Technique / Go Around

Go Around

Go-arounds seem easy enough. Simply add power and try again, right? If only it were that easy. Accident statistics indicate pilots are generally terrible at go-arounds, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Follow this easy step-by-step guide, supplement it with competent instruction, and you’ll be fine every time. And remember, far from being seen as some sort of failure, go-arounds are accepted and even encouraged—for any reason. If the landing is at all in doubt, go around and try again.

Accidents do happen

According to the AOPA Air Safety Institute’s annual Nall Report, there were 25 accidents during attempted go-arounds in 2008, the latest year for which data were available. Although it might not seem like a big number, consider the relatively low number of times airplanes go around. You can fly for months without seeing one, except in training scenarios. Given that, it’s clear that go-around accidents are far too prevalent.

Step 1: Add full power

Stop the descent with back-pressure on the yoke and add full power— nothing less. If carburetor heat has been applied, set it to cold, or off. Then initiate a climb at V_Y. 

Step 2: Avoid a drastic nose-up attitude

Aside from failing to add full power, the biggest go-around mistake is letting the nose climb dramatically after full power has been added. Because nose-up trim is usually applied for landing, the addition of full power can produce an extreme nose-up attitude. It’s often necessary to push forward on the yoke to avoid this. Apply nose-down trim as necessary to ease pressure. Don’t worry about being exact—just release the pressure. Then start retracting flaps per the airplane’s operating handbook.

Step 3: Sidestep the runway

In many cases, you’ll initiate a go-around because of another airplane on the runway. To ensure proper traffic separation, it’s important to sidestep the runway and fly parallel to it. Ideally, you would sidestep to the right, making it easy to see the runway environment out the left window. Retract the flaps and gear, and adjust the throttle as necessary.