Originally Posted by FIresysok
While is seems sensible to the dive-and-drive camp, a pilot would not desire the aircraft to level during a constant-angle approach. It would only serve to unstabilise the descent. The AP would have to be taken out and descent re-initated to the runway which could lead to a long landing.
OK, I'll preface this by saying that our company SOP is to set Missed Approach altitude in the alerter window, and that is what I do.
That said, why not set MDA in the alerter on a CANPA? You add 50' to the MDA for a pseudo DA, right? (surely you don't use MDA as a DA with the inevitable descent below?)
So, if you arrive at MDA, then one of two things have happened. You've reached MDA + 50, didn't see the runway and have already initiated the missed approach. Or You've reached MDA + 50, have the runway environment in sight, and are continuing the approach with the auto pilot disengaged. (At my airline, we don't continue below MDA on the autopilot, is this done at other airlines? )
So ..... hypothetically, if a Crew was so focused on following their VNAV cue that they missed the fact that they were descending through MDA wouldn't the autopilit pitching up to capture tthe MDA be a nice handy reminder to not descend below MDA?