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Old 24th May 2004, 02:58
  #14 (permalink)  
Blip
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Australia.
Posts: 308
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This discussion reminds me of an issue that I fear is mostly overlooked regarding MDA's, DA's and missed approaches.

Here we are talking about how much of a big deal it is whether or not the momentum of your aircraft will take you below the MDA if you initiate a go-around at rather than above the published MDA.

That's fine. But who here has thought about this. You arrive at the MDA. You're "Visual", so you continue the approach below MDA toward the landing runway (I'm thinking of a runway aligned approach here). Then, for whatever reason, you decide to discontinue the approach, you press TOGA and head skyward again.

Reasons for the late Go-Around / Aborted Landing?

1) Becoming visual but subsequently losing visual reference again due to cloud drifting across the flight path.

2) Flying into ever increasing precipitation that makes it increasingly difficult to see through the windscreen.

3) Windshear and/or turbulence. (Not necesarily asociated with microburst/thunderstorms).

4) Previous landing aircraft too slow vacating the runway.

5) Previous departing aircraft Rejecting Take-Off and remaining on runway.

6) Animals on runway.

7) Crosswind component above Operations Manual "limits"

So here you are, going around from a position not that far off the deck. Makes the previous concerns about MDA vs RA rather academic! You have now possibly progressed 1 or 2 nm beyond the Missed Approach Point, at an altitude 100 ft, 200 ft, 500 ft below MDA. What the @#$%$ are you going to do now?!?! Have you even thought about what you'd do if or WHEN this happens to you?

I have some ideas but will expand on them later.

I think this worth starting another thread. If you care to respond to this post, please do so there.

Thanks.
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