performs a go-around to re-align the aircraft with the runway.
A pilot must be able to visually see the runway to land by the time they reach the decision altitude. The decision altitude (DA) is the required specified minimum altitude in which the pilots must be able to see the runway environment. If the weather is below minimum visibility for an instrument landing, a go-around is required.
Reason 2 – Unstable Approach
An unstable approach occurs when the pilot cannot maintain a constant speed, descent, flight path, or receive landing clearance before reaching 1,000 feet above the ground. If the flight crew fails to meet all of these variables simultaneously, then the pilot should execute a go-around and exit the airspace safely.
Unstable approaches occur on roughly 4 percent of all landing attempts. They are the primary cause of landing complications and account for most approach and landing accidents.
Effective communication from Air Traffic Control has a significant impact on the safe execution of go-arounds. Sometimes the controller issues instructions that can prevent a typical approach sequence, and late changes in the landing schedule also create an extra workload for the crew and warrant a go-around.
Reason 3 – Runway Incursion
A runway incursion is an incident where unauthorized personnel or equipment are blocking the runway.
This situation can significantly impact landing safety and creates a considerable risk for all staff, equipment, aircraft involved. Fortunately, there are safety systems in place that help prevent runway incursions. The Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ADSE-X) is a computer program designed to alert Air Traffic Control of a potential incursion.
The (ASDE-X) is a surveillance system that uses radar and satellite technology and allows ground control to track the movement of aircraft and vehicles. The program was developed to reduce critical runway incursions in Class A and B airspace and implemented in June 2003.
The system provides detailed coverage of movement on runways and taxiways, and sensors collect data from a variety of sources. The sensors also collect data on non-transponder and transponder equipped vehicles and aircraft in the airport movement area.
The ASDE-X system works by triangulating the data to determine the position and identification of possible incursion in the movement area and planes on the final approach.
Reason 4 – Loss of separation
Loss of separation occurs when aircraft breach the separation minimums and are flying to close together, and happens more often in busier airspace.
Loss of separation creates a runway hazard and may result in a collision, abrupt maneuvers to avoid accidents or rough turbulence from wind vortices.
Constant communication from Air Traffic Control and excellent situational awareness from the crew significantly reduces the chances of breaching separation minimums.
Reason 5 – Technical malfunctions
Although rare, mechanical glitches such as flaps or a landing gear malfunction can force an aircraft to go around. In the unusual occurrence that there is malfunction during landing, the pilot initiates a go-around to buy more time to troubleshoot or issue. It also gives ground control enough time to clear runways and contact emergency services if needed.
Why Is It Called a Go Around?
The history of the go-around dates back to the dawn of aviation when most of the flights were flown by visual flight reference (VFR). The term “GO-AROUND” refers to the circular pattern planes fly above the airport. The circuit pattern air traffic allows aircraft to enter and exit busy airspace safely.
Are Go Arounds Safe?
It can be nerve-racking when you are about to touch down, and suddenly, you feel the aircraft pitch up and climb away from the ground. The passenger naturally assumes that a go-around indicates a problem; however, it’s the latter.
Go-arounds are undoubtedly safe and are initiated to prevent a potential mishap. The go-around not only removes the aircraft from a dangerous situation, but it also gives the crew more time to troubleshoot or re-align the aircraft with runway.
According to a study published by Boeing, 49% of incidents transpire when landing, compared to 14 % during the take-off phase. During take-off and landing, pilots have less time to react to problems because of the distance of the plane to the ground.
Go-arounds can still be a risky maneuver if the initiation is ineffective. The aircraft may not have enough power to regain altitude.
If the aircrew fails to initiate a go-around in time, it can breach the separation minimums or suspend the aircraft in wake vortices, creating extreme turbulence.
What Altitude Should the Plane Go Around?
The altitude the pilot initiates a go-around can present a different set of risks and challenges. The crew should try to execute the maneuver about 1000 ft. If they attempt it any lower, the crew runs the risk of not being able to recover altitude in time.
Pilots should only attempt this maneuver when the risk associated with an unstable approach is greater than the risk related to a go-around.
How Often Do Planes Go Around?
A survey conducted by the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) found that go-arounds occur at an average of 1-3 per 1000 approaches, and 1 in 10 of those go-arounds were to avoid a potentially hazardous outcome. To put it in perspective, over 100,00 flights a day occur worldwide.
Although this maneuver is a standard part of the flight phase, it is a rare procedure for most commercial pilots. Most pilots only conduct a go-around once or twice every few years.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) estimates that there are over 800 standard go-arounds performed a year in Australia every year. Which means there are more than two a day at an airport at any given time nationwide.
There are no penalties or paperwork required when a pilot chooses to abort the landing. In fact, flight crews are encouraged to go-around any time they feel the need.
What’s the Procedure for a Go Around?
The procedure for a go-around involves constant communication between the tower and pilots for the flight crew to enter and exit busy airspace safely.
When Air Traffic Control (ATC) and the pilots decide to execute a go-around, the flight crew will:
- Engage the auto-throttles, which assist in providing the right amount of power and pitch to execute the go-around.
- Retract flaps to accommodate the climb (if necessary).
- Confirm that the aircraft is in a positive rate of climb, before raising the landing gear.
- Fully retract flaps once the aircraft a safe airspeed and is 1000 feet above the ground.
- The plane re-enters the traffic pattern until cleared to land.
Summary
There’s an old saying in the aviation community, “It is better to go-around, and have to explain why than have someone guess why you did not.” The go-around is a vital part of aviation safety, and it can significantly reduce the risk of an incident it is executed correctly.
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