Flying a Manual Go-around

Article Information

Category:

Loss of Control

Content source:

SKYbrary

Content control:

The Air Pilots

Description

Flying a go-around places special demands on the pilots, especially when the go-around is unexpected.

This article deals various considerations for flying a manual go-around.

Airmanship Overview

The following general points are aimed at multi-crew operation but they also serve as good reminders of the self-discipline required if operating single pilot.

Briefing – The key building block for flying a successful go-around is a good briefing. This should cover normal go-around and how a go-around above Decision Altitude and/ or Acceleration Altitude might be handled. This could be reviewed at a quiet moment prior to the approach so that actions are clear in everyone’s mind, should they be needed. Review items should include standard call-outs and actions by both the pilot flying (PF) and pilot monitoring (PM).
Complacency – It is tempting in good weather, particularly on last sector into home base not to bother with detailed thinking about a go-around. There have been several potentially serious incidents caused by such complacency. A go-around can be triggered at any time. The more unexpected and more unprepared crew members are, the more likely that serious error will occur. Research indicates that pilots who mentally rehearse for a go-around make fewer errors.
Priorities – It is important in a go-around that crew members deal with the primary flight task first and secondary tasks afterwards. The priority is to get the aircraft climbing away from the ground at an appropriate attitude, in the right configuration, at the right speed with an appropriate power setting. The old saying, "aviate, navigate, communicate" describes the priority order for all phases of flight, including missed approaches. In other words, do not bust the missed approach altitude due to distraction from radio calls.
Standard Procedures – using Standard Operating Procedures and call-outs can help trigger all the appropriate actions. It is easy to use non-standard calls and discover later that important triggers for flap and gear retraction have been missed. Pilots should also review flying a go-around from an unfamiliar position such as above Decision Altitude (DA).
Missed Approach Altitude - It is important to consider the missed approach altitude when discussing how to handle a go-around. A low missed approach altitude will require careful and thoughtful handling of power, acceleration, and cleanup to avoid an altitude bust or a flap overspeed.

Go-Around From Above Decision Altitude

In training, most go-arounds are commenced at or near Decision Altitude. A G/A flown due to low ceilings has usually been anticipated and briefed. It is the G/A flown in clear weather (perhaps due to ATC) or the G/A is commenced from a point other than DA, which usually presents the greatest problems. Pilots should be mentally prepared to go around from any point on the approach. Practice in flying a go-around is normally included in routine refresher training, and analysis of Flight Data Monitoring data indicates a need for practice in flying go-arounds flown from above Decision Altitude/Height as well as the more commonly practiced go-around from DA/H.

Missed approaches started from higher altitudes are sometimes referred to as "soft go-arounds," and they might not include the flap and gear retractions needed in a go-around from DA. Pilots should be prepared for either type of go-around.

Transition to Instrument Flying

If the go-around is conducted because of weather conditions, the transition from visual flight back to instruments will require particular attention. The go-around procedure may be further complicated if airspeed and/or thrust setting are low. See the separate article "Go-Around - Transition to Instrument Flying". Many airlines use a monitored approach procedure (particularly in poor weather conditions) where the first officer will fly the approach down to Decision Altitude with the intention of going around at DA unless the captain sees the runway environment, takes control, and lands. This can eliminate the need for the pilot flying the go-around to transition from instruments to visual and then back to instruments during a missed approach.

All Engines Go-Around

Many modern transport aircraft have systems that help pilots transition from approach to go-around. For example, in some aircraft, pressing a takeoff/go-around (TOGA) button on the thrust levers will advance the power, sequence navigational systems for a missed approach, and sequence the flight director for a climb.

An all-engines go-around will typically be executed when the aircraft is relatively light, at least below Maximum Landing Weight, and so when go-around thrust is applied, performance may be brisk - if you are not careful, not only will you climb with a very high v/s, you will accelerate rapidly through all the flap limiting speeds. One major manufacturer limits the rate of climb to 2,000 feet per minute because of this (Even so, this assumes that pitch and speed are correct; if pitch is low, thrust will increase up to full GA thrust and the a/c will rapidly accelerate, but a climb rate of 2000 fpm will not be achieved.). Aircraft SOPs must take precedence but it is worth remembering that the aircraft will be much more manageable when reducing to climb thrust (but will still accelerate faster than on a normal take-off due to reduced weight). Furthermore, careful consideration needs to be given to how this can be handled as, if Go-Around Thrust (TOGA) is never selected, the FMS Flight Plan and electronic checklist (ECL) may not sequence as expected or correctly.

PF must be ready for any pitch-up effect that is much more marked with all engines operating than on the engine-out go-arounds practised in the simulator. Fly-by-wire systems may automatically trim out any pitch/power couple, so it is necessary for the PF to make a positive rotation manoeuvre (pull-up) to place the aircraft in the correct G/A attitude. In all cases, pilots should recognise (and resist) the pitch-up illusion created by rapid acceleration.

An important element of handling a manual go-around is selecting the correct power, pitch attitude, and configuration to fly the go-around at the correct speed. Knowing the appropriate figures will help in flying an accurate profile. If, for example, flaps are not retracted according to profile, a flap overspeed can occur. Because of the high power settings involved in a go-around, many pilots, at this time of high workload, try to control the speed by reducing power rather than with pitch attitude. This can result in dangerously slow speeds.

Go-Around from Non-standard Speed or Configuration

Regulators mandate that crews demonstrate, in the simulator, competence at go–around from Decision Altitude, when the aircraft is close to Vref and has flaps deployed. However, in day-to-day operations many go-arounds are flown from higher in the approach, before the aircraft is fully configured for landing. Pilots should consider how they would manage a go-around at all stages of an approach, including the following:

It may be appropriate to consider continuing down the approach path, if legally permitted, for a few moments whilst the handling of the go-around and the configuration is discussed before being actioned.
Going around from above the missed approach altitude may require the pilot to level off and maintain their current altitude or a modified altitude as instructed by ATC.
In congested airspace the missed approach altitude, track and speed is usually mandated. This can be a complicated affair if the go-around instruction or decision is made above the mandated missed approach altitude.
To ensure correct sequencing and compliance with the go-around procedure in FMS-equipped aircraft it is often advisable (if conditions allow) to continue on the approach until the aircraft descends below the missed approach altitude before selecting TOGA.
Relying on LNAV for the lateral part of the go-around guidance can create a significant problem if the FMS flight plan legs have not sequenced correctly prior to initiating the G/A, then the lateral path of the G/A is likely to flown incorrectly.

Task Sharing

Regarding task-sharing during a a manual go-around, the FSF ALAR Briefing Note 6.2 — "Manual Go-Around" recommends that:

"The pilot flying (PF) is responsible for controlling vertical navigation and lateral navigation, and for energy management, by ... Flying manually, with flight director (FD) guidance and an adapted (e.g., horizontal situation indicator (HSI) - type) navigation display (ND) mode.

"If manual thrust is selected, the pilot monitoring (PM) should monitor closely the airspeed, airspeed trend and thrust, and call any excessive deviation (e.g., airspeed decreasing below VREF).

"The PNF is responsible for monitoring tasks and for conducting actions requested by the PF, including:

Conducting the standard PM tasks;
Monitoring the thrust setting;
Monitoring vertical speed and radio altimeter altitude; and,
Monitoring pitch attitude, bank angle, airspeed and airspeed trend, and calling out any excessive deviation."

The briefing note then provides a thorough explanation of the flight dynamics of a go-around, which is important for understanding the interaction between changes to engine power and flight control settings.

If a go-around is flown using a flight director, crews should be aware of exactly what is being commanded in roll and pitch. For example, some F/Ds will command a heading that maintains aircraft track at the moment go-around was initiated (which, particularly if correcting localiser deviation at the time, may be very different from the required track during the go-around manoeuvre). Adherence to SOPs will help ensure that appropriate modes are selected to command appropriate track and vertical profiles. Particularly after a nonprecision approach in poor weather, the landing pilot can experience a high workload in trying to manoeuvre the aircraft for landing. The PM plays a vital role in monitoring this phase of the approach and calling for a go-around if stabilised approach criteria are not met. A good briefing can be very helpful in setting expectations/bottom lines to inform these decisions.

There is often strong emphasis on flying a go-round manually. Nonetheless, the maximum use of the autopilot will reduce pilot workload, aid monitoring capacity and go a long way to ensuring a successful outcome for any go-around.