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Old 26th Jul 2011, 19:01
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FlightPathOBN
 
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JAA document NPA-OPS 41

While this is paraphrasing, this MDA vs DA is of concern....

The application of the CDFA technique requires all NPA operations, to be flown with a decision altitude/height (DA/H). When determining the applicable DA/H, the operator must take account of the missed approach point (MAPt) and the minimum descent altitude/height (MDA/H). While it is quite clear that a missed approach must be initiated not later than at the MAPt, the question of MDA/H is a different matter. Quite a few operators use MDA/H as the DA/H with no height add-on; in fact this is the case with a majority of the largest European operators. This modus operandi has raised concern that the unavoidable height loss below the MDA/H during a go-around might introduce a safety risk, even if the height loss can be minimised by the use of appropriate operational procedures (call-outs, high degree of on-speed/on-path discipline, training)


The matter of using the MDA/H as a DA/H is progressing in the ICAO OCP and OPSP. Until there exists a final result of the work in ICAO, it must be left to the discretion of each Authority to make decisions on the matter. Since the benefits of the CDFA technique are generally acknowledged, the decision is typically whether to require an add-on to the MDA/H to ensure that the height loss does not lead to flight below the related MDA/H during a go-around, based on formal or other reasons.


http://www.jaa.nl/publications/npas/NPA-OPS%2041.pdf
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