Definitions

• Approach: The phase of flight starting when an airworthy aircraft under the control of the flight crew descends below 5,000 feet AGL with the intention to conduct an approach and ending when the aircraft crosses the approach end of the landing runway (runway threshold) or at the commencement of a go around maneuver.
• Landing: The phase of flight starting when an airworthy aircraft under the control of the flight crew crosses the approach end of the landing runway (runway threshold) and ending when the aircraft safely exits the landing runway, or at the commencement of a go-around manoeuvre.
• Approach and Landing phase of flight: The phase of flight starting when an airworthy aircraft under the control of the flight crew descends below 5,000 feet AGL with the intention to conduct an approach and ending when the aircraft safely exits the landing runway, or the flight crew conducts a go-around and flies the aircraft above 5,000 feet AGL enroute to another airport.
• Approach and Landing Accident: An accident that occurs during the approach and landing phase of flight.

Description

Approach and landing is the highest risk phase of flight, accounting for over 50 percent of all accidents at every level of aviation. Many types of accidents can happen during this phase, the most common of them being:

• CFIT (controlled flight into terrain)
• LOC (loss of control)
• RE (runway excursion)

Considerations

Because of its inherent risk, there have been many international efforts addressing the approach and landing phase of flight. These efforts have primarily addressed the highest-risk areas such as CFIT and runway excursions. They have addressed all aspects of approach and landing accidents as well as all the responsible parties involved with reducing the risk of related accidents - aircraft manufacturers, aircraft operators, aircrews, air traffic management, regulators, and airports. 

Many interventions have been created to assist in reducing the risk of accidents in the approach and landing phase of flight. Examples of these include:

• The stabilized approach criteria, which are designed to assist the crew in flying a safe approach and landing. 
• The safe landing criteria, which assist the crew in reducing the risk during the landing phase of flight.

Further Reading

DGAC (France) has published three documents in the English language related to non-stabilised approaches.

Flight Safety Foundation Copies of the FSF ALAR Toolkit on CD may be obtained from the Flight Safety Foundation

• ALAR Briefing Note 5.1 - Approach Hazard Awareness
• ALAR Briefing Note 7.1 - Stabilized Approach
• ALAR Briefing Note 8.1 - Runway Excursions and Overruns
• Reducing the Risk of Runway Excursions - Report of the Runway Safety Initiative
• Runway Excursion Risk Awareness Tool
• Non-stabilized Approach After ATC-Requested Runway Change (OGHFA SE)
• Runway Overrun On Landing (OGHFA SE)
• CFIT Checklist (available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish), external links
• CFIT Education and Training Aid

Airbus Safety Library

• Airbus Approach Techniques Briefing Note - Flying Stabilized Approaches
• Airbus Approach Techniques Briefing Note - Aircraft Energy Management during Approach
• Airbus Operational Environment Briefing Note - Enhancing Terrain Awareness
• FOBN - Approach Hazard Awareness offers a more expanded and categorised review of approach hazards

CANSO

• Runway Excursions - An ATC Perspective on Unstable Approaches
• Avoiding Unstable Approaches - Important Tips for ATCOs
• Unstable Approaches – ATC Considerations, January 2011